There’s always risk involved when it comes to reimagining the classics. Brian De Palma’s Carrie from 1976 is considered one of the best horror movies of all time, so it’s easy to see why some fans may be skeptical about the Carrie streaming series that’s coming to the 2026 TV schedule this fall. With Mike Flanagan behind the new interpretation, however, there may be more excitement than trepidation — especially now that first reactions have started to drop.
Critics screened the first two episodes of the new Stephen King adaptation, which will be available to stream with an Amazon Prime Video subscription on October 7. Early social media buzz is pretty thrilling, too, with Bill Bria of SlashFilm saying if you appreciated Mike Flanagan’s previous series The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher, you already know he’s proven his abilities when it comes to adapting a scary story. Bria’s X (Twitter) post reads:
I saw the first two episodes of Carrie today, & any doubts I might’ve had vanished just a few minutes in. Mike Flanagan is working his adaptation magic once again. Summer H. Howell is heartbreakingly great as Carrie. Relevant, reverent, & surprising. Can’t wait for the rest!
Summer H. Howell is no stranger to the horror genre, as she appeared in last year’s Night of the Reaper, the 2024 slasher Time Cut, and some episodes of the brilliant Channel Zero: No-End House, to name a few of her credits. Regular Mike Flanagan player Samantha Sloyan plays Carrie’s mother, which to me feels like possibly the easiest casting decision ever made.
Other cast members include Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Josie Totah, Amber Midthunder, Matthew Lillard, Kate Siegel and Rahul Kohli. This is Summer H. Howell’s show, though, says Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky, who was blown away by the lead actress in the upcoming Stephen King series, writing:
I've seen the first 2 episodes of Mike Flanagan's Carrie & all I can say is WOW! This is not at all what you are expecting. It is absolutely incredible and I am DYING for the rest of the episodes. Summer H. Howell is PHENOMENAL. Such a relevant exploration of this story.
Tyler Taing of Discussing Film agrees that just because this is a classic and pretty-well-known story doesn’t mean it’s just a retread of past adaptations. Mike Flanagan updates Carrie to explore anxiety and violence in our current world, Taing says:
I got to see the first two episodes of the CARRIE series, it’s a big departure for both the source material and Flanagan’s reputation as the keymaster of King’s stories. It’s a true modernization focusing on teenage anxieties and the cycle of violence in our digital age. Flanagan is aware many people hold this story near and dear to their hearts but I find his motivation to peer at today’s issues through the lens of these characters really compelling even if these choices might be controversial. I’m definitely seated for the rest!
It’s a big year for Stephen King, and if these first social media reactions are any indication, fans of the horror author should be pretty excited about what’s to come. All eight episodes of Carrie are set to drop Wednesday, October 7, on Prime Video.
