Review of “Carrie”

Spoiler Alert!

I have almost made it through 2013 without seeing a horror movie. That just wasn’t on. “Carrie” had several things going for it. The original is deservedly a classic, the trailer looked cool and it’s got Chloë Grace Moretz as the lead! (You know – the girl from “Kick Ass”?) It was difficult to not think about choice of snacks for this film. What if I choke to death during a scary bit? What if excessive coke makes my bladder burst during sudden horror? As you can see, I’m a well put together guy. Safety food purchased, I made my way to screen two. Showtime!

Counters only score a 4 out of 10 on the cullen choke hazard scale!

Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) is different. As a result most of the other girls in school spend their time being friendly and making sure she is included in all their little groups. We wish. Carrie has a hard life. She lives with a religious nutter of a mum (Julianne Moore) who thinks anything to do with a woman’s body is a level 3 sin (that’s twice as bad as gun control and almost four times as bad as Obama). Sent to school in homemade dresses that were designed in the fifties (the eighteen fifties), it’s all she can do to not be weird and just get through the day. The last thing she needs is a public menarche in the girls shower at school. Humiliated by her peers, she doesn’t see the lights flicker and fail… After her newly unwrapped menstrual cycle pops a wheelie Carrie has (like all young girls, I assume) developed telekinetic powers. Buts that ok, because suddenly she gets invited to prom. So now all she has to worry about is bitches, her crazy mum, making the perfect dress, buckets of pig blood and being able to move things with her mind. Tragedy and mayhem result.

The last few weeks have been good for strong female characters. “Carrie” has continued the trend. Julianne Moore is terrifying as the tea party, Bible bashing, woman abhorring, crazy cat lady (who instead of having cats only has one daughter to ruin). The opening birth scene leaves us in no doubt as to the mental state of this woman. Moore does her best to bring the crazy out of the script. Little hand gestures here, flitting eyes there, all help bring the character to life. You can’t help but give the director a nod as she continues to build menace with crazy mum. In nearly every scene with her daughter, Mrs White is rendered in shadow. No matter the weather, she finds the one dark spot and just broods. All the signals are there – she is a baddy. 

Any girl can be a "strong female character" when she has a .44 Magnum

This film, however, belongs to Moretz. Body language and demeanour both point to a timid character. Any object in her arms becomes a barrier, a piece of armour, held across her chest. The eyes, as always, finish the look as they dart across the room looking for the next threat. We have all (probably) got memories of seeing this girl at school. Some of us may even have been ‘her’. And boom! Connection! Carrie White comes to life. Now I’m cheering for her and hate every nasty bitch that plots or connives. This is no one directional victim. Little moments of pleading with her mother tell us that this is not always her life. There are fun memories; there are good times that she can coax out of all the prayer and punishment. Carrie can have fun at the prom. She can be a real girl! This connection actually tint outs interpretation of other actors. I’m sure that Moore tries at least twice to offer even an echo of a cry for help. But I don’t want to hear because I have sided with Carrie and am not in a forgiving mood. We do get to see Carrie finally come out of her shell, to finally become confident and independent. However, as this results in multiple deaths and the destruction of several buildings I will hold back from calling it a breakthrough. Ansel Elgot deserves a nod as the charming Tommy Ross. While most high schoolers seem to form into one of several stereotypes, it was nice to see a jock with a heart of gold. But there is no place for a complicated male character in this film! On with the blood!

Not sure if she is turning to run or has Scoliosis…

About half way through the film I decided it was time to stop hiding behind my seat. A challenge presented itself – what is a horror film? Would I describe “Carrie” as a horror film? Maybe I have become desensitised. The film is described as a supernatural horror. I would contest this. In this telling of the story, the prayer and Bible bashing is cut back on and the bullying at school is built upon. Social media opens a whole other can of worms regarding Carrie’s persecution. I’m so glad bullies didn’t have YouTube when I was at school! This shift in focus also shifts our own perceptions massively. When finally pushed too far by her peers, Carrie reveals the woman she has become. We do not find out that she is evil; we find out that she is powerful. For her victims this becomes a bit of a moot point. “Carrie” is not a horror film. It’s an appalling teenage tragedy with magic.

“Carrie” does have a few bits that will make you jump but tension still doesn’t translate into horror!

I give “Carrie” three Brian faces out of five.  

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