--- title: "Carrie: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/carrie-2026/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/carrie-2026" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 13 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 (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 13 reviews: 6 positive, 2 mixed, 5 negative. The critics divide almost down the middle, and few sit on the fence. Those in favour find it a fresh, harrowing reimagining of Stephen King’s story, with Variety and Empire the warmest, the former crediting it with giving Carrie agency and tying the tale to social media and modern America. Praise clusters on the acting: Summer H. Howell’s open, nuanced Carrie is singled out by admirers and detractors alike, Samantha Sloyan is also noted, and several enjoy the expanded roles for Chris and Margaret. The reservations gather around softness. Roughly half the critics say the series smooths away Carrie’s awkwardness and rage, makes her passive and goes gentle on the people who torment her, draining the story of its terror; The i Paper and Vulture put this most forcefully. Others find it overstuffed with commentary, preachy, or hobbled by detours and an ending they doubt. The spread is as wide as it gets, from near-raves to outright dismissals. ## Variety — Aramide Tinubu Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2026. Tinubu calls the series a captivating, harrowing reimagining of King’s story. She praises how it gives Carrie agency while connecting the tale to social media and contemporary America. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/carrie-review-prime-video-1236897690/) ## Empire — Jamie Graham Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. Graham calls the series a remarkable triumph and a strikingly fresh adaptation. He praises its superb acting and resourceful, affecting approach, while noting that some added storylines feel forced and the prom scene falls short of the film adaptation. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/carrie/) ## The Guardian — Lucy Mangan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2026. Mangan finds the remake witty, smart and well suited to its moment, with its expanded story avoiding the usual streaming bloat. She especially praises Summer H. Howell’s open, optimistic portrayal of Carrie. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/oct/07/carrie-review-summer-h-howel-prime-video-horror) ## The AV Club — Saloni Gajjar Rating B. 1 October 2026. Gajjar finds the series unsettling and often effective, but says its detours and dubious ending weaken it. She especially praises Summer H. Howell and Samantha Sloyan as hypnotic anchors. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/carrie-review-prime-video-mike-flanagan-stephen-king) ## Radio Times — Laura Rutkowski Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. The review presents the series as a strong, positive adaptation. It praises the fresh and creative approach to Stephen King's story. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/carrie-review-prime-video/) ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Rating C+. 1 October 2026. Travers finds the series too gentle and preachy to work as horror, despite its effective teen drama. He praises Summer H. Howell’s endearing, nuanced performance as Carrie. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/carrie-2026-review-mike-flanagan-amazon-series-not-horror-1235219084/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2026. Fienberg finds Flanagan’s adaptation an ambitious but ultimately disappointing expansion of the familiar story. He praises Summer H. Howell’s performance and the topicality, but says the series loses much of the original’s distinctive terror. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/carrie-review-mike-flanagan-amazon-stephen-king-1236717805/) ## Vulture — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2026. Hadadi finds the series overstuffed with commentary and too timid to make Carrie a compelling, fully realized character. She criticizes its smoothing away of Carrie’s awkwardness and rage, leaving the protagonist bland and the horror without tension. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/carrie-prime-video-series-review.html) ## The i Paper — Tilly Pearce Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2026. Pearce strongly condemns the series for stripping away the story’s female rage and Carrie’s agency. She particularly objects to changes that make Carrie passive and soften the characters responsible for her suffering. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/carrie-remake-made-me-furious-4800224) ## Collider — Nate Richard Rating 7/10. 1 October 2026. Richard finds Flanagan’s adaptation addictive and largely successful, though some expansions weaken the story. He especially praises Samantha Sloyan’s layered performance as Margaret White. [Read the review](https://collider.com/carrie-2026-review-mike-flanagan-prime-video/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 6/10. 1 October 2026. The reviewer finds the series an uneven but worthwhile adaptation, with some changes that feel misguided. Summer H. Howell’s performance and the show’s tender emotional moments are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2273614/carrie-review-mike-flanagan-stephen-king-series/) ## Digital Spy — Janet A Leigh Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2026. The critic finds that the series strays too far from the original and loses its emotional complexity. She praises the richer supporting characters and the performances, particularly the expanded portrayals of Chris and Margaret. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a74050446/carrie-review-prime-video/) ## NME — Summer H. Howell Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the reboot dull and too softened to satisfy horror fans or teen-drama viewers. She particularly objects to its gentler portrayal of Carrie’s mother and other characters, which drains the story of its original savagery. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/carrie-review-summer-howell-stephen-king-mike-flanagan-3971829) --- © 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/tv/carrie-2026.md