Review: "Carrie"

Dir. Kimberly Peirce
MGM
2.5/5 stars

This is the problem with remakes: directors who attempt to reboot classic films utilize modern special effects and camerawork but don’t revise the messages and outdated themes of their predecessors. Instead of adding freshness to the story, we receive an uninspired film. What I’m trying to say here is that Kimberly Peirce’s retelling of “Carrie” falls far short of the original.

“Carrie” follows the story of an outcast teenage girl who, after a humiliating incident at school, slowly begins to discover she has telekinetic powers. Her mother, played by the fully immersed Julianne Moore, is a radical religious believer who scowls and tortures Carrie, who she believes to be a devil child.

Where the original film blended a suspense-building plotline with social commentary about a misfit's place in a community, the update lacks such balance. Instead, the film feels like a showcase of Chloë Grace Moretz and contemporary CGI. Moretz’s performance is enthralling, dynamic and well-done, but it is not enough to save this film from its flaws.

Once-complex characters become one-dimensional. The main bully at Carrie’s school, Chris, is a clear antagonist. Where in the original she was an obnoxious teen in over her head, they now make her malicious and disturbing, especially in a scene where she slits a pig’s throat. The characterizations are poorly developed, as many characters are basic high school stereotypes with little room for evolution.

One of the film’s few improvements from the original is the screen time provided for Carrie’s mother. Julianne Moore is haunting in her performance of self-mutilation and spine-chilling religious zeal. She whispers her words with unnerving pain in her eyes as she begs Carrie, “Take off that dress. We'll burn it together, and pray for forgiveness.” The audience can’t help but to shiver.

The film’s soundtrack is creepy and essential for building up to the movie’s dramatic climax at prom night. The greatest success comes in this scene where finally Carrie can showcase her capabilities. It is gruesome and gory, giving the film its first indication of an R-rating. In all honesty, the film could easily have gained a larger fan base with a few edits and PG-13 rating. Instead the viewer gets an over-the-top bloodfest.

Though performances by Moretz and Moore are unsettling and noteworthy, they do not save the film from its inferiority to the original. With the opportunity to add new socially-relevant themes, especially in the wake of violent school-based traumas such as Columbine and Virignia Tech, “Carrie” instead delivers a substandard remake.