Review of Carrie (2002) by Baurushan J — 18 Feb 2014

Let me talk to you about a horror/thriller novelist named Stephen King. He has been named as one of the best authors of all time and his books earn the same respect but his movies are a mixed bag. People have mixed opinions about the movies based of his books and they still can't decide which is the best.

Some say it was The Shining. Some say it was Stephen King's It. Some say it was 1408. Some say it was Misery. Others say it was The Shawshank Redemption. But for me, it goes all the way back to his first ever adapted novel directed by Brian De Palma, Carrie.

The original film back in 1976 was a classic and even though it is not in my top 10 horror movies list, I will definitely put this in the top 20. When I first saw images of Sissy Spacek as the Title character, she freaked me out so bad that the thought of the movie itself urged me to see it until I finally saw it.

The film was gritty, it was horrifying, and Carrie was fucking scary! Now let's take a look at this new remake. While the movie itself is constantly paying homages and references to the original that are so noticeable, at the same time it manages to stay fresh and new.

If you want to see how a remake should be made, then this is your movie. Overall this movie was good but not great. Chloe Race Moretz was a decent choice for Carrie but seemed so off-putting. She was less of the timid girl who snapped mentally and more of a brainy girl who was able to control herself.

What made Sissy Spacek iconic was that she was scary and as a horror movie, it is supposed to be scary. That scene of Carrie in the original being haunted by her mum's thoughts that everyone will laugh at her at the prom is constantly played in our heads because we knew that something was going to go wrong and it did so when it did, things turned freaky.

In this movie, the scene is sort of just there and there is nothing scary about it. And no I haven't seen the 2002 version and I don't plan to. This movie doesn't top the original in any way shape or form.

And if anyone tries to convince me by saying that the original is dated and I should move along with time, I'm gonna punch that motherfucker in the nuts. Carrie (2013) gets a 8.3/10.