Carrie-2013

Director Kimberly Peirce

Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore

Scott’s Review #110

Reviewed July 15, 2014

Grade: C-

Carrie is a 2013 remake of the classic 1976 horror masterpiece of the same name directed by Brian De Palma and adapted from the Stephen King novel.

Comparing the two is difficult since the original is brilliant. The remake of Carrie showed some potential in the first half as the set-up was developed and is overall only fairly entertaining.

Carrie White is a bullied, outcast teenager who has telekinetic powers. She can make things move, usually when angry.

Her mother, played by Julianne Moore, is a repressed Christian woman with issues about sex (among other things).

Following a cruel encounter in the locker room, one of the popular girls, feeling guilty, talks her boyfriend into taking Carrie to the prom.

Chloe Grace Moretz is okay as Carrie but hardly seems nerdy or homely enough to completely pull it off. She could easily have portrayed one of the popular girls.

Julianne Moore is too sympathetic an actress to be believable as the crazy Mrs. White so that doesn’t completely work either.

Finally, the actresses playing Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde) and Chris (Portia Doubleday) should be reversed. Chris is a despicable character, comfortable as the queen bee, but Doubleday plays her as awkward and insecure.

Meanwhile, Wilde feels better suited to play a vicious, bitchy character.

So, there are issues with the casting.

In the original, the audience feels Carrie’s rage and cheers along with her revenge, but that does not happen in this version. There was not as much justification to warrant the revenge.

And since when did having telekinesis result in being able to fly?

Carrie circa 2013 is a pale imitation of the classic 1976 horror film, but I suppose not a complete dud either.