Cinema Review - Carrie

Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed horror remakes/reboots (whatever you want to call them) in the past; Rob Zombie's Halloween even made me sit up and recognise that my favourite horror film could be tinkered with to great effect, but there are some that should have been simply left alone. The latest edition in the 'classics that should be left alone' is Kimberley Peirce's Carrie. 

For those not familiar with Brian De Palma's classic take on the Stephen King novel, Carrie focuses on the shy Carrie White, this time portrayed by the brilliant Chloe Grace Moretz, as she attempts to make her way through school. Unfortunately for her, trouble comes in the form of both her abundantly religious, self-harming and forceful mother (Julianne Moore), as well as the majority of those around her at school.

For Carrie, life is dreadful and day-by-day the events that unfold see her slowly descending into anger, culminating in her uncovering that she has telekinetic powers that are growing stronger. Amazed by her newfound characteristic, Carrie's life seemingly improves further when she is invited to the prom by one of the most popular guys in school. Initially confused, she soon comes around to the idea it is not part of a joke, but unbeknownst to her or her date, something terrible is being planned, and will unleash her inner fury upon them all...

Shot-for-shot remakes simply have no place in the horror genre, let along any

other. They seem like the most pointless addition to the growing list of Hollywood releases, and in Carrie it feels like a lot of the 1976 film is being replicated through lack of originality. That being said, Kimberley Peirce's 'update' is flaccidly scripted, devoid of any scares or real terror, and simply doesn't provide the strong characteristics required to be called a success.

In truth, the only guiding light throughout the whole film is Moretz, gritting her teeth and plunging herself into a role that sees her turn from scared and bullied teenager to livid defier of human nature. She produces another horror remake turn worthy of plaudits, it's just a shame she is let down by her support anchors. The usually reliable Julianne Moore turns pantomime villain as she overplays mother Margaret, while the remainder of the cast may as well have been plucked from a straight-to-DVD film. 

Peirce clearly respects her subject material but all too often, culminating in a wholly forgettable horror entry. Cementing her version with laughable dialogue, changes that provoke head shakes, and a real failure to channel any fear into her audience, this is a piece of work she may want to forget. 

Film rating: 2 out of 5 F's