Though film will forever have my heart, I’m a book nerd first and foremost. Stephen King books were my entry into the “grown up” section of the library, and Carrie was the second King book I read, sealing my eternal devotion to the modern master of horror.
The story of a teenage girl with a freaky overprotective mom who discovers her own telekinetic powers after being bullied sounds simplistic, but it transcends the decades to still be relevant almost a half-century later. What better director to lead the charge of a modern refresh of the classic tale than my personal favorite filmmaker, Mike Flanagan?
Mike Flanagan Has Never Made a Stephen King Adaptation Like Carrie (2026)
When whispers of Mike Flanagan taking on an update of Carrie began circulating, I was cautiously hopeful. Cautious because Stephen King is my favorite author of all time, and not all adaptations of this work have been good ones. Hopeful because Flanagan has never missed, not once, producing one of the best horror series of the decade (Haunting of Hill House) and writing/directing some unforgettable films (Doctor Sleep, Hush, The Fall of the House of Usher, Gerald’s Game, The Life of Chuck…three of those based on King works).
Casting actors from his oft-used stable of talent, including the impeccable Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, Mike Flanagan changed things up by translating Stephen King’s story to a series of eight episodes instead of yet another film adaptation.
The original Carrie movie, released in 1976, stands as one of the most memorable Stephen King adaptations ever put to film, starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie as the fiery mother and daughter duo. Then, a sequel was made in 1999, and a remake was put out in 2013.
However, the 1970’s movie has always been the only adaptation as far as I was concerned.
Concerns about how Flanagan would update the material in Carrie to reflect the vast societal changes since the first film ran rampant, but after watching the 2026 series, I couldn’t be more convinced he did an absolutely beautiful job of making an old story brand-new.
Choosing to Bring Carrie White to the 2020s
Of course, the old-school bullying in the first film was changed to the new bullying tactics of today, namely social media callouts.
In the series, Carrie’s chief tormenter, Chris Hargenson (Alison Thornton) puts up an Instagram page to take shots at new girl Carrie White and other classmates and teachers with embarrassing photos, videos, and hateful speech.
The differences in the 2026 Carrie series and the 1976 movie didn’t disrupt the storytelling for me but added to the Carrie White canon, filling in lore and backstory where I didn’t know I needed it. In the original novel, Carrie’s father is dead before she can get to know him, and the movie touches on the implication that Carrie was conceived as a drunken assault.
The new series changes that narrative and brings Carrie’s dad to the forefront as a positive, loving influence despite the fact that he’s a bit of a nutty conspiracy theorist (which works for the modern narrative as this point of view isn’t uncommon). There are other sweeping changes from the original film, and one in particular that I really liked…
Samantha Sloyan Brings Much-Needed Nuance to Margaret White
In the 1970’s film, it’s easy to hate Margaret White, Carrie’s religious-zealot mother who locks her young daughter in a closet to ‘repent’ on the daily.
Under Mike Flanagan’s deft direction, Samantha Sloyan plays Margaret White as a loving mother who’s just sorely misguided (and unexpectedly becomes a social media influencer, which is crazy and fun). I liked this take on her because it made her a more sympathetic character, and humanized her somewhat.
The eight episodes go by in a whirlwind!
There are magnetic performances from genre favorite Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle, Amber Midthunder as gym teacher Ms. Desjardin, and of course, Summer Howell as the title teenager.
Summer Howell played Carrie White with such wide-eyed innocence, such love, and such sweetness that it’s hard to imagine what anger simmers within, making Carrie’s inevitable transformation all the more shocking.
If you’ve seen Brian De Palma’s film, it’s easy to make comparisons, especially as the episodes start winding down and you realize Mike Flanagan is taking his Carrie in a wildly different direction than Stephen King’s original story ever went. It’s been polarizing, this choice, and in fact, Flanagan announced he has three seasons of the series planned, if all goes according to design.
My final thoughts on this reinvention of an iconic horror story…
I think the episode titles are simply brilliant. The casting was absolutely spot-on (it’s said that Mike Flanagan had Samantha Sloyan in mind for Margaret White as he wrote the screenplay, which I believe and love. If you loved her in this, check out Midnight Mass! She’s spectacular).
I loved getting to know the characters, how good a soul Tommy Ross is, how much hate Chris Hargensen has in her and why, and digging into the social dynamics of high school students in the social media age.
And, don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of bloody violence in this series. Flanagan doesn’t shy away from brutal, graphic kills; a startling contrast to Carrie’s naive sweetness in the beginning of the series.
The titular prom queen scene was perfection. The ending? Engaging and interesting.
As a series, Carrie (2026) is an exciting, fresh, entertaining, emotional ride that brings us all back to how tough being a teenager was – even more so for poor sheltered Carrie. It tugs at your heart, raises your ire, and plays on your emotions. In short, it’s brilliant.
Mike Flanagan does it again. No surprise there! I can’t wait to see what he has in store for Carrie and how the series ends up.
Carrie may have been crowned over 50 years ago, but she’s still QUEEN for a reason!
*This review was written by Christi Bandy*
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Carrie | Rated TV-MA | Runtime 52m per episode | Released Oct. 7, 2026
Images for this review were purchased from MovieStillsDB and CineMaterial.
Excellent review! I watched this too with a bit of dread and hesitant hopeful expectation. I’m getting to the last two episodes tonight but I think it’s very well done and it’s episodes I’m looking forward to watching each time. And this Carrie is not just a helpless wallflower…she’s got some feistiness which is great to see. Episode 6 ended and I was like “Whoa!” And would have finished the season out except I had to go to work the next morning 🙂
This is definitely worth watching!