Dir. Mike Flanagan (showrunner; directs four of eight episodes) · 2026 · 8 episodes, about an hour each · Prime Video
Stephen King's first novel has already been a film more than once, so the question is why make it again. Flanagan's answer is to move it into the present and give it room. Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) is a shy teenager with a telekinetic gift, living with her fiercely religious mother Margaret (Samantha Sloyan). At school she is the target of a clique led by Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton), while Sue Snell (Siena Agudong) feels guilty about her part in it and her boyfriend Tommy (Joel Oulette) is the kind one. That is the first act, and this review stops there.
Critics keep returning to the update. Social media makes the bullying faster and harder to escape, and reviewers also point to an early school-drill scene as a sharp look at how numb young people have become to violence. Eight hours also let the series build backstories for the main characters, which Pedestrian and Nerdist both say adds emotional weight without excusing anyone's behaviour.
The performances get most of the praise: Howell as Carrie, Sloyan as Margaret (one critic calls it a career best) and Thornton as the lead bully. The Newton Brothers' score and music choices are singled out as a highlight.
But Flanagan proved that no one is more adept at adapting Stephen King for modern audiences than he is, because Carrie succeeds in almost every way.
Eric Diaz, Nerdist
This is where critics split. TechRadar says departures from the book may frustrate King fans, and finds Margaret softer than she should be. Nerdist likes the added material less than the core story, and is conflicted about one change to the climax. Pedestrian, otherwise warm, wanted the prom sequence to have more drama and gore, and found the horror tamer than hoped. Another critic expects the open ending to divide viewers. Some familiar faces are reportedly underused.
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All eight episodes arrived on Prime Video on 7 October 2026. Availability varies by country, so check your local listing.
Sources: TechRadar, TheWrap, Nerdist, Pedestrian.