Withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers.
Carrie had been included on a list of great films to which my mother had taken my older brother and me to see upon their theatrical releases decades ago. And the memories of that long ago time will forever remain with me. Back when the Chicago Theater had still been a movie house, Carrie was the first film that my family and I had gone out on our weekly "Movie Date Night" to see. Good times. Gooood times. Carrie is an undisputed horror masterpiece. I still...get chills.
Sissy Spacek is really good in this as the socially inept, psychologically tortured, girl living in the shadow of her overbearingly Christian mother, with few friends and some remarkable telekinetic powers. What ensues is a complex, at times convoluted, angst-ridden horror film that sees the best and worst of human nature - of all ages - depicted, as thoughtless pranks and humiliation become the order of the day with some chilling consequences. Piper Laurie is superb as the zealot mother, as is John Travolta as the odious "Billy" and the combination of Brian de Palma and Stephen King make for a compelling, multi-layered critique on many different aspects of intimidation, bullying as well as adding some genuinely scary moments too!
Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976) remains an iconic adaptation of Stephen King's novel, blending psychological horror with deeply human themes of alienation and vengeance. The films portrayal of high school life, social cruelty, and supernatural terror is deeply affecting, resonating with audiences even decades later.
From its infamous opening locker room scene to the chaotic prom climax, De Palma's direction demonstrates a masterful control of mood and pacing. The visual style, characterized by long takes, slow motion, and the daring use of split-screen during the prom sequence, creates a cinematic experience that is both intimate and expansive. These techniques pull viewers into Carries inner world while amplifying the horror of her ultim...