I went into this film with low expectations. Low, low, low expectations. I never saw the original Carrie, and I saw little reason to; the story seemed pretty basic and predictable, not to mention unscary. Furthermore, this remake seemed like just another in the never-ending line of crappy horror remakes. I'd seen a couple just that day, the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and the Prom Night remake. Both were awful, Prom Night in particular failed on every level to be believable, likable, or scary. I'd groaned seeing the ads for Carrie. Still, I was in a bit of a blues mood, and gave the movie a shot (with the intention of seeing others later when it disappointed).
I was wrong. I was completely wrong. Carrie blew me away. This is the best horror remake by a long shot. The writing has flourishes and insights far beyond the usual drivel of horror films. There is thought and effort put into every word.
Furthermore, the actors attach genuine emotional attachment to their lines and performances. These felt like real people with reactions, outbursts, and pride; but also flaws, insecurities, guilt, shame, and even regret. Line by line, scene by scene, they build this movie. A movie populated by real people who illustrate what people like Carrie need to know; the world has bad people, but far more good ones. People who do nice things for strangers, whether it's as small as a tidbit of advice over someone's shoulder or a big sacrifice to give someone one night of acceptance and happiness.
The story only seems to improve with an updated setting. Carrie's old-fashioned home life makes her stand out more than ever, and the addition of certain modern-day elements fit perfectly into the character stories. You'll wonder how the original got by without them. It's so exhilarating and realistic that you start to see the cracks in the source material as you're watching it. You see the beautiful place the characters are going, but then it has to follow the story set in stone for Carrie.
Among a pretty remarkable cast, Chloe Grace-Moretz and Julianne Moore stand out. Chloe was born to play Carrie. She doesn't fit into the usual Hollywood standard of dolled-up beauty, which becomes all the more evident when you see her classmates. Still, there is a pretty young girl in there, she just needs someone to see it. She plays shy and vulnerable better than any other actress I've ever seen. Furthermore, for all the bragging I hear about Sissy Spacek, most people don't mention she was 27 when she played Carrie. Chloe is 16, the isolation and judgement of high school is still fresh in her mind. As for Julianne Moore, she plays Margaret White with a quiet instability that makes it very clear why Carrie is terrified of her getting involved in anything. This is a woman lost in a world no child should have to endure. Still, she and her daughter have some rather touching moments, and it's clear that for better or worse, Carrie loves her mother.
I've been reading a lot of bad reviews for this film, and I just wanted to put my opinion out there, because I went in with serious doubts and instead got a new favorite horror movie. And if I enjoyed it this much without ever seeing the original or reading the book, then I'd say this movie deserves another look.
I was wrong. I was completely wrong. Carrie blew me away. This is the best horror remake by a long shot. The writing has flourishes and insights far beyond the usual drivel of horror films. There is thought and effort put into every word.
Furthermore, the actors attach genuine emotional attachment to their lines and performances. These felt like real people with reactions, outbursts, and pride; but also flaws, insecurities, guilt, shame, and even regret. Line by line, scene by scene, they build this movie. A movie populated by real people who illustrate what people like Carrie need to know; the world has bad people, but far more good ones. People who do nice things for strangers, whether it's as small as a tidbit of advice over someone's shoulder or a big sacrifice to give someone one night of acceptance and happiness.
The story only seems to improve with an updated setting. Carrie's old-fashioned home life makes her stand out more than ever, and the addition of certain modern-day elements fit perfectly into the character stories. You'll wonder how the original got by without them. It's so exhilarating and realistic that you start to see the cracks in the source material as you're watching it. You see the beautiful place the characters are going, but then it has to follow the story set in stone for Carrie.
Among a pretty remarkable cast, Chloe Grace-Moretz and Julianne Moore stand out. Chloe was born to play Carrie. She doesn't fit into the usual Hollywood standard of dolled-up beauty, which becomes all the more evident when you see her classmates. Still, there is a pretty young girl in there, she just needs someone to see it. She plays shy and vulnerable better than any other actress I've ever seen. Furthermore, for all the bragging I hear about Sissy Spacek, most people don't mention she was 27 when she played Carrie. Chloe is 16, the isolation and judgement of high school is still fresh in her mind. As for Julianne Moore, she plays Margaret White with a quiet instability that makes it very clear why Carrie is terrified of her getting involved in anything. This is a woman lost in a world no child should have to endure. Still, she and her daughter have some rather touching moments, and it's clear that for better or worse, Carrie loves her mother.
I've been reading a lot of bad reviews for this film, and I just wanted to put my opinion out there, because I went in with serious doubts and instead got a new favorite horror movie. And if I enjoyed it this much without ever seeing the original or reading the book, then I'd say this movie deserves another look.