---
title: "Carrie: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/carrie-2013/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/carrie-2013"
critics_score: 47
critics_reviews: 24
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Carrie (2013): what the critics said

Critics' score 47 from 24 reviews: 5 positive, 8 mixed, 11 negative.

Most critics find this remake respectable but unnecessary, and nearly all of them measure it against De Palma’s 1976 film and find it wanting. What praise there is gathers around the mother-daughter scenes: Julianne Moore’s quieter, broodier Margaret White is the performance most reviews single out, and several credit Kimberly Peirce with getting further into Carrie’s head than the original did. The one update almost everyone notices is the bullying filmed on phones and put online.

The spread is wide. A handful of reviews, including The New York Times and The New Yorker, treat it as a thoughtful contemporary gloss with real feeling for its heroine. The larger negative camp calls it a bloodless, scene-for-scene copy that drains the camp and the scares and adds nothing of its own, with Slant dismissing it as a lifeless public-service announcement. Chloë Grace Moretz divides them most: committed and sympathetic to some, too poised and too capable to pass as a victim for many more.

## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2013. 

The remake reimagines the story as a tragic superhero origin tale with more psychological depth and female perspective than the 1976 version. Peirce excels at expressing Carrie’s inner world through her telekinetic powers but falters by not fully committing to nuanced supporting characters.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/carrie-2013)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. 

The remake is entertaining and well-paced with strong mother-daughter performances from Moretz and Moore, though it can't escape the original's shadow; praises the grounded intensity and vivid acting.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/carrie-film-review-649237/)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2013. 

Peirce’s version is very good as both a viewing experience and a contemporary gloss on De Palma’s classic, with thoughtful twists like social media integration and a sweeter tone amid the cruelty. It treats Carrie’s powers with more practicality and empathy, giving her a denser identity.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/kimberly-peirces-carrie)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. 

Peirce delivers a fine, largely faithful remake that updates the story with contemporary fears while playing up religious themes and Carrie’s emerging powers. The film retains terrors rooted in timeless themes of bullying and female dread, though the dread of the female body from the original is somewhat missing.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/movies/carrie-returns-with-julianne-moore-and-chloe-grace-moretz.html)

## Variety

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. 

Peirce’s remake is an intermittently effective retelling that eschews De Palma’s wit for a somber approach, succeeding due to committed performances from Moretz and Moore in a subtler mother-daughter dynamic. It doesn’t surpass the original but offers a straight-faced update suited to modern bullying concerns.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/carrie-review-1200734450/)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 3/5. 

This pale imitation is more a homage to De Palma's 1976 film than a return to the novel's basics and lacks the original's captivating poignancy. Performances are fine but not iconic, and showing Carrie in control of her powers makes the story less emotionally engaging.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ghmpei/carrie/)

## Time Out — Cath Clarke

Rating 3/5. 26 November 2013. 

As remakes go it is not as lame as it could be, with Peirce getting deeper into the characters' psychology than De Palma, but it lacks the original's spooks and shocks. Moretz is talented but not suited to the victim role, and the film only grabs attention in the final 20 minutes.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/carrie-1)

## Total Film — Jamie Graham

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 2013. 

The critic calls it one of the more solid 1970s horror remakes but finds it lacks the verve, potency, romance and heartache of the original. Some updates like the social media element work, while others like the coda and lack of scares do not.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/carrie-2013-review/)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating C-. 17 October 2013. 

The remake is a bloodless, scene-for-scene copy that drains the camp and horror of the original, making it worse when it deviates; criticizes the diluted revenge and over-the-top mother performance.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/carrie-1798178357)

## Empire — Mark Dinning

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2012. 

The critic finds the film efficient and effective with topical relevance to bullying but criticizes it for rushing through the buildup and failing to match the emotional depth or indelible quality of De Palma's version. It does not add much to the legacy.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/carrie-2-review/)

## The Telegraph

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 28 November 2013. 

The remake is haunted by the original De Palma film and earlier performances; Moretz is miscast as Carrie and Moore's performance is unexciting compared to the original. It is a C+ retelling that is interesting in some changes but disappointing overall.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10481525/Carrie-review.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 November 2013. 

The remake is efficient but only tentatively updated and strangely pointless, similar to De Palma's original but not as good, with the final moments messed up. The sole innovation is the addition of mobile phone footage of the bullying uploaded to the web.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/28/carrie-review)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 2013. 

The critic mocks Moretz's miscasting and distracting dyed hair while praising Moore's complex performance as the mother and noting some amusing elements in the post-prom scenes. Overall the tone is dismissive of the project despite acknowledging its modern social media angle.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/carrie-film-review-8972046.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. 

The remake is passable only as recast entertainment for those unfamiliar with the original but fails to explore the depths of adolescent isolation. Moretz's performance lacks the emotional hopelessness needed, though the technical achievement in the bloody finale stands out as the film's high point.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/carrie/5062629.article)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2013. 

On its own the film is flat and uninspired, compromised by mindless teen-movie humanism; atrocious compared to the original, lacking new perspective from the director.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/10/movie-review-carrie.html)

## Film Comment — Max Nelson

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2013. 

The critic finds the remake sexless, airless and joyless compared to De Palma's original, praising strong performances from Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore but complaining that it drains the erotic tension while ramping up the violence in a cold, voyeuristic way.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/review-carrie-2013-remake/)

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. 

This dire remake is a lifeless PSA that misses the tragedy of the story; the word-for-word script fails the performers and turns the material into cheap sympathy-building instead of horror.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/carrie-2013/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Rating 3/5. 25 November 2013. 

The critic notes the remake is low on invention and often bows to De Palma but says it works as a formula copy for new viewers, praising Moore's broodier mother and the sophisticated edge over typical slashers while wishing for more psychological depth.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a529840/carrie-review-chlo-grace-moretz-brings-claret-to-your-popcorn/)

## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape

Rating 3/5. 28 November 2013. 

The critic finds it not scary but a relatable high school drama with effective contemporary elements like social media; praises Moore's performance and Peirce's approach for a new audience, but criticizes Moretz's casting as too endearing.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/carrie-review/)

## Eye for Film — David Graham

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2013. 

The review calls it a boring, after-school TV movie-like remake that's not scary enough, miscast with Moretz, but notes some effective subtle new ideas and balanced character portrayals; concludes it's not needed but somewhat worth watching for younger audiences.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/carrie-2013-film-review-by-david-graham)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating D. 17 October 2013. 

The critic finds the remake scattershot, with underdeveloped characters and themes that fail to meaningfully distinguish it from the original. Peirce's focus on spectacle over emotional depth leaves the tragic elements of Carrie's story unexplored.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/carrie-remake-review/)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating D. 17 October 2013. 

The critic sees potential in Peirce's thematic approach but finds the execution a near disaster, lacking the camp and emotional depth of the original, with tonal inconsistencies and a simplistic revenge tale; praises Moretz's performance somewhat but criticizes overall lack of imagination.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-carrie-starring-chloe-grace-moretz-julianne-moore-20131017/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2013. 

The remake is unnecessary and adds nothing new to the story or characters, feeling like a footnote to the superior 1976 original. It is too faithful to the source without infusing any distinctive directorial insight from Peirce.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/carrie-review-stephen-king-remake-commits-sin-irrelevance/)

## Den of Geek — Nick Allen

Rating 1.5/5. 17 October 2013. 

The critic calls it another misbegotten horror remake that follows De Palma's version too closely with little diversion, praising Julianne Moore and Judy Greer but faulting Chloë Grace Moretz's performance and the lack of ballsy attitude or innovation.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/carrie-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/carrie-2013.md