Carrie [2013 version] (5 Stars)

When I wrote about the 1976 version of Carrie yesterday, I said that I was going to watch a mini-marathon of seven American high school films. This isn't one of the seven films. I decided sporadically to watch it when my son Benjamin came to visit me this evening. It was primarily because I know he's a fan of horror films and would like it more than the teen comedy I had planned. It's also because I've been promising for years to watch the two Carrie films back to back.

When I suggested the film to Benjamin today he asked if it was "Carrie 2", i.e. a sequel to the first film. No, I told him it was the same story filmed again. He asked me why they'd done it. I couldn't answer. Of all the remakes I've seen, "Carrie" is the most superfluous. Some remakes are good, some are bad, but what justifies a remake is that it stands apart from the original film. It's different. The two versions of "Carrie" are so similar that I really have to ask why it was necessary to remake the film. It's more modern, so there are new inventions like mobile phones and laptops, but the other differences are so subtle that it's easy to miss them.

Both films are excellent. I've given both films a five-star rating. The only reason to prefer the original version is nostalgia.

When I reviewed the film in 2019 I listed the differences. There's one important thing that I forgot. The results of the final prom scene are different. In the original version, everyone was locked in the building and killed in the flames. In the new version there are various deaths, but when Carrie leaves the doors are left open and most of the traumatised kids escape. That means that there is do doubt for the police that Carrie White is responsible. Whether or not they believe what they're told is a different matter.

In 1976 Sissy Spacek was the natural choice to play Carrie. She had an inborn look of madness in her eyes. No insult intended. Chloe Grace Moretz, only 15 when she made the film, didn't have this look of madness, but she was  a skilled actress who was able to rise to the challenge.

I'll continue with my mini-marathon on Sunday. I have other film plans for the next two days.

Success Rate:  + 0.8

	Order from Amazon.com
	Order from Amazon.co.uk
	Order from Amazon.de