Mike Flanagan's 8-Episode Carrie Series Wins Early TIFF Praise
Updated
Updated · JoBlo.com · Sep 19
Mike Flanagan's 8-Episode Carrie Series Wins Early TIFF Praise
3 articles · Updated · JoBlo.com · Sep 19
Summary
Two episodes screened at TIFF drew a strong early review, with the series judged a successful reimagining of Stephen King’s story despite the 1976 film’s long shadow.
Flanagan updates Carrie by framing the disaster through a true-crime-style docuseries and expanding the destruction beyond the high school to the whole town, with hundreds of deaths implied.
Summer H. Howell’s Carrie is portrayed as sheltered rather than eerie, while Samantha Sloyan’s Margaret is recast as a calculating doomsday prepper steeped in conspiracy theories.
The 8-episode adaptation uses Carrie’s first exposure to modern school life—including same-sex couples, trans students and a shooting drill—to underline its contemporary YA angle.
The review says the opening suggests Amazon could have a crossover hit with younger viewers and horror fans if the remaining episodes match the first two.