Mike Flanagan’s Carrie, Prime Video series draws mixed early reviews

tvOct 1, 202644145

Mike Flanagan’s Prime Video series Carrie, an adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel, updates the story to the present day and expands the world around Carrie White. Early reviews praise the performances, with Summer H. Howell singled out, and reviewers note Flanagan’s emotional investment and contemporary touches such as making Carrie’s parents doomsday preppers and foregrounding a school active-shooter drill and cyberbullying. Critics also fault the series’ pacing and say the show does not always stick the landing, with at least one reviewer calling the ending divisive or disastrous. Outlets that liked the series highlight Flanagan’s ability to honor King’s vision while adding new material, while more negative takes call the expansion and late choices problematic. Flanagan has discussed a three-season vision for Carrie, which helps explain the series’ broader set-up and some reviewers’ complaints about added plots. The immediate consequence is a split critical conversation about whether Flanagan’s modernizations deepen the original tragedy or dilute its focus ahead of the show’s wider release.

DiscussingFilm

@discussingfilm.net

‘CARRIE’ is Mike Flanagan’s weakest show thus far, failing to adapt the tragedy of Stephen King’s iconic first novel. Find out more in our review... discussingfilm.net/2026/10/01/c...

594h ago

Gonzo2

first thought: “toothless not homeless” second thought: that really sucks

IKGB1

Devastating news. Will still watch. ☹️

Virtual Balboa1

Flanagan doing a poor adaptation of a famous horror work? Shocked, really.

Quoting this

Jonny Morris5

Idea: make Carrie a young, book-loving girl with awful chavvy parents, getting one over a sadistic headmistress. Also add songs.

Sean2

The universe is punishing him for NOT MAKING THE DARK TOWER

🩸💀 The Horror Guru 💀🩸

@thehorrorguru.bsky.social

I don't actually buy the "Carrie has been told too many times" argument against the new Mike Flanagan series, I think the reality is everybody is just really attached to that first adaptation in particular and for good reason: It's a great movie!

20Yesterday

🩸💀 The Horror Guru 💀🩸11

But at the end of the day the reason I don't buy the "too many adaptations" argument is his previous miniseries were adaptations of The Haunting of Hill House, The Turn of the Screw & The Fall of the House of Usher. All of which have been adapted way more times than Carrie.

Judy Berman

@judyberman.bsky.social

I watched 4 blood-bucket prom massacres and all I got was this lousy certainty that the decline of our society is shrinking the moral distance between Carrie's monsters and its innocent bystanders to near nonexistence. (Mike Flanagan's series: good.)

113h ago

Joshua Rivera

@jmrivera.bsky.social

Good morning! I reviewed the new CARRIE for TV Guide! It’s very good, but makes a choice that I find pretty disastrous at the very end. Gonna be a divisive one! www.tvguide.com/news/carrie-...

104h ago

Justina Ireland

@justinaireland.com

TV is weird because you work on a thing and then go away from it and so that when reviews come out it’s sort of like reading a Facebook update from someone you went to high school with. Anyway, Carrie is out October 3rd. 🩸 www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-review...

82h ago

Nate Richard

@nateknowsmovies.bsky.social

I hold Stephen King’s original novel and the Brian De Palma film near and dear to my heart. My Dad introducing me to Carrie when I was 13 was what got me into horror. Mike Flanagan’s Carrie mostly works, but some of the changes are questionable.

24h ago

Black Girl Nerds

@blackgirlnerds.bsky.social

Mike Flanagan’s Carrie is a topical, timely, and tragic series that takes the core elements of King’s classic novel and reimagines them for today.

64h ago

Ed Travis

@edtravis.bsky.social

I saw the 1st 2 eps of Mike Flanagan’s CARRIE at #FantasticFest (they’re excellent). Then I saw the great doc BOORMAN & THE DEVIL abt the making of EXORCIST 2. Flanagan is a talking head in that doc. This has led me to finally start watching THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, which I missed when new!

615h ago

Ed Travis2

I’ve seen most of Flanagan’s projects, but not all. I think he’s a genius and one of the most important voices in horror currently working. So I’m glad for the “reason” to finally catch up on this one. (Maybe Bly Manor will be next?!)

Charles Bruce1

My wife isn’t usually into horror but loved his HOUSE OF USHER.

J0SIE Mostly1

Been anticipating Boorman & The Devil all year. Hoping it gets released soon 🙏

Kat Hughes

@kathughes.bsky.social

Has so much fun with Carrie I watched it twice in one week thehollywoodnews.com/2026/10/01/c...

33h ago

Benjamin Franklinstein

@mitchellg657.bsky.social

I'm wondering if Mike Flanagan is going to go in that direction, given he's planning on three seasons for his Carrie series.

514h ago

Bev Vincent

@bevvincent.bsky.social

he filmmaker explained, “In my dream scenario … I think it’s three seasons. In my dream scenario, I think Carrie has a wonderful three-step arc. It’s a trilogy, really.”

32d ago

IndieWire

@indiewire.com

The 2026 'Carrie' expands its world and opens its heart to follow the titular telekinetic teen through her rough intro to an American high school.

13h ago

Gizmodo

@gizmodo.com

Mike Flanagan's new Prime Video series adaptation boasts an excellent cast and some intriguing expansions of Stephen King's world.

24h ago

The Horror Lounge

@thehorrorlounge.bsky.social

Carla gives the stamp of approval to the first episode of Mike Flanagan's Carrie adaptation, which premieres on Prime Video Oct. 7. Do you plan to watch the series? #horrorsky www.thehorrorlounge.com/post/mike-fl...

4h ago

Movies On The Way

@moviesontheway.bsky.social

Mike Flanagan says his dream vision for 'CARRIE' is a 3-season trilogy. 🎬 Are you down for an expanded 3-season tv show?🩸 #Carrie #StephenKing #Flanaganverse #TVNews

2Yesterday

3 sources

filmstories.co.ukCarrie review | Mike Flanagan’s bold interpretation of Stephen King’s debut isn’t always on fire dianedarcy.substack.comMike Flanagan’s Carrie Reinterprets Stephen King’s Iconic Novel With a Modern-Day Horror thehorrorlounge.comMike Flanagan’s Carrie series on Prime Video is horror with a heart

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Mike Flanagan’s Carrie, Prime Video series draws mixed early reviews

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