Stephen King's New Carrie Remake Rotten Tomatoes Score Officially Sets Audience Record

Published Oct 8, 2026, 12:41 PM EDT

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Stephen King's Carrie has reached a new Rotten Tomatoes milestone after the release of Mike Flanagan's television remake.

The horror series premiered on Prime Video on October 7, introducing a new adaptation of King's 1974 novel more than five decades after its publication. Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White, a teenager with powerful telekinetic abilities who faces relentless bullying at school and abuse from her religious mother, Margaret (Samantha Sloyan). Unlike previous adaptations, Flanagan's version expands the story into eight episodes and explores Carrie's experiences in a modern setting.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, Carrie has earned an 86% audience score from over 100 ratings, setting a new audience record for the franchise. The remake surpasses Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation (77%), the 2002 television movie (49%), and the 2013 remake (44%). It is also Mike Flanagan's second-highest-rated television series, behind The Haunting of Hill House (91%).

The result places the remake ahead of several of Flanagan's acclaimed horror productions, including The Fall of the House of Usher (81%), Midnight Mass (79%), and The Haunting of Bly Manor (69%). It also represents a stronger audience reception than The Midnight Club, which holds a 55% score.

Mike Flanagan's TV series ranked	Rotten Tomatoes Critics' score	Rotten Tomatoes Audience score
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)	93%	91%
Carrie (2026)	84%	86%
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)	91%	81%
Midnight Mass (2021)	87%	79%
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)	88%	69%
The Midnight Club (2022)	85%	55%

Despite having the lowest critics' score among Flanagan's six television series, Carrie has received stronger audience ratings than four of his previous shows. Only The Haunting of Hill House, with a 91% audience score, currently ranks higher.

In ScreenRant's review of Carrie, the remake was praised for successfully modernizing King's classic story while expanding its characters and themes. The biggest standout was the climactic prom sequence, described as "one of the greatest achievements in Flanagan's career thus far." Howell and Sloyan's performances as Carrie and Margaret White also earned praise for bringing greater emotional depth to the iconic characters.

The 2026 series also distinguishes itself from earlier adaptations of King's novel through its contemporary setting. Flanagan incorporates social media, cyberbullying, and school safety concerns into Carrie's story, updating the pressures facing the character while retaining the novel's central themes of isolation and cruelty.

Flanagan explained that his approach was influenced by concerns surrounding his own son's experiences entering high school. During San Diego Comic-Con, the filmmaker revealed that he invited real high school students into the writers' room to discuss their experiences with bullying. Their accounts helped shape the remake's exploration of online harassment, while the eight-episode format allowed for a deeper examination of the characters.

Scratch & Peek

Scratch& Peek

Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.

The adaptation marks another collaboration between Flanagan and King. The filmmaker previously directed Gerald's Game (2017), Doctor Sleep (2019), and The Life of Chuck (2025), establishing a history of bringing the author's work to the screen.

The series also arrives 50 years after Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation, which starred Sissy Spacek as Carrie and Piper Laurie as Margaret. That film became one of the most recognizable adaptations of King's work, earning Academy Award nominations for both actresses. Flanagan's version introduces Howell to the role alongside Sloyan, with Siena Agudong portraying Sue Snell, Alison Thornton playing Chris Hargensen, and Matthew Lillard appearing as Henry Grayle.

The strong audience reception is especially significant given how many times Carrie has been adapted. The property previously received a 2002 television movie and a 2013 theatrical remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore.

While the 1976 adaptation remains the franchise's highest-rated entry among critics, Flanagan's Carrie has now surpassed its predecessors in audience reception. The remake also continues the filmmaker's strong Rotten Tomatoes track record, although its relatively small number of audience ratings means the score could change as more viewers finish the series.

All episodes of Carrie are now streaming on Prime Video.

Carrie

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  Summer H. Howell

  Carrie White

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  Samantha Sloyan

  Margaret White

In this new series adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel, Carrie White struggles through the daily torments of school life, her domineering mother, and a dormant  set of telekinetic powers.