Kimberley Peirce’s adaptation of Carrie starring Chloë Grace Moretz as the titular character, Carrie, is supposed to be a reinterpreation of the Stephen King novel released in 1974, rather than a remake of the 1976 Bryan de Palma film. However it is not. It actually is an unapologetic and unnecessary update to the de Palma classic. It changes almost nothing from the original film to make it a more faithful adaptation of King’s novel, which makes its very existence questionable.
In terms of its mechanics, the acting is very stressful to watch, with Julianne Moore as Carrie’s mother, Margaret, and Moretz herself being the only exceptions. Moretz, however, is sadly miscast as the title character. Meanwhile, the supporting cast just appears bored and are unconvincing with their delivery.
On top of that, the film’s blatant attempts to be “hip” and “relevant” feel forced and end up making the film a jarring experience. The film otherwise looks and feels like a generic modern horror movie. Overall Carrie takes an icon in the horror genre and fails to bring anything new to the table — raising the question of why it was made in the first place.
