Another adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie is heading to television, and the first reviews of the full series mostly say the idea was worth repeating. Mike Flanagan, who has adapted King’s work before, returns with an eight-episode reimagining of the 1974 horror novel. The series premieres on Prime Video on October 7, 2026. Summer H. Howell plays Carrie White, a bullied high schooler who uses telekinetic powers to take revenge on her classmates.
The cast includes Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, along with Siena Agudong and Alison Thornton. Early reaction has been largely admiring, though not without reservations. Nate Richard of Collider called Flanagan’s take “highly addictive,” while Eric Diaz of Nerdist wrote that Carrie “succeeds in almost every way.” Alexander Zalben of Comic Book Club said the show is “breathtakingly audacious in its own right,” even if it may not be the best adaptation. “It’s hard to beat De Palma,” he noted.
Not every critic is convinced. Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that this Carrie is “finally less distinctive and far less scary than it should be.” Chris Evangelista of Slashfilm argued that Carrie “simply doesn’t lend itself to a TV approach,” pointing out that King’s novel is one of his shortest, which forces any series to stretch the narrative. Feinberg also said the show expands the story with shadings that resemble Firestarter and Needful Things and other King works.
Those expansions have drawn mixed responses. Jordan Williams of Screen Rant said a spoiler-filled subplot is “filled with nods and references for avid Stephen King and Mike Flanagan fans” and delivers some of the series’ most twisted, terrifying moments. Maria Lattila of Film Stories warned that viewers expecting a faithful take will be “sorely disappointed.” Still, Alexander Zalben of Comic Book Club called the eight-episode series “bloody terrific, expertly directed and acted,” saying it justifies its existence by recontextualizing the classic tale for a modern audience.
Modern context is central to the new version. Saloni Gajjar of AV Club wrote that even if Carrie stumbles, it makes a case for why today’s generation could use such a drama. Eric Diaz of Nerdist described the show as much an exploration of what it means to be an outcast in the modern-day world of Instagram as it is about a telekinetic girl who goes on a rampage at prom. Alexander Zalben said the series speaks to “the constant spectre of death our high school students now live under,” but it feels true to the teens on screen.
Flanagan’s direction and the performances have earned particular praise. Chris Evangelista of Slashfilm called Summer H. Howell “something of a revelation,” saying her performance is so believable and total that she makes the character entirely her own. Aaron Pruner of CNET called Howell’s work “utterly heartbreaking” and “transcendent.” Warren Cantrell of The Playlist wrote that Howell should get most of the attention for her complete ownership of a role that Sissy Spacek has had on lock for half a century. Jordan Williams of Screen Rant said Howell has cemented a place in the new generation of scream queens.
Samantha Sloyan’s Margaret White has also stood out. Nate Richard of Collider said Sloyan has a deep understanding of the character, which shows every time she is on screen. Warren Cantrell of The Playlist said she carves out “a sliver of sympathy for Margaret that has never existed in the other tellings.” Saloni Gajjar of AV Club said Sloyan comes close to reaching her Midnight Mass levels of excellence. Aaron Pruner of CNET called her take on Margaret White “an absolute surprise.”
Some critics found the series’ expansion less successful. Maria Lattila of Film Stories said Flanagan expands the story maybe a little too much, hinting at other women through history with similar powers, an interesting but underdeveloped idea. Warren Cantrell of The Playlist said that when Flanagan branches off from the core text, he reaches for a connected universe that is “not just unnecessary but downright distracting.” Katie Doll of CBR said the conclusion isn’t entirely satisfying and that Flanagan takes some dicey swings that feel cheap. Saloni Gajjar of AV Club said one addition disappointingly takes away from Carrie’s agency in major moments.
Several reviewers noted that the show’s future ambitions may undercut its present season. Jordan Williams of Screen Rant wrote that by hinging important moments of Carrie’s finale on set-up for another season with an original story, the ending’s strength is undermined. Maria Lattila of Film Stories said the first eight episodes hint at bigger things to come but leave this season feeling “a little half-baked.” Nate Richard of Collider said that while there are ways to expand Carrie, the direction the Prime Video series seems to be heading by the finale isn’t nearly as interesting or fresh.
Comparisons to Flanagan’s earlier work have been inevitable. Lauren Sarner of New York Post wrote that for fans of Flanagan, Carrie lands solidly in the middle: underwhelming if you want the Gothic atmosphere and chills of Hill House and Midnight Mass, but better than The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Midnight Club. Ben Travers of IndieWire said it lands closer to The Midnight Club than Midnight Mass, though it makes the most of Flanagan’s mesmeric monologues. Chris Evangelista of Slashfilm said the series works best when it finds kinder, more emotional moments for Carrie to grab hold of. Aaron Pruner of CNET noted that while Carrie is technically a horror series, the lack of gore and violence through most of it only adds to the emotional experience.
For all the debate, many critics agree on one point: Flanagan and King remain a potent match. Eric Diaz of Nerdist said Carrie confirms no one is better at adapting Stephen King material than Flanagan, even ones that have multiple versions already. Jordan Williams of Screen Rant said that by the final two episodes, Carrie becomes the strongest example of Flanagan’s deep understanding of King’s work. Saloni Gajjar of AV Club said it confirms, mostly for the better and sometimes for the worse, that Flanagan and King remain a storyteller match made in heaven. Alexander Zalben of Comic Book Club put it simply: “When it comes to Stephen King, Mike Flanagan can do whatever he wants.”
