Forget Carrie, Mike Flanagan's 10-Part Horror Adaptation On Netflix Is His Real Masterpiece
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With three feature-length film adaptations of Stephen King's seminal debut novel already in existence, many questioned whether Mike Flanagan's Carrie miniseries was necessary. However, the show, which premiered on Prime Video on October 7, 2026, received positive reviews, earning an 85% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. ScreenRant's Jordan Williams praised Carrie as a "nuanced portrait of the complex intersection of fear, anger, and compassion in society."
Though Carrie's detractors are in the minority, their criticisms of the new Flanagan show are valid. Primarily, Carrie's final episode arguably sacrifices the self-contained story of the titular telekinetic prom queen in favor of setting up a bigger universe, cheapening the finale's effectiveness. (Flanagan himself has confirmed that he envisions Carrie as a three-season series.)
It's also worth noting that, though 85% is a perfectly respectable Rotten Tomatoes score, Carrie ties The Midnight Club as the lowest-rated Flanagan series to date. After Flanagan created several successful horror shows for Netflix, Carrie is his first title under his new multi-year exclusivity deal with Amazon. While Carrie may be a solid Prime Video debut, it doesn't reach the level of Flanagan's OG Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House.
Carrie Is Great, But The Haunting Of Hill House Is Still Better
With Flanagan's Carrie adaptation taking place in the present day — as opposed to the novel's 1970s setting — it would be easy to dismiss the Prime Video series as "Carrie with smartphones". However, what Flanagan accomplishes is a show that brilliantly weaves today's very real problems of cyberbullying and digital surveillance into the timeless theme of cruelty vs. kindness found in King's novel.
Summer H. Howell is phenomenal as Carrie White, and she delivers the warmest and most empathetic version of the character put on screen. As her story progressed, it became Carrie's biggest burning question as to how someone so sweet could massacre her entire prom, and unfortunately, the eventual answer felt like a cop-out. Add in the Flanagan-created mysterious "others", and the writer-director lessens Carrie's emotional gut-punch in a bid to continue the story.
On the other hand, Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House is a complete, taut 10-episode miniseries, and remains his best work to date. Since The Haunting of Hill House is such a loose adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name, it's not beholden to specific story beats, the way Carrie is to King's novel.
Like with Carrie, Flanagan treats his Haunting of Hill House characters with sympathy and compassion. This is what makes both shows great, but in the case of Hill House, Flanagan's bigger sandbox allows him to create a better story. It's also worth noting that The Haunting of Hill House is by far Flanagan's scariest series to date, and those thrills and chills are a direct result of the room he has to be original.
An Upcoming Mike Flanagan Adaptation Could Beat Even The Haunting Of Hill House
While Flanagan has yet to top The Haunting of Hill House, his debut series, that doesn't mean he won't. Flanagan has several upcoming movies and TV shows with a lot of promise, but perhaps none more than his TV adaptation of The Dark Tower.
The novel series, which is widely considered King's magnum opus, received a disappointing film adaptation in 2017, leaving fans and critics alike questioning whether the source material should have just been left alone. However, now that Flanagan has the rights, The Dark Tower couldn't be in better hands. Flanagan revealed that he's completed The Dark Tower season 1's script, and not only that, but King himself approves.
Question 1 of 3
This is not only an excellent sign for Flanagan's adaptation of The Dark Tower, but should it be a success, it may even retroactively fix the problems with Carrie too. Flanagan has teased that Carrie may be a greater part of his Dark Tower universe, meaning there's a chance Carrie White could get the better ending she deserves. Though the Flanaverse may never do better than The Haunting of Hill House, it will certainly have lots of thrilling competition.
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Carrie
- Release Date
- 2026 - 2026-00-00
- Network
- Prime Video
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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.
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The Haunting of Hill House
10/10
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2018
- Network
- Netflix
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Michiel Huisman
Steven Crain
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Elizabeth Reaser
Shirley Crain
Loosely based on Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name, The Haunting of Hill House follows the Crain family's experience in their beautiful (and deadly) home. With a story told using two timelines simultaneously, The Haunting of Hill House chronicles both the haunting itself, and the lasting effect it had on the Crain children as they struggle through adulthood decades later.
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- Birthdate
- May 20, 1978
- Birthplace
- Salem, Massachusetts, United States
- Height
- 6 feet 0 inches
- Notable Projects
- Hush, Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game
- Professions
- Filmmaker, Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Editor
Discover the latest news and filmography for Mike Flanagan, known for Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House.
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