#SHOWBIZ: Haunting take on new 'Carrie'

A haunting and heartbreaking remake of Stephen King's classic horror story, "Carrie," has premiered globally on Prime Video. The eight-episode series, directed by Mike Flanagan, expands King's 1974 novel into a deeply personal, modern tragedy. The story follows Carrie White, a misfit teenager raised in isolation by her fiercely protective mother, Margaret White.

After her father's sudden death, Carrie must navigate the brutal world of public high school, facing bullying, social media pressure, and the emergence of her own telekinetic powers.

Newcomer Summer Howell secured the iconic role of Carrie after a search involving nearly 1,500 actors. Intriguingly, Howell entered the audition without any prior knowledge of the story. She emphasized the importance of capturing Carrie's journey through universal teenage anxieties and her initial curiosity and gratitude for the outside world. Howell also tackled the shower scene, the most famous sequence in the film, spending a full day filming it.

Margaret White, played by Samantha Sloyan, is a mother and monster in the story. Contrary to a fanatically religious interpretation, Flanagan imagined a new Margaret, anchored primarily in love for her daughter. The tragedy arises from her fear and desperate reaction to it, leading to her ferocity and dangerous protective measures. Despite the intense on-screen dynamic, the bond off-camera was immediate, with Howell praising their on-screen love despite their characters' conflicts.

Flanagan felt the original 1976 film needed a modern reckoning, as the themes of cruelty, empathy, bullying, and school violence remain crucial today. The series explores how small choices can lead to tragedy in the modern world, with a simple message for viewers: be kind, as it takes real bravery to be kind.