Prime Video Releases New Carrie Horror Series Adaptation

Prime Video released Carrie, a new eight-episode supernatural horror series based on Stephen King's 1974 novel, bringing the story of Carrie White into a modern setting with updated social themes. Developed by Mike Flanagan, the series follows an isolated teenager whose life changes after entering public high school.

According to PureWow, the series premiered on October 7 and stars Summer H. Howell as Carrie White, Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, and Tahmoh Penikett as Ralph. The story begins after Carrie's father dies, forcing her to leave her sheltered home environment.

The adaptation moves King's original 1970s story into the present day, where smartphones, social media and online harassment shape Carrie's high school experience, according to Slate. The series introduces a social media campaign called Carrie Red created by classmate Chris Hargensen to publicly embarrass her.

Slate reported that Flanagan expands the roles of several characters, including Carrie, Sue Snell, and Christine Hargensen. The review said the adaptation remains connected to the novel while adding new perspectives to its central figures.

Flanagan's version also features several actors from his previous projects, including Rahul Kohli, Michael Trucco, and Kate Siegel, according to Slate. The publication highlighted Samantha Sloyan's performance as Margaret White as a major element of the series.

The new series marks the fifth major screen adaptation or reimagining of King's story, following the 1976 film starring Sissy Spacek, The Rage: Carrie 2 in 1999, a 2002 television movie starring Angela Bettis, and the 2013 theatrical remake with Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, according to PureWow.

The latest adaptation has received stronger early audience and critic reactions than some previous versions. PureWow reported that the series held an 86 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while viewers shared positive reactions online.

"essentially perfect in all aspects" said a viewer.

Another viewer described the series positively after watching the updated adaptation.

"an interesting and well made updated version of the classic 1976 movie" said a viewer.

A third viewer shared a brief reaction on X after viewing the series.

"Loved it." said a viewer.

All eight episodes of Carrie are available for streaming on Prime Video, according to PureWow. The series is Mike Flanagan's first series for Amazon after his previous work with Netflix.