Mike Flanagan reinvents Stephen King's Carrie for the social media age

Stephen King's classic horror story Carrie is returning in a new television adaptation created by Mike Flanagan for Prime Video. Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White, a naive sophomore arriving at Ewen High School. Unlike traditional versions, this series sets the story in a world where teenagers live on Instagram, want to be influencers, and practice active shooter drills while hiding behind fake online personas. Carrie faces a modern kind of torment led by Christine Hargensen, played by Alison Thornton, who creates a fake Instagram account called 'Red' to bully her. Carrie lives with her toxic mother Margaret, played by Samantha Sloyan, while her father died in an accident and appears to her as a vision around the house. The show spans eight hour-long episodes directed by Miguel Arteta, Norman Buckley, and Nanette Burstein. The series also expands the background of other characters, including teacher Miss Desjardin, played by Amber Midthunder. While the adaptation offers fresh perspective by linking Carrie's telekinetic powers to historical examples of women being demonised by sexist societies, the show receives mixed notes for its stretched middle episodes and a blood-filled prom sequence that leans heavily into melodrama. Despite its flaws, the series provides a timely look at teen cruelty, apathy, and the limits of empathy.

Context

Stephen King's novel Carrie has inspired multiple screen adaptations over the decades, most famously Brian De Palma's 1976 feature film starring Sissy Spacek. The story remains a central pillar of horror fiction because of its timeless exploration of teenage isolation, bullying, and the loss of innocence.