TIFF 2026: ‘Carrie’ Episodes 1-2 Does Just Enough To Carve Its Own Path

Stephen King’s Carrie continues to capture the imagination, with the story becoming more relevant as our world grows increasingly chaotic. This time, writer/director Mike Flanagan is taking a crack at the telekinetic teenager, and based on Carrie Episodes 1-2, she may be in good hands. That is, unless the newest experimental additions accidentally derail this iteration off the beaten path. Reimagining or not, it’s a thin line to tread, and these opening episodes get to the heart of things pretty quickly, giving a taste of what’s to come.

The series opens in almost a true-crime documentary fashion, with news clips of the “incident” filling viewers in on the destruction to come. People are interviewed, with their statements echoing the debate that has followed Carietta “Carrie” White (Summer H. Howell) since the novel’s original publication. The lens then pans to Sue Snell (Siena Agudong), who is ready to tell her side of the story, before taking us back to where everything began.

The inciting incident that leads Carrie to finally enter Thomas Ewen Consolidated High School is the freak accidental death of her father, Ralph White (Tahmoh Penikett). Police enter his home in hopes of finding out more information, leading to the discovery of Carrie and her mother, Margaret White (Samantha Sloyan), hiding in a closet. Of course, this rightfully raises red flags, prompting Social Services to strike a compromise that lets Margaret keep custody, with one term being Carrie going to school.

Carrie Episodes 1-2 lay down the groundwork for Carrie’s story and the pain to come.

As Carrie, Summer H. Howell’s performance in Carrie Episodes 1-2 leans into the character’s innocence and good nature. This Carrie is incredibly curious and, much like her mother, intelligent in her own right, with outside forces introducing her to concepts long before she enters Thomas Ewan High. However, her initiation into public education is rough, amplified by the series’ present-day setting. As Carrie endures a humiliating trial by fire at the hands of her unempathetic classmates, Howell delivers excruciatingly raw emotion.

Familiar traits associated with Margaret carry over here, as seen in Carrie Episodes 1-2. She keeps Carrie in the dark about things, abhors sexual intimacy, and believes that, due to a rejection of God and his teachings, the country is falling apart. The understated, matter-of-fact way Samantha Sloyan delivers these missives grounds it in frightfully real terrain. We all know someone like this.

Flanagan and Sloyan highlight Margaret’s clear intelligence rather than over-dramatizing the more drastic parts of her ethos, letting her dismissiveness and holier-than-thou attitude fester slowly until, possibly in later episodes, it reaches a breaking point. Ultimately, the Margaret seen in Carrie Episodes 1-2 culminates in a fully realized character who could easily have been reduced to a caricature. 

The teenagers are, rightfully, the absolute worst but never appear one-note.

Similarly, the treatment of Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton) gives a thorough background and understanding of why she seeks out Carrie as her outlet for violence and rage. Yes, Chris is very much spoiled, having been given everything based on initial impressions, but as seen in Carrie Episodes 1-2, things are changing in her personal life. And when things change, teenagers can be absolute terrors. Alison Thornton plays Chris as properly petulant, but in the quietest moments, Thornton is given room to explore Chris’s inner crumbling. 

As for Sue Snell, Carrie Episodes 1-2 show Sue not in the best of light. That said, this is part of the character’s journey. By the end of Episode 2, she’s already questioning whether her actions have done more harm than good, especially given the lack of empathy shown by her best friend, Chris. While we haven’t seen much of him yet, her moments with her boyfriend, Tommy (Joel Oulette), also help her gain clarity and perspective.

Carrie Episodes 1-2 remind you how good Mike Flanagan is, not just in casting but also in how he writes dialogue for characters, especially children. Oftentimes the pitfall of shows centered around teenagers is that they don’t sound authentic. You can tell the dialogue is how an adult imagines teenagers speaking, which can easily pull you out of the viewing experience entirely. Never once throughout Carrie Episodes 1-2 do you run into this issue.

As for additional changes in Carrie Episodes 1-2, the show expands the teachers’ lives in a way that sparks curiosity and reminds us that teachers are people (which should never be up for debate, yet remains an issue today). In particular, gym teacher Rita Desjardin (Amber Midthunder) gets more development and forms connections that, knowing Flanagan, will greatly intensify future pain and suffering for the viewer, depending on how easily one gets attached. 

Where the series takes a risk will ultimately make or break its success in the end.

That said, the twistiest twist introduced diverges from what fans of the original novel (and other cinematic interpretations) may have in mind for Carrie. For longtime Stephen King fans, this surprising addition brings to mind his broader universe. The danger lies in how the unfolding plot, in tandem with this new element, is executed, given the potential for accidental cheesiness. The less said about this specific thing going into the series, the better for the element of surprise, but keep a close eye on how this bit plays out.

Carrie Episodes 1-2 are very much the opening arc of her journey, doing just enough to introduce us to the characters and the emerging conflicts that will lead to the “Black Prom” incident broadcast at the beginning. And as Episode 2 ends with Carrie reaching a point of clarity about her emerging powers, it’s brilliantly executed through practical means. 

The elements reimagined from the novel are done in the way Mike Flanagan does best, giving a well-rounded, grounded, human element to characters who sometimes come across as one-note in other iterations. If there is anything to flag, it’s the introduction of new story components that present the highest risk for Flanagan. While I have confidence he’ll nail it, there’s always the chance that this new addition will fumble in the end. But if he nails it, it can open up a wider world of possibility connected to the Stephen King universe.

Carrie Episodes 1-2 world premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The series will stream exclusively on Prime Video starting October 7, 2026.