Carrie (2013)
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Horror remakes have been coming thick and fast for a while now and Carrie is the latest classic horror movie to get the treatment. Chloë Grace Moretz has starred in remakes before like Let Me In which was the American version of a Swedish vampire horror film. Julianne Moore herself also starred in Gus Van Sant’s remake of Pyscho which was an ill-advised movie but her acting in the film was solid as always. Both actresses are well cast here as Carrie who has telekinetic powers and her religious nutcase mother Margaret.
Carrie has a hard life as she is abused by her mother and tormented at school by her classmates. Eventually Carrie is pushed to breaking point and chaos ensues when her telekinesis powers manifest. Carrie decides to use her new abilities for revenge against her tormentors and that is when the film becomes a real horror show. Fans of the original will remember how stylish it was due to the fact that the director Brian De Palma has a talent for visual flair. The story was originally written by Steven King and released as a novel in 1974. The novel and film both became hugely popular and it is not surprising they got the remake treatment. There was already a 2002 TV film remake of the story although it is not very well known.
The trailer for the remake does its job as it contains plenty of action and explains the story well. Moretz and Moore look good in their roles and the trailer gives the viewer a glimpse of their troubled relationship. Carrie’s horrible school life is also touched upon as is her discovery of the powers she possesses and her quest for revenge. In fact the trailer provides a little too much information and features plenty of spoilers. This will not bother people familiar with the source material but it might spoil things a bit for those who don’t know the story. The special effects in the trailer look nice and the viewer can expect liberal use of CGI when Carrie’s powers are used to their full potential.
This remake looks like it will have good special effects, solid acting from the main stars and plenty of action. However it will also be missing a few unique things that made the original so memorable. For a start this remake doesn’t have Sissy Spacek who has a unique look but also a rather unique gaze and acting style. Chloë Grace Moretz is a good casting choice as Carrie in this film though. Maybe she can bring something quirky and new to the role.
The film also has a new director (Kimberley Peirce) which is cool as she is a talented director. However Brian De Palma’s creative touch will be missed. He made good use of split-screen footage and other techniques when he directed the first Carrie and they added something special to the movie. So we have a remake that could be a good movie but one that is missing those special elements that made the original source material stand out. It’s a problem that often occurs when an iconic horror classic is remade. The remake of Halloween lacked John Carpenter’s directing style and innovative music. The remake of Dawn of the Dead was a good horror movie but it lacked the social commentary aspect of George A. Romero’s original. Hopefully with Carrie Kimberley Peirce can add her own unique elements to the movie to elevate it above banality. Nothing unique or innovative is shown in the trailer though so time will tell. Hollywood should focus on remaking horror movies that had good ideas but were poorly made instead of remaking well made horror classics for a quick buck. On a positive note this remake will introduce some people to the source material which is good. There are plenty of young horror fans out there who have never heard of Carrie.
Movie fans eager for their horror fix can check out Carrie when it is released on October 18th. Have a look at the trailer and let us know what you think.
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