Mike Flanagan’s Carrie is fresh and full of empathy. At the TIFF Premiere Q&A, Flanagan shared that with what we now know over 50 years later about teenagers and the cycle of bullying he hopes that his new take on Carrie embodies that complex understanding and reality. After watching the first two episodes of the series, Flanagan and co. are well on their way to achieving that. It is clear that he deeply cares for these characters, as he allows each of them to be fully realized with complicated emotions and messy interior worlds. If you’re looking for a complex, emotional, and thrilling watch, Carrie is it.
For the uninitiated, Carrie, based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, follows the titular Carrie White, who has long been sheltered from the outside world. After a tragic incident, her world is turned upside down. She enters high school, bright-eyed and hopeful, in awe at all its wonders (libraries, cute boys, etc.) but soon becomes subject to its cruelty. Just as quickly as she becomes a social outcast she learns she has telekinetic powers, forever changing the trajectory of her life and those around her.
Summer H. Howell is absolutely magnetic in the role of Carrie. She has big shoes to fill, and instead of trying to attempt to fit that mold, she makes her own pair. She embodies such a deep sense of innocence with her take on Carrie. At the TIFF Premiere Q&A, Howell described how she tried to imbue her character with a deep desire to connect and initial optimism. As a viewer, that hopeful optimism and kind innocence comes through clearly. You feel protective over her and worried for what’s to come.
The supporting performances are also stellar. With Flanagan’s fresh take, these characters are all the more complex and reflective of the messiness of being human. We’ve got a Margaret White who actually loves her daughter (as described by actress Samantha Sloyan) but goes about things in the absolute wrong way, a complex and deeper backstory added to Carrie’s bully Chris (Alison Thornton), and a multifaceted bystander struggling to do what’s right in Sue (Siena Agudong).
Principal Grayle (Matthew Lillard) and Miss Desjardin (Amber Midthunder) also stood out to me as educators imperfectly navigating the situation at hand. Lillard and Midthunder’s acting in this is impeccable as always. Many of us have come to love Matthew Lillard as the iconic misfit teenagers he’s played in classic teen movies (see: Scream, She’s All That, etc.), so to see him play an educator trying to do his best amidst the chaos that ensues is a heartwarming, full circle moment.
The show is also incredibly well crafted. Everything from the score and soundtrack to the visual language and script - it’s got it all! You are immediately immersed into the town and its sleepy atmosphere by the stunning cinematography. The way that Carrie is framed in each shot effectively invokes the same feelings of isolation and overwhelm that she feels. The supernatural elements are used carefully and intentionally, that each of those moments stirs you. And the music, it’s just sublime.
As a huge Mike Flanagan fan, I was so hyped for this series and he did not disappoint. If these first two episodes are any indication, we are in for an absolute treat with this new take on Carrie. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to enjoy the full series (it’s out on October 7th!). I can already tell this will be a hit! I can’t wait to see what else Flanagan and co. have in store for us.
Support our work
You can subscribe to the OBSCURAE newsletter for free, or become a paid Aficionado for £5/month to help fund independent coverage, contributor fees, site hosting, and admin costs.