Episode 46: Carrie

Justin:

As we’ve discussed here on this episode, there are many layers to Brian De Palma’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel CARRIE far beyond the explosive final moments where the titular heroine (?) gets her bloody revenge. Cool kids these days like to use the phrase “all the feels” for things that fill you with tons of good vibes, but if I could use it a bit more literally, I think it describes the film pretty well. CARRIE really does fill you with all of the feels throughout its run-time: it’s scary, it’s thrilling, it’s funny (albeit unintentionally at times), it’s sad, it’s hopeful, it’s bold, it’s weird, it’s dated, it’s uncomfortable, and in the end, it’s divisive. Do we root for the intensely sheltered, horribly bullied high school girl as she uses her telekinetic powers to mow down her classmates and teachers left and right? Do shitty teens doing awful things deserve this kind of righteous judgment? And also, why does the poor P.E. teacher have to get caught up in the wake of Carrie’s vengeance? All good questions and none with simple answers. But in the end, all spectacle, bluster, and answers aside, you’re ultimately left with a truly memorable, all-time great horror film that will work for most, and at least intrigue the rest. It’s enjoyable and endearing thanks mostly to the two lead performances, and by putting religious fanaticism under the microscope, makes it more than alright with me… which hopefully is enough to get me a ticket OUT of the prom!