Lists
- ranked 24 in The Guardian 25 Best Horror Films Of All Time
- ranked 46 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills
- ranked 86 in Empire 500 Greatest Movies (2008)
- ranked 365 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (December 2006)
- ranked 369 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (March 2006)
- ranked 410 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (August 2005)
- one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
- one of 101^w102 Movies You Must See Before...
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies Nominees
- one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills Nominees
- one of Alliance of Women Film Journalists Top 100 Films
- one of Richard Corliss's Top 25 Horror Films
Can't Keep a Good Woman Down
Is Carrie a horror film? Genre boundaries are notoriously fuzzy, but, honestly, I don't think so. Horror implies that the film is frightening, or at least attempts to be; other than the final twist, a cheap gimmick unworthy of the film preceding it, that's not Carrie.
Carrie is far too sympathetic a figure, for one, but if we feel afraid for her it's the same sympathetic fear we feel for all abused children. There's a certain horror in the torture she undergoes at school, and, more insidiously, at home. When the film turns to killing, it still isn't horror: it's tragic and unfair, driven by hurt and not malice.
It's a good film, right up until the shock ending. On the surface it looks like Pygmalion with a cruel streak, but it's more interesting than that. It's about menstruation as coming-of-age, about female empowerment and breaking free of repression. In the end, it's Carrie's blood, not Jesus', that provides salvation.
Fine, I admit it: it was a guilty pleasure. Watching Mean Girls the other day I wanted nothing more than to see them all die horribly. Carrie made it happen!
On that less-than-serious note, I direct you to "Myth and Magic in De Palma's Carrie". Incredibly pretentious, but worth the read.