IR TV Review: CARRIE [Prime Video]
Writer/Director Mike Flanagan can really bring some good horror to bear but it depends on the source material and how it is shifted or changed…but also it is about how far he can go in terms of the backer/distributor. With his new series "Carrie" on Prime Video which is adapted from the Stephen King book, Flanagan diverges at a certain point (hopefully after consulting the maestro) from the source material. Parts of "Carrie" feel really well lived-in especially the character of Carrie (Summer H. Howell) and her mother Margaret (Samantha Sloyan). Flanagan changes up the context with conspiracy theorists, born-again elements and social media, all of which changes the personification of what undoes Carrie’s mental state. The brutality and tragic element of the original ending is what gave the original story its sadness but here it is a little bit more aware of itself which works interestingly once Carrie discovers her powers. Howell finds the right balance especially in how the mean girl scenario around her plays out especially in the auspice of social media. Matt Lillard plays the principal of the school with the appropriate amount of snark. But the drawing out of the secondary characters with the teachers (especially the PE/Counselor/Teacher trio of Rita (in Amber Midthunder), Peter (in Tim Bagely) and Seth (in Rahul Kohli) that really give the story a rounded sense of impact because the social media bullying hits them all in different ways.
The two girls at the center of bullying in different ways are Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton) and Sue (Siena Agudong). They are both dealing with their own social issues but it is Chris’ radicalization which Flanagan is referring to that really brings everything to a boil. Kids will be kids of course but Flanagan turns it up. There is also an ancillary character who, if played completely as originally presented, would always have more power. With the adjustment it gives it more of a Twilight Zone context which might end up being not as powerful. There is a bigger mythology with a certain genre veteran finding her way in that might spell something different. There is an errant scene around Episode 2 or 3 that speaks to this but then disappears until the final 2. But again the story element subtly points itself in a political or at least extreme social context. The wrapper is also an additional down on purpose. Flanagan has good instincts but you felt the dread a little more for example in "The Fall In The House Of Usher" series he did for Netflix.
The episodes he directs which are the first and last for sure here have his touch while his wife Katie Siegel (who also has a key cameo towards the end) directs an episode and also Kyra Sedgwick helms another. There is a slight inconsistency at times between the episodes and the social teen angst build takes a little too long though is specific to the story. The most powerful point as it always has been has been is between the mother and daughter. Sloyan as Margaret is unlikable but has a gravitas and a holier-than-though mission that turns into ego even as she refuses to see her daughter’s power. Howell plays Carrie with a good heart but one that has been taken, there is a lack of purpose and control but that is the reality. That is why the eventual aftermath is both effective but also anti-climactic. You understand what Flanagan is doing and why (in the context of more seasons) but is it really necessary since there is more than enough good pieces of material to adapt? The only deciding factor, as in many cases, would be if it comes down to what IP is open for use but also the molding according to rights that might be allowed. 84%/B
By Tim Wassberg
