Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Reinvents Stephen King for the Social Media Era

Summer H. Howell delivers a standout performance in Prime Video’s bold new take on Carrie White, while Mike Flanagan expands Stephen King’s story for a modern audience.

When I heard that Carrie was due for another adaptation, I wondered what would happen. Given all the previous takes, from Brian De Palma’s classic film to the 2013 minor adaptation, it felt like there was nowhere else to go. However, I did have faith because Prime Video’s Carrie was going to be helmed by horror legend Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan’s work in horror shouldn’t be disregarded, of course. He’s worked on The Haunting of Hill House and even directed Doctor Sleep, the sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. With Flanagan running the show, my hopes for his version of Carrie White were high as he truly knows how to make and expand worlds. Fortunately, that’s what Flanagan and his team do here

The result of that collaborative effort is a unique take on cyberbullying, parental oversight, religious upbringings, and so many more ideas. Yet, Flanagan’s Carrie manages to make this all work.

Summer H. Howell’s Carrie White Isn’t Like the Others

For horror fans, Summer H. Howell’s name might be familiar if you’ve seen Chucky when it ran a few years ago. That said, Howell’s take on Carrie White stands out from other portrayals, including Sissy Spacek. Her version of Carrie White balances the social awkwardness of previous takes while allowing Carrie’s inner emotions to shine through that shell.

It creates this unique innocence within Carrie, but Flanagan also gives her a much-needed sense of agency. Despite what everyone, including her mother Margaret, think of her, she can think ahead when she’s given the chance to. This really shows on Episodes 3 and 4 as Carrie’s attempts to fit into Chris Hargensen’s group don’t really end well.

Carrie’s new sense of empowerment comes from a combination of her own wits as well as another character. What results from this narrative combination is a character who’s incredibly complex with morals that constantly come into conflict throughout the series. As such, it makes Howell a standout actress who shows there’s really more to Carrie White than what previous takes presented.

Carrie’s Cast of Characters Show More Depth Than Previous Adaptations

Speaking of Margaret White, Samantha Sloyan’s version of the overly religious mother is surprisingly multifaceted. Sloyan’s performance still retains the deeply conservative nature of Margaret, but Flanagan and his writers put emphasis on Carrie’s effect on her.

She has some heavy scenes with Matthew Lillard‘s Principal Henry, allowing Sloyan to capture Margaret’s assertion without making it seem too forceful. Her crusade, which shows Margaret fighting back by using the tools Carrie’s “oppressors” have, actually makes an interesting case around parental advocations. If you’ve seen how parents react to online spaces, the choices Margaret makes may feel all too familiar.

Furthermore, the student cast of Carrie confidently shine in their roles. Alison Thornton’s Chris Hargensen isn’t a stereotypical bully that suddenly becomes jealous. She’s put at a standstill between her always busy father John, played by Michael Trucco, and her mother, whose new relationship creates the strain.

The shaky father-daughter dynamic between Chris and John not only shows why Chris is like this, but also why she divulges into Billy Nolan, played by Arthur Conti. Chris’ downward spiral into deviousness is really fleshed out, allowing Thornton to really showcase why Chris deserves some sympathy, if at all. However, most of the enabling comes from Josie Totah’s Tina, who’s truly the trickster out of Chris’ friend group.

Of course, you also have Siena Agudong‘s Sue Snell and Joel Oulette’s Tommy Ross, who have a slow build-up compared to other characters here. Agudong’s Sue easily recognizes the pieces at play, but Tommy seems more like a passive observer. However, the scenes that they share with Carrie does add a bit of levity to capture how her support system works.

Carrie Digs Deep Into Social Media’s Consequences and Complex Themes

The main reason that Carrie works is because of its revolving storyline around social media and its effects. Although the 2013 film tried exploring that idea, Flanagan’s series really dives deep by using it as a foundational element. Driven by Chris’ rage against her family, it not only affects Carrie, but everyone else.

This extends to the teachers as well, including Amber Midthunder’s Ms. Desjardin and Rahul Kohli’s Mr. Peist. At the start, both of them find commonality in wanting to help Carrie, which leads to some off-work complications. However, Carrie‘s creative team gives them some bar scenes to show that they too aren’t perfect. That said, the show definitely leans on with one particular teacher, but with a surprising twist.

Another theme that Flanagan touches on is the effects of parents influencing their children, which shows with Chris and Carrie respectively. In Carrie’s case, her father’s influence does show up to scare her, along with viewers, but it’s more of a result of that trauma from her mother. The show makes a case that Carrie’s father was her real support and without his presence, it’s impossible to find balance and that joy.

All that said, the underlying theme that Flanagan explores is society’s dismissal of women and what they’re capable of. This is usually explored in opening sequences narrated with a documentary-esque style. Some of these openings may feel too dramatic at times, yet Flanagan incorporates that emphasis into Carrie’s journey. This especially feels so in the last two episodes, which really go all in with these bigger ideas.

Mike Flanagan’s Series Creates Expansions of Carrie’s Story

That said, Flanagan and his team also make unique and original changes to Stephen King‘s original story. Particularly, the biggest change comes in the form of Thalia Dudek’s Emaline, who acts as the angel on Carrie’s shoulder. Throughout the series, the idea of whether she’s real or not is played around, but the outcome will certainly leave viewers shocked.

Carrie really plays around with this idea with its framing device. The framing device that Flanagan uses isn’t anything like the White Commissionn from King’s book, but still drives that initial investigation. It also plays a part of Margaret’s methods to protect Carrie, but its involvement doesn’t have its full effects until the finale.

Plus, as Flanagan is also a King fan, there are surprisingly some references to King’s other works. Considering that Flanagan wanted to get a Dark Tower series off the ground, his choices to connect Carrie to other stories seems understandable. That said, it does also feel like a cinematic Stephen King universe is being formed, thanks to It: Welcome to Derry‘s release.

All of these extensions in Carrie may make the show somewhat overpacked, leaving viewers trying to follow several threads. However, Flanagan and his writers do seem to do their best in making everything flow naturally, even if there’s also to take note of.

Verdict

Mike Flanagan’s Carrie is a wholly unique adaptation of Stephen King’s classic story that not only honors King’s work, but offers to dissect it for today’s online world. This series felt like an incredible undertaking for the horror film director, given how most of his King-centric adaptations are on the film side.

When all is said and done, Flanagan’s Carrie certainly proves itself as a worthy take that definitely ranks near the top of this story’s adaptations.

Carrie premieres on Prime Video on October 7.

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