This <em>Carrie</em> Isn’t Mean Enough
A modern-day take drains the original story’s brutal finale of its catharsis.
Carrie White, the protagonist of Stephen King's horror novel, faces years of torment from her classmates and her religious mother. The climax of the story sees Carrie doused in pig's blood at her prom and unleashing telekinetic powers to destroy her school and town. The recent Prime Video adaptation, directed by Mike Flanagan, modernizes the story for a contemporary audience, making the characters more sympathetic.
Flanagan expands the narrative with secondary elements like paranormal investigations and a superpowered cabal, giving the story a superhero-like dimension. One significant change is the introduction of Emaline, a girl with psychic abilities who seemingly takes control of Carrie during the prom scene. This twist removes any semblance of Carrie's agency in her own horror, shifting the narrative away from her revenge against her tormentors.
Flanagan's approach to the story, guided by a desire to soften the harshness of King's original work, diminishes the impact of Carrie's tragic arc.
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