Starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, Amy Irving, John Travolta, William Katt

(7-Very Good Film)

Iconic. Cathartic. Unhinged.

An alienated teenage girl, Carrie (Spacek), finds she has telekinetic powers shortly after having her first period. Bullied by the other girls in her school, and abused by her religious fanatic of a mother, Carrie’s new powers come with tragic results. Deliberately campy and over-the-top, Carrie strikes a fine balance between creepy and funny. The bereaved youth would become a classic horror theme in later films, including many of Stephen King’s later novels and their adaptations. Spacek’s feral performance along with her odd features make her a haunting character.

-Walter Tyrone Howard-

(159)