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Megan Garside’s GamesRadar+ review finds that Mike Flanagan’s eight-episode Carrie makes Stephen King’s story feel timely by moving its bullying into the social-media age and widening the focus beyond Carrie White. But the expansion has a cost: Garside says the prom payoff and finale feel rushed, and the new mythology may suit a longer-running series better than a self-contained adaptation.
Does Mike Flanagan’s Carrie bring something new?
Yes, in Garside’s view, though not by simply retelling the novel with updated details. The series keeps familiar landmarks such as the bathroom scene and prom, while adding storylines around Carrie’s family, her classmates, and other characters. Its most striking departure asks whether Carrie is alone in having telekinetic experiences.
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Carrie | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Garside describes the result as a contemporary cautionary tale about social media. In her account, bullying is not confined to Carrie’s personal torment: an Instagram account can harm a wider community. She also notes the series’ attention to school-system pressures, drug use, and suicide. Those are the reviewer’s observations about the show’s themes, not a claim that the series has demonstrated real-world effects.
Her verdict captures the appeal and the risk: “This departure from its source material breathes new life into Stephen King’s beloved novel.” The same changes that make this version distinct also give it more plot to manage.
#1 Best Overall
How does the series compare with King’s novel and earlier adaptations?
Garside uses Brian De Palma’s 1976 film and the 2013 Chloe Moretz adaptation as reference points. She says the 1976 film still holds up and that she has a soft spot for the 2013 version, but argues that the world has changed enough to make another interpretation legible. Her review does not call Flanagan’s series a faithful remake; it stresses the additions and departures.
The series’ supporting-character expansion is part of that distinction. Garside praises Samantha Sloyan’s Margaret as more complicated than earlier portrayals and says the focus on bully Chris broadens the story. At the same time, she wanted more attention to Carrie’s father and home life, and found a new subplot confusing.
For readers deciding which version might suit them, the differences are chiefly about form and emphasis:
| Version | Format | What Garside’s review establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen King’s Carrie | Novel | The source story; the television series adds plotlines that are not in the book. |
| Brian De Palma’s adaptation | 1976 film | Garside says it still holds up. |
| Chloe Moretz adaptation | 2013 film | Garside says she has a soft spot for it. |
| Mike Flanagan’s adaptation | Eight-episode television series | Expands supporting characters and plot, frames bullying in a social-media context, and introduces other women with telekinetic experiences. |
What does the review criticize?
Garside’s central reservation is that the extended plot weakens the story’s climactic force. She says the prom is foreshadowed too early to deliver the surprise she wanted, and that Carrie’s revenge feels rushed. Her concise criticism: “The anticipated prom scene feels rushed.” She also found the finale less intense than expected.
Rank #3
The additional women with telekinetic experiences raise a larger question—what if there are more people like Carrie? Garside reads that thread as a possible way to continue the story in later seasons. For her, that prospect sits uneasily beside the first season’s need to deliver a satisfying conclusion; she says the material might have worked better as a limited series.
Who is this version likely to suit?
Garside’s mixed-but-favorable assessment points toward viewers who want an interpretation rather than a scene-for-scene reproduction, and who are interested in the effects of bullying beyond one victim. Viewers who value a tightly contained story or the suspense of the prom sequence may be less persuaded by the series’ expanded plotting and future-season setup. The review does not rank the adaptations or make a formal recommendation between them.
Rank #4
When and where can you watch Carrie?
As of October 3, 2026, Amazon’s official announcement schedules all eight episodes to premiere on Prime Video on October 7, 2026. Amazon identifies Mike Flanagan as showrunner, writer, executive producer, and director of four episodes; Stephen King is also an executive producer, and Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White. The date is a scheduled premiere, not confirmation that the series is already available.
Should you read the novel first?
Reading King’s novel gives you the source story against which the television series’ expanded characters and plotlines can be compared. The series adds material that is not in the book, so the novel is not a guide to every subplot in Flanagan’s version.
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