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Following in the shadow of the Evil Dead update, 2013's Carrie is neither as terrible as one might have anticipated, nor as brilliant as it had the potential to be. This is not the first time that Stephen King's 1974 novel of the same name has been adapted for the screen, as Brian De Palma produced a cinematic treatment in 1976 and there was a TV movie in 2002, hence this new iteration was a golden opportunity to produce a fresh realisation of the source book. Alas, this Carrie plays it safe, rehashing De Palma's movie with contemporary digital effects and only a few minor changes here and there. Nevertheless, it's a credit to those involved that it still works to some extent, even if it's not as memorable as the original feature that spawned it.
An awkward 18-year-old girl, Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) is an outcast at her high school, struggling to fit in with the other girls as she's mercilessly bullied by popular snob Chris (Portia Doubleday). Carrie's home life isn't much better, as her deranged fundamentalist mother Margaret (Julianne Moore) perceives her daughter as pure evil. With the school's prom approaching, Chris' former friend Sue (Gabriella Wilde) begins to regret bullying Carrie and hopes to make amends by urging her boyfriend Tommy (Ansel Elgort) to take her to prom and give her a memorable night. Although Carrie is suspicious of Tommy's motives, she agrees to his invitation. However, Chris, who's banned from prom by gym teacher Ms. Desjardin (Judy Greer) as punishment for her behaviour towards Carrie, begins plotting to ruin Carrie's night, unaware that the meek girl has recently discovered that she has telekinetic abilities.
At the helm of this Carrie is Kimberly Peirce, who also directed the outstanding Boys Don't Cry in 1999. Given her pedigree, Peirce was an inspired choice for this endeavour. After all, while King's novel and De Palma's original movie remain solid pieces of work, Peirce had the potential to bring something new to the table since she's a female and would be able to provide a more authentic interpretation of the story's proceedings and thematic undercurrents. But alas, aside from a few creative instances of symbolism, Peirce does not take full advantage of the opportunity, instead predominantly rehashing what's already been done. Nevertheless, Peirce and the writers do a decent enough job of modernising the story. The current atmosphere of bullying is captured here, with teens now able to use their mobile devices to capture acts of humiliation on video and share them with the world. Likewise, Carrie is able to research her powers on the internet. These little inclusions are nice, hence it's a shame that the filmmakers seem too afraid to majorly deviate from the template already set by King and De Palma.
Carrie feels fundamentally PG-13 across its first two acts, but all hell breaks loose for the climax, when Peirce is given the opportunity to realise Carrie's gory rampage using contemporary special effects and the freedom of an R-rating. However, while the climactic mayhem is pretty enjoyable, and there's a certain satisfaction inherent in seeing the bullies get their comeuppance, it's pitched at the wrong tone. See, whereas Sissie Spacek's Carrie was in a trance-like shock while feeling out her powers during the climax of the 1976 film, in this remake, Moretz is seen honing her telekinetic skills before her killing spree. Thus, as she walks around striking Magneto-like poses, the gory extended set-piece comes across as calculated and evil, as she sets out to murder people and has time to ponder her actions before she does it. There's not much emotional resonance here as a result, and there's no real sense of tragedy, reducing the finale to a special effects demo reel. And even then, there are missteps. For instance, the moment in which Carrie is doused in pig's blood is replayed from different angles three or four times for no real reason. And a lot of the bloodletting is achieved via glossy CGI that's at times unbearably artificial. Practical effects would be far more suitable for this type of production, especially in the wake of the all-practical Evil Dead remake.
Amusingly, while most American films try to pass off 30-year-old actors as 18-year-old teenagers, Moretz is a 15-year-old playing an 18-year-old, and she actually looks believable. However, while the actress acquits herself admirably in the role, she's miscast due to other reasons. See, Moretz is just too naturally beautiful and charismatic to embody the role of Carrie. One supposes she's meant to be a new interpretation of the role, but according to the script, the staging, the story, her dialogue and everyone else's dialogue, she's apparently still the same pathetic, vulnerable Carrie from the 1976 film, which is completely dissonant to Moretz's on-screen performance. The script says she's a weakling, but she's clearly capable. And while the movie says she's freakish and a prime target for bullying, she's every bit as good-looking as the girls who bully her. This is another example of why further updating the story would've been beneficial.
Fortunately, the rest of the supporting cast fare better. Julianne Moore is genuinely frightening as Carrie's unhinged mum, delivering a completely unflattering performance for which she commits to the material with complete abandon. Also in the cast is a very appealing Gabriella Wilde as Sue, while Judy Greer is genuine and sympathetic as the well-meaning gym teacher. Other members of the cast hit their marks effectively, most notably Portia Doubleday who's convincing as the hugely spiteful Chris.
Carrie is not terrible by any stretch, as its handsomely slick presentation helps to keep it afloat and there are a number of scenes that genuinely work. Although the script is inconsistent and in need of a thorough polish, the build-up to Carrie's rampage is consistently interesting, and there are sufficient moments of terror throughout to prevent the film from being a total bust.
6.3/10
