One of the best

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2001)

May contain minor spoilers, depending on your interpretation.
Carrie is a stylish, well-cast, immensely powerful movie. Sissy Spacek is amazing as Carrie, a tortured teenager who discovers her considerable telekinetic abilities and attempts to take control of her life. Just when she seems to be truly happy for the first time in her short, miserable existence, a cruel bitch of a classmate hauls out a grotesque practical joke that amuses everyone and leaves Carrie enraged beyond the point of endurance. What follows is one of the most terrifying and satisfying sequences in movie history.
I can certainly relate to Carrie. I can't tell you the number of times I came home from school near tears because of something those disgusting sadists did to me...only to find that no one really cared. It's just "what kids do," I was told. When Carrie finally got even at the prom, I was on her side all the way, because--and I don't care who criticizes me for this--THEY DESERVED IT. Carrie wanted to avoid such an incident, but they made it impossible. This movie and its fans have taken a lot of heat lately because of certain events in the news, when common sense will tell you that if you torment someone enough, their self-control will give out and they will strike back. The best way to prevent violence is to leave people the hell alone, but no one seems to understand that.
This movie is a must for those who can understand its themes. The low budget is utilized to great effect. The art direction is wonderful, illustrating the pain and horror lurking in everyday life--the White bungalow, for example, seems like any other house on the outside, but is a jumble of shadows and twisted religious images inside. Director Brian De Palma is at his flamboyant best, especially during the nightmarish split-screen climax. Piper Laurie excels as Margaret, Carrie's fanatical mother from hell, and provides some very frightening moments. And of course, the image of Sissy Spacek covered in blood, except for her bulging blue eyes, is one that will remain with me forever.