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Carrie

Carrie

1976
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 38m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 56.51% from 6217 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(6217)
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Rated 23 Nov 2008
9
94th
Ridiculously underrated. Thoughtful, soulful, insightful and actually very terrifying in certain places. One of the few movies to really utilize the gap between character and audience knowledge - the fact that we see Carrie's downfall coming, while she is blissfully unaware makes the entire "prom scene" all the more hard to take and strangely suspenseful.
Rated 10 Mar 2010
5
93rd
De Palma is a tacky kitsch filmmaker, and Carrie is his masterpiece. Its aesthetic and emotional cues are garish and manipulative, but fulfilled with an enthusiastic, often unexpected and unique creativity which is undeniable: this is a spellbinding and immensely upsetting representation of teenage angst.
Rated 18 Oct 2019
92
70th
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought it would. Stephen King is strange, but he very clearly knows what it's like to be a bullied outcast in high school. I really felt for Carrie throughout the film. Some of the editing is sketchy and the directing seems cheesy by now, but it's nonetheless well made and Spacek and Laurie are just great. The actual prom scene is pretty horrifying, but the real horror here is the teen angst and That what I really liked about it. Also, great ending.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
45
10th
This is the best movie I've ever seen that includes a scene of a young woman being pelted with tampons.
Rated 13 Dec 2009
5
91st
Poor, poor Carrie. So sweet and shy, but so downtrodden, abused by her peers and her mother, holing up inside of herself until her classmates take it too far and...damn. The best aspect of Carrie is how it gradually arrives at the horror by careful buildup and a real understanding of Carrie herself. The tension doesn't just come from Carrie's actions at prom night but from the suspense and knowledge of how badly she's going to be embarrassed. It can get cheesy but damn what a movie.
Rated 15 Jan 2013
80
70th
Great 70's horror. Sure it's cheesy, but let's not forget that people in the real world really were cheesy in the 70's. De Palma's directing is...interesting to say the least. There is a certain swing-and-a-miss quality to some of the scenes and he makes some really weird directing choices (the fast-forward tuxedo-scene?) But all in all I'd say his choices turn out good ungefähr half of the time. Luckily the one scene we all came to see is absolutely perfect.
Rated 30 Nov 2020
70
76th
First half is an exploration of adolescence and how pitiful Carrie was. Sissy Spacek was great. The high school bits are mostly tropey and the home scenes are cheesy. Amazing audio cues. Teenage rebellion can be scary. That poor teacher. Fav scene: I've seen it parodied/referenced many times but it was still a ride to see the prom scene for the first time---the silence was overwhelming.
Rated 19 Dec 2009
3
28th
Holy shit that was cheesy as hell. How is something labeled horror when it is so not scary at all? Who knows. Spacek was good but why do I give a crap what happens to her? There are a couple of times when De Palma really shows you how terrible he is as a director. Example: there is a scene where Carrie and Tommy (lol) are dancing and De Palma just spins the camera around in a circle for no reason. It's seriously one of the most terribly shot scenes I've ever watched. Travolta owned tho.
Rated 07 Sep 2010
65
45th
Waittaminnit.. a girl with red hair hits puberty, then discovers she has telekinetic powers? Carrie is a better X-men movie than.. well.. the X-men movies! Kinda corny and uneven in pacing and atmosphere otherwise.
Rated 15 Nov 2014
85
91st
Extremely solid source brilliantly brought to life with De Palma's audacious and flamboyant persentation. True B-movie classic that works on every level from the provocative opening, fitting performances and pulpy aesthetics to the relatable themes and nightmarish fairytale narrative.
Rated 03 Jul 2018
75
69th
I've seen all the Carrie film's to date and I still feel like the original is the best Even if it doesn't stay true to the original King novel Yes it has some moments that could be classified as scary But if you ask me that crazy mom.....she's the real horror of this film
Rated 15 Dec 2020
80
65th
On paper, the story sounds like a young version of Rosemary's Baby. But it is executed well in part by merging the scares with teenage anxiety. That template would be amplified for ages including Teen Wolf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chronicle, and Thelma. The film doubles as a great introduction to De Palma's style--from his Hitchcockian homages to his manic ability to have a character experience dizzying highs and terrifying lows. All of which are exemplified in that wonderful prom scene.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
88th
Sissy Spacek drenched in pig's blood. What's not to like?
Rated 19 Jul 2008
96
89th
An underrated horror classic! great acting, some great scares and a nice spooky soundtrack makes this a superb masterpiece. Watch out for the ending!
Rated 24 Jan 2012
78
85th
Much respect, but I still think I had a slightly worse date for prom.
Rated 08 Jul 2013
80
80th
Oh fuck you Brian De Palma. You make arguably one of the best casting choices ever in fragile, beautiful and eerie Sissy Spacek. You have this ingeniously slow, tragic and horrific buildup... only to bottle it with split screens, a disappointingly short college pay off and a really muddled religious morale in the end. This really had the potential to be one of the horror greats. Dammit Brian, to quote 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' the movie should have ended at the prom. 'Punish!'
Rated 14 Sep 2013
6
83rd
a surprise. pure emotional exploitation; it is my belief that as long as the exploitation isn't boring and cliche, it can highlight more about the human condition than playing it straight. it's a little messy in editing, mostly the first half, but by the prom we are painfully entranced watching the doomed bliss of carrie's first date, knowing precisely what's going to happen.
Rated 03 Jun 2014
90
89th
The prom sequence leading up to the bucket-drop is glorious, extraordinary filmmaking. The moment when I realised that Tommy wasn't actually an insane sociopath but was being genuine was surprisingly touching. Even though I knew what was going to happen, my heart was in my mouth and I kept hoping that Sue would actually manage to stop Chris from dropping the bucket. Now that's good storytelling. I kinda lost interest after Carrie becomes a monster, but the setup is brilliant.
Rated 02 Aug 2014
90
90th
A classic horror film. Suspenseful at every turn and containing bold direction and Oscar-worthy acting by Sissy Spacek, and of course, the beatifically written story by Stephen King, this film, is among the top horror films there is.
Rated 30 Apr 2017
78
89th
(Viewed in Jan 2024): Anchored adroitly by Spacek, Carrie is the second best King film adaptation after The Shining. Her bizarre relationship with her unstable mother, a disturbing yet borderline comical caricature of a religious freak played with a crazed intensity by Laurie, is unlike anything else in the genre, while the classic prom sequence is constructed with extreme formal ingenuity and is probably the best expression of adolescent fear/rage in horror history.
Rated 04 Nov 2017
70
52nd
I like this film, but I wonder how much more I would have enjoyed this if I went in knowing nothing about it? Like, this film is so engrained into pop culture, and I have seen the remake, that I knew the basic outline of the story. Oddly, the same thing happened to me with "Rear Window", and it wasn't until my second viewing that I realized how much I loved the film. Maybe that'll happen here?
Rated 08 Oct 2018
85
80th
What keeps this from being a 90 is that some of it goes a little beyond just being campy into bad territory; but the biggest issue is that sometimes scenes just go on way too long. Edit that shit. BUT besides that, what a movie! I cared deeply for Carrie in the first 20 minutes, it explored some important themes, the music is odd but interesting, emotionally impactful and the ending is lovely, as noted, is fantastic. Great suspense/drama movie with a foreboding atmosphere. Not scary though.
Rated 05 Jun 2019
82
69th
There's something really obvious, but also beautiful and baldly enthusiastic about the way DePalma shoots this film. All of those qualities combined reflect well the teenage life.
Rated 09 Oct 2019
70
45th
Top badass moment? Carrie following US military doctrine and basically destroying everything in an effort to take out her targets; I guess the rest of the school community was just collateral damage. However, as it included a guy who had no idea how to drink beer out of a can and went around killing pigs with a sledgehammer, I can personally live with that. No way was Bates High going to make its way into Ofsted's list of Outstanding schools anyway. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.
Rated 22 Mar 2007
100
95th
THE revenge story. For once Brian De Palma's hyperstylization and misogyny are exactly for what the material calls. Pino Donaggio's score is terrific also
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
74th
Seriously, who dumps PIG'S BLOOD on someone?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
86th
The King story is translated well to the big screen. Sissy Spacek captures the emotions of Carrie very well in what has to be labeled a suspense/horror classic.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
8
93rd
I do not normally count myself as a big De Palma fan, but you cannot really deny the sheer iconic power of the final prom sequence. The final jump scare in Sue Snell's dream also made me shoot up out of my seat when I first saw the movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
93
97th
Notable for Piper Laurie's delirious performance and the gripping third act, which is brilliantly edited. One of the better American films about adolescence, not at all a bad commentary on religious fanaticism, and a pretty damn good revenge tale.
Rated 23 Jun 2008
84
77th
Yes, it has some mediocre production values and oozes 70's cheese, but Spacek is really good and the film does a great job of keeping you on your toes without resorting to cheap scares.
Rated 25 Jun 2008
85
95th
Very Nice
Rated 06 May 2009
85
88th
A pearl of the horror genre, a classic. A fairy tale that failed. The result is disturbing and very nice.
Rated 04 Jun 2009
100
98th
Simply the best film ever made, this tale of high school and religous abuse truly defines the word "revenge"
Rated 29 Jun 2009
80
75th
I'm still stunned by this movie. It's the only horror film, so far, to make me cry. It honestly broke my heart to think how Carrie's life could have ended up if things had turned out differently. It's an excellent film on its own merits, not just as a horror classic - I was really annoyed by the DVD cover's blurb saying it was the "ultimate revenge fantasy" because this film is NOT about revenge. It's about the psychological damage caused by bullying and religious extremism.
Rated 24 Oct 2009
88
80th
Hardly a horror film. The supernatural elements are merely an accent to the emotional drama. I love the camerawork, and how 70s it all is.
Rated 21 Dec 2009
84
78th
I've put off seeing this film for a while, but it was well worth the wait. Possibly my favorite horror film of all time and definitely Brian De Palma's best. Sissy Spacek is perfect and Piper Laurie should have won the oscar hands-down. The film builds perfect suspense and the clmactic prom scene is every bit as disturbing as it should be. Such a great fucking movie.
Rated 14 Mar 2010
80
84th
Sissy Spacek is positively creepy in this and she carries off the role so well that you feel a mixture of revulsion and sympathy just like her tormentors in the movie. Carrie serves as a commentary on religious fanaticism and juvenile bullying. This is one of the top 3 King adaptations right behind Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption.
Rated 10 Apr 2010
9
92nd
Sissy Spacek's face in general creeps me out so her chilling performance definitely stood out. The editing especially for the final act is applause worthy. Dark horror classic filled with great character moments.
Rated 03 May 2010
85
76th
Similar to watching The Exorcist for the first time, I was surprised (perhaps stupidly) at how good this was. The shock horror aspects have lost a little, especially the Psycho style sound sting- although the final scare did make me jump. What impressed me most was the scary human characters especially Piper Laurie as the crazed dogmatic mother. Like Norman Bates or the devil inside Regan, terrifying characters outlast conventionally set-up scares.
Rated 24 Jul 2010
82
88th
Carrie couldn't be shot in another decade. De Palma is not only presenting a horror story, but a full list of observations about religion, sex, and that men's incomprehensive fear of women. Sissy Spacek, then a teen version of Joni Mitchell (the similarity is incredible!), conducts, at the end, the bloodiest slaughter of the 70s.
Rated 16 Aug 2010
100
92nd
The ultimate thriller for Stephen King fans. This has everything a horror fan could want--gore, supernatural horror, revenge and a spectacular ending that still freaks me out. Recommended!
Rated 03 Oct 2010
7
57th
Frustratingly immature at times, characters-wise, yet effectively unnerving with Spacek in a chilling, almost poignant turn. Everything builds up to an inevitable, brilliantly edited finale.
Rated 30 Dec 2010
78
93rd
Brilliant and unapologetically bold direction from DePalma, who draws from Hitchcock to great effect. It was all pulled off thanks to Sissy Spacek's wonderful performance. It's not really a scary movie, though; it's much more. It veers from creepy to funny, from beautiful to grotesque, overdone magnificently at every turn.
Rated 06 Apr 2013
95
96th
Believe it or not /
Rated 25 Oct 2013
81
76th
Deja vu. This was just like my prom, except the pigs blood was my own, I wasn't crowned as prom king, and nobody died. They all laughed at me, though.
Rated 08 Feb 2014
90
97th
Carrie is a great film. It's not a pure horror movie, in that it's not attempting to scare you at every second, but it does build up to a fantastic conclusion that works because of strong characterization and a great sense of atmosphere. It's a far deeper film than one might think at first glance, and it really deserves its spot as one of the top horror films ever. Most problems it has are largely unimportant as long as you accept that its leering camera has a purpose other than titilation.
Rated 30 Sep 2014
90
87th
Genuinely terrifying because I'd be the first one to be killed by any woman I know if they had psychic powers
Rated 27 Jan 2016
95
83rd
Rarely a horror movie pays so much attention to the way it looks from the artistic point of view. And the solutions it finds seem all brilliant to me. This is the case where you easily guess that the people behind the camera had completely different ambitions than usual horror authors have.
Rated 16 Feb 2016
75
71st
It really makes you feel bad for the victims of bullying. Tommy is a really good character and the prom scene will warm your heart. John Travolta has some of the best dialogue ever.
Rated 01 Nov 2017
90
91st
Raw and powerful. Religion will touch you - if you like it or not. Religion follows you into your dreams, your values. It defines your sexuality. It forces you to reject a religious definition of your sexuality. But you can never avoid religion. It's sadistic and powerful. It forces you into a battle of attrition. No movie I know has put this feeling into images like Carrie. Spacek's mania and grace are wonderful to watch, alike De Palmas lust for suspense and turning Hitchcock on its head.
Rated 02 Jan 2018
66
55th
A strong first attempt at a King adaptation. Its climax is hella dated by 2018(!) standards, but the social issues and suspense were both handled quite well. The Tubular Bellsy theme is awesome, and they cast some very charismatic actors (even if Betty Buckley looked more like a classmate than a teacher) who did a fine job. Kinda bounces between genres in an ineffective way in the middle, but the influence its strongest parts had is undeniable. 1st film of 2018.
Rated 19 Jul 2018
99
94th
Wow. Absolute full on must see horror classic.
Rated 08 Jun 2019
100
84th
Iconic horror story, and I believe it was the first Steven King adaptations, and still one of the best. Great work by Spacek and Piper Laurie. DePalma would do even better work, but this was pretty amazing.
Rated 01 Sep 2019
58
29th
Some stream of conscious thoughts while watching this: This high school girls' locker room scene feels gross. Brian De Palma is so fucking cheeseball, why do I always forget that? John Travolta looks like he doesn't know how to drink something out of a can? This mostly feels like a cheap imitation version of the movie I thought it was going to be, and makes me realize why a movie like Sleepaway Camp wasn't immediately considered to be as hilarious/terrible as it is.
Rated 08 Feb 2007
65
40th
Revenge fantasy a-go-go
Rated 14 Aug 2007
67
48th
always refreshing to watch john travolta escape death then die right afterwards
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
81st
One of the best film adaptation's of a Stephen King book. De Palma and Spacek sure made this a horror classic.
Rated 24 Sep 2007
90
95th
"Dirty pillows." Wow. And that final hand-from-the-grave scene still gives me shudders. About the only thing I ever liked from DePalma (despite seasickness from the spin-cycle dance). Throughout the part where she's being elected queen you almost feel like maybe it will all turn around for her (regardless of the behind-stage hijinks)...which makes the final Dumping of the Bucket all the more heartbreaking. And in hardly any time at all pretty damn scary. What high school meant to me.
Rated 09 Nov 2007
85
84th
One of the very few King adptations that actually works.
Rated 20 Jan 2008
82
83rd
Darkly eerie, freaky Stephen King classic.
Rated 07 Apr 2008
85
76th
Much better then the book!
Rated 08 Apr 2008
75
68th
One you should watch.
Rated 12 Jul 2008
84
84th
Creepy.
Rated 28 Jul 2008
96
94th
Classic horror film and Sissy Spacek is perfect as Carrie.
Rated 07 Sep 2008
70
75th
I should be cursing this for spawning so many awful teenage horror movies in its wake, but shit, it's just undeniably good. De Palma's directing talent shines its brightest in Carrie. The finale of this horrific revenge fantasy is spectacular, but even the whole lead-up is sufficiently well-told by writer Stephen King to avoid falling into the insufferably cheesy fluff category.
Rated 26 Sep 2008
85
76th
Maybe DePalma's best movie.
Rated 26 Sep 2008
90
95th
De Palma at his gruesome best
Rated 03 Dec 2008
45
10th
This is god awful. Good film making, but horrible subject matter.
Rated 09 Jan 2009
90
91st
A grim fairy tale-like horror-drama with a marvellous Sissy Spacek as the sensitive, troubled teenager - both a cause and a victim of inhuman chaos. Cinema as intelligent brawl.
Rated 18 Feb 2009
40
90th
"...one of the best horror films of the 1970s."
Rated 09 May 2009
91
77th
Really good and suspenseful adaptation of the King novel. Recommended.
Rated 09 Jun 2009
68
51st
Not the least bit scary, but more tragic.
Rated 08 Jul 2009
3
74th
Despite caricatured characters and extended use of slow motion, this somehow works, if you don't take its universe of cheese-laden sentimentality too seriously.
Rated 26 Jul 2009
73
70th
Not bad for a horror flick, and I usually hate horror flicks.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
85
90th
A times chillingly brilliant. Spacek is simply sensational and produces a performance that literally makes my skin crawl. The way Da Palma builds up to the magnificant and brutal climax is a masterclass in editing and atmospheric direction. One of my favourite horrors ever.
Rated 25 Aug 2009
70
83rd
I used to dislike this film, but after recent re-watch I just have to change my opinion. Spacek's acting is great, and the climax of the prom must rank among most effective scenes in horror film ever. Music plays important role in film as well. While it's a bit weird stylistically (slow-motions, close-ups, split screen), I've got to say that's exactly what makes this film so distinguishable. Chilling new-wave horror.
Rated 25 Oct 2009
80
81st
[second viewing, previous rank 60/10]. Brilliant directing and acting (Sissy, Piper and a little bit of Travolta). Carrie....my dear Carrie! What have they done to you!!? Serves them right. Rotten souls is what they had... My baby, come here...come and hug Janitor Bob.
Rated 27 Dec 2009
85
66th
Effective film about the horrors of being a teenager.
Rated 16 Mar 2010
85
80th
A very well done horror film, created during an apex of the genre. Without using excessive imagery it creates eerie, unforgettable scenes. Spacek is fantastically casted and this film is a must watch for both fans of the genre and skeptics.
Rated 20 Oct 2010
60
72nd
They're all gonna laugh at you! (Bible to the face) They're all gonna laugh at you! (Bible to the face) They're all gonna laugh at you! (Bible to the face) Mother of the Year I tells ya.
Rated 03 Dec 2010
89
99th
I cried 3 times while watching it for the first time (the last time something like that happened was probably when I was about 6 years old). It's manipulative, but who cares. The cinematography is very dreamlike and subtly trashy.
Rated 19 Jan 2011
85
87th
Transcends its material to make a darkly rich film which truly is Horror.
Rated 26 Feb 2011
60
36th
Pretty overrated. There are good parts of it, but there was also a lot of bad dialogue/acting by seemingly everyone except Spacek and Laurie. Too many scenes stretch too long in a vain attempt to give tension. I think whoever made the decision that P.J. Soles character should always wear that stupid red hat should be fired. What girls wears a red felt baseball cap with a rainbow on it to her prom? Maybe I just don't get it.
Rated 20 Jun 2011
95
93rd
Not very scary, but Carrie is still an excellent film with De Palma utilizing his usual masterful direction. The prom scene is brilliant.
Rated 15 Nov 2011
86
97th
Awesome score. Loved the candle music. :D
Rated 26 Dec 2011
78
71st
Sissy Spacek is great in this, you really feel for all the pain she has to deal with. Some of the details are a bit unrealistic about high school but overall this is a good movie.
Rated 16 Feb 2012
86
82nd
Some of the comedy feels really out of place, but those last thirty minutes work so amazingly well that it doesn't matter.
Rated 13 Oct 2012
69
73rd
One of the few exceptions to the Stephen King rule of shitty movies. Laurie and Spacek are amazing. One of De Palma's better efforts and one of the most famous endings in movie history.
Rated 09 Apr 2013
85
93rd
I like this movie more than I can justify. It's far from perfect, but for me, I guess its appeal lies in its imperfections.
Rated 11 Jul 2013
87
81st
Repressed by her fanatical mother (Piper Laurie), Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is the butt of her classmates' cruel jokes. She slowly becomes empowered when she discovers her telekinetic abilities, and an opportunity for happiness presents itself, but her sufferings have just begun. Oddly paced but genuinely poignant tale of evil repaid with evil; Brian DePalma achieves some truly agonizing suspense here, but it's Spacek's painfully touching performance that makes it. Good score by Pino Donaggio.
Rated 05 Aug 2013
89
76th
Hoo boy, this is a daring, crazy, creepy-funny masterpiece of a movie. A sharp adaptation of King's great book, incorporating and synthesising a number of powerful themes - sexual awakening, the power of religion, not fitting in as an adolescent - into a gloriously insane ninety-minute monster.
Rated 16 Sep 2013
85
73rd
I like this movie. It's the ultimate film to show that bullying people is bad. In fact, I think that bullies should have to sit and watch this movie (with the nudity removed of course). Sissy Spacek is haunting in this horror film. She goes from being pretty plain Jane to being actually pretty gorgeous at the end during the prom scene. The special effects are still pretty good and I love the use of sound effects. Is it just me or does Piper Laurie look like a crazed Carrie Fisher? Yikes.
Rated 19 Oct 2013
84
75th
Awesome movie that had a lot more depth to it than I had expected.
Rated 31 Oct 2013
74
56th
The weight all leans on Spacek and that Prom sequence & both hit the mark. I guess this is a form of emotional horror, or sympathy horror? With a flicker of supernaturalism added exploring & accentuating her state of mind. The premise of extreme hatred being bucketed on this one girl by another does seem arbitrary, or at least under-developed a touch & takes away from the believability of torment. On a side note, check out Travolta's mid-western accent.
Rated 13 Nov 2013
85
75th
Bullies beware, you never know which of your victims will have telekinetic rage powers.
Rated 26 Jan 2014
70
73rd
Quite good, but some bizarre directorial decisions make the truly great prom scene that much more bizarre. Very well acted, too, and for once I hated Nancy Allen in a film where I'm supposed to. Ultimately, the biggest problem is that it comes far too close to general nihilism and misanthropy than simply being a morality play; this is best exemplified by the fates of Tommy and Miss Collins. Even still, well worth a watch even disregarding its cultural influence.
Rated 02 May 2014
72
46th
Discounting the undoubtedly dated effects and their negative impact on the gore, this is a creepy and solid horror
Rated 10 Aug 2014
51
69th
Had built up super high expectations over the years of a gorgeous exploitation piece on adolescence, parent-child dynamics, religion, control, puberty, cinema, US America, etc. There were bits of a film almost like that, along with something like a dozen other, quite lesser films. From what I've seen, it seems like De Palma is essentially a great craftsman, w/ some degree of artistic sensitivity and talent, who lacks an auteur's integrity and vision.
Rated 30 Aug 2014
70
50th
First time I've taken a movie recommendation from Dave Grohl, it seems to have worked out. The movie is not scary in the traditional sense, but definitely has some scary themes and creepy Jesus statues. You can see a bit of the direction and style Brian De Palma would later carry on in to Scarface.
Rated 15 Mar 2016
70
36th
It's funny how dated Brian De Palma's Carrie has become

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