CARRIE (2013)

2013 / Director. Kimberly Peirce.
Review by Glenn Cochrane.

Another fucking remake of a classic and I don't really know how to respond. "Pointless" is the first thing that comes to mind. Rather than adapting Stephen King's novel, the film mimics Brian DePalma's classic 1979 original. It's so blatant that it's almost verbatim, with the exception of iPhones and computers thrown into the mix to make it relevant. Chloe Grace Motetz stars as the title character and it's a terrible piece of casting. Firstly she is far too attractive to represent the character as written in the book and secondly she delivers a Sissy Spacek impersonation. There is no original take on the character but rather a forced imitation. Juliane Moore is effective as the hideous Margaret White but her performance alone can't save the film. I have a 14 year old daughter who has seen both versions and she even agrees that the original is much better. It's a testament to it's strength and goes to show that some things are better left untouched. As a stand alone movie, CARRIE '13 is adequate and deals with the themes of teen bullying in a way that may resonate with many dim-witted teens but no more effectively than the 79 film did. As far as remakes go, it's practically identical to the original and has no real purpose. Watch for shits & giggles but avoid if you're looking for something powerful. 

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