Stephen King’s Carrie returns with a modern TV remake exploring bullying and social media

Another beloved classic gets a modern-day twist. Its cast and creator argue why it needed to be remade.

This witty, smart remake takes teenage bullying and telekinetic violence to new extremes. Even the shower scene is more excruciating than the originalThe automatic response to the news that a stone-cold classic of any genre is to be remade is “Why?” In an accompanying letter to critics, the creator of the new TV series Carrie, Mike Flanagan, promises us that this was the first question he asked himself too when he was approached about the project. Why mess with perfection – in this case, the Brian De Palma horror film, based on and nearly eclipsing in terms of cultural currency Stephen King’s debut novel about a telekinetic teen, that has been gloriously shocking audiences for half a century?But it’s a far less necessary question than usual. Why remake Carrie, a story of teenage bullying, alienation and the vengeful violence it can fuel, for the modern age? Babe, look around! We’ve got the internet now. We’ve taken teenage bullying, alienation and the fuelling of vengeful violence to levels that De Palma and King, with all their vaunted capacity for darkness, could never have imagined! We are, to use a construction popular among the very youth of whom we are speaking, Carriemaxxing these days. The question is not why remake but quite why it has taken this long. Continue reading...

Title: CarrieDirectors: Mike Flanagan, Hiromi Kamata, Kate Siegel, Axelle Carolyn, Kyra Sedgwick, Cast: Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette and othersWhere to watch: Prime VideoRating: 2 starsHow many times will fans of Stephen King’s cult classic 1974 novel have to endure its remakes? When will the makers realise that most of them fail to get its core essence right? Yes, say hello to the latest adaptation about a gifted (telekenisis) and misunderstood teen bullied at school and at home. Is it worth watching? Read on to find out.DirectionAll the directors should have taken time out to realise that by merely modernising a tale doesn’t make it watchable. Also, they probably should have watched Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic and taken notes from it. They have proven that just a good story isn’t enough to make something likable. Had there been just one director at the helm of things, probably the voices of each episode would not feel that disjointed.Music and aestheticsThe music by The Newton Brothers is probably the one thing that might have elevated this series. It is average at best.It fauls to create a mood of tension. The sets (especially of the school), locations, make up and costumes are done well.PerformancesStandout performances are by Siena Agudong as Sue and Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen. As for Summer H. Howell, who plays the titular role, she is strictly okay. So is the rest of the cast.FPJ verdictHaving read the novel and seen multiple attempts at its recreations (this is the sixth one), one hopes that this classic is left alone for a long time from now on. The makers have changed a lot from the original storyline and hence robbed it of its soul. Watch the 1976 version instead of this one.