Carrie (2013)

Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday, Zoe Belkin, Ansel Elgort
Directed by: Kimberly Peirce
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Horror
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz) wants to fit in, but the sheltered teen is hiding a powerful secret.

Review:

Tim: No, no, no. There is absolutely no reason for this movie to exist. The original Carrie is one of the all-time great horror movies. It's iconic. There's no way you could improve on that film. This movie never should have been made. Unfortunately, it was made and we're left to deal with a subpar movie. It's hard to even fathom how much less effective this movie is to the original. It does not compare at all.

This movie never really connects with the audience at all. It feels like every other average horror movie out there. The basic concepts that were rooted in Stephen King's novel are intact, but the execution of all these elements leaves much to be desired. The film is 100 minutes long, but it's not memorable in the least. The original film was incredibly memorable. This film is just far too forgettable. There's nothing compelling about it.

I really like Chloe Grace Moretz and I think she has incredible talent, but this wasn't the right role for her. She just looks foolish. I really didn't like how this film interpreted Carrie's telekinesis. In the original, she was stoic, and it was frightening. Parts of this film felt almost like a superhero origin story. The arm waving just felt so silly and out of place. I really did not work for me. Moretz played the role about as good as anyone could, but the lackluster script and poor direction really did not do her any favors. Julianne Moore was fine as her crazy mother, but it felt like the film was trying way too hard to make her creepy. Her performance was good, but the character needed more subtlety. I actually really loved Judy Greer here. She felt like she was really trying to make this a better film. I believed her performance, and she was probably my favorite part of the movie (when a relatively unimportant supporting character is the best part of a film, you know you have problems). The rest of the teenage cast was completely forgettable absolutely no one stands out.

The special effects are much better than the original film, that much is certain. Some of the sequences are pretty cool to see. I liked the floating bed and the other demonstrations of Carrie's power. Some of them weren't portrayed very effectively (a few are comical), but mostly, those sequences were quite effective. While the film looked shiny and new, it was strangely devoid of anything below the surface. This isn't a movie with any soul. It's an empty effort.

The worst part of Carrie is just how uninspired the entire movie felt. If you are going to remake one of the all-time horror classics, you better bring something to the table. This movie doesn't just fail, it felt like it really wasn't even trying. Director Kimberly Peirce was the wrong person for the job. She put this film together in the most expected, dull manner. This is not just coming from a big fan of the original film- this is coming from someone who has seen a ton of horror films in his life and knows a good movie from a bad one. This is a weak, poor effort, and I lament that this movie was even made in the first place. When will Hollywood move past these awful remakes?

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Carrie (1976)