Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2013

In 1976, Brian De Palma famously adapted Stephen King’s first novel about a bullied, cruelly unloved high-school kid (an otherworldly Sissy Spacek) who wreaks severe telekinetic/pyrotechnic prom-night revenge on her tormenters. In addition to its now-classic horror, the movie contained a lot of sly, campy humor as well as a bit of social commentary. This too-slick, technically superior but only intermittently effective remake by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) covers much of the same ground, sometimes shot-for-shot, and even updates things a bit with the inclusion of cyber-bullying. But all traces of wit and humor have been excised, and overall it’s kind of anemic for a movie with such a pig blood-drenched denouement. Ditto the social commentary. Script aside, part of the problem for me was the casting. I greatly admire Chloë  Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass, Let Me In, Hugo). She’s a fine, versatile young actress. But, well, she’s not all that scary a Carrie; just too soft and pretty and—what’s the word?—befriendable to be the sociopathic, abused loner. Julianne Moore, however, really uncorks it as Carrie’s overbearing, psychotic, religious-fanatic mother, and Judy Greer puts in a good turn as a concerned gym teacher. (100 min)