Another Carrie Remake...

...Another failed attempt.

Don't get me wrong. There are elements of this film that do work, though they may be few. But I have to ask, what does it say about our culture that we decided another Carrie was a worthwhile investment? At what point do known properties stop being marketable... remarketable? Disney's business model has worked for many years, by that I'm referring to the Disney Vault. But that seems to be more the exception to the rule. And even then those are not remakes, but rather the same original films rereleased.

What stirs me so wrong about this rethinking of Carrie is the incredible lack of character development. This seems to be a theme for me lately. And while it was understandable with Captain Phillips, with a property like Carrie it is simply unforgivable. So much so that the film lost all sense of depth and excitement. What worked so well in the original was a knowledge of who those other characters were that picked on Carrie. When you just give them faces and say they were involved it feels like rambling and not so much like actual story telling. Even stranger, the screenwriter of the original was involved here... but perhaps it's telling that he only has eight writing credits over the last 40 years.

And maybe it's just my love for the original talking here, but lifting it into the present day did nothing for me. Honestly it took away another piece of what it is that makes Carrie such a quality piece of cinema. I would have much preferred a period piece. Go back to the seventies and since you're already trying to recapture bottled lightning... go all the way. You know?

Chloë Grace Moretz has done nothing but solid work since breaking on the scene back in 2004 (she was 7 at the time). And Julianne Moore is just an excellent mainstay performer always bringing something interesting to her films. But somehow neither one of them could seem to save this heaping mess of a movie.