Review of Carrie (2013) by Stockton22 — 03 Nov 2013

I LOVED IT! As a huge fan of the book I was very satisfied with how it was brought to life. It's a little derivative of DePalma's film but has a few touches of its own, enough that I found it enough to stand on its own.

Although Pierce largely misses the chance to show the destruction Carrie brings to the whole town in the book (budget concerns perhaps?) and the ending doesn't match DePalma's, special effects elevate the prom and Chris and Billy's comeuppance (which is truly inspired and my favorite scene) past DePalma's, plus she found a good way to incorporate the book's meteor shower.

Pierce also reinvents the film as drama that effectively builds tension more effectively than a simple horror film from the get go, plus Carrie's development of her power (which is well known to be a metaphor for burgeoning womanhood) progresses much more organically.

Chloë Grace Moretz crushes it; it's been a common criticism that she's too pretty to be Carrie but upon seeing it, I'm letting it slide, because she not only pulls it off by bringing a heartbreaking frailty, it kind of makes things even more shocking, because you wonder just how messed up her life had to be to make her the kind of person she is at the start of the film.

Not that anyone should hope for tragedy, but I found myself really praying that things would work out better despite the fact that we all know what's going to happen. Gabriella Wilde was also very good as Sue Snell, she make the sense of regret that leads to her ill-fated benevolence believable (it aways seemed far-fetched to me).

The always reliable Judy Greer is in fine form as Miss Dejarden, and Julianne Moore chews the scenery as the part of Carrie's mom calls for (recreated by Pierce as a paranoid schizophrenic). The novel Carrie is one of my favorite books, so I wouldn't give it my seal of approval if I wasn't genuinely impressed.

Tip of the hat to all involved.