The Prom Night Massacre: What Carrie Tells Us About Bullying and Rage

This week on The THING about Films, we are stepping into the telekinetic terror that started it all. Stephen King’s Carrie did not just launch one of horror’s most tragic characters. It launched Stephen King himself into the pop-culture stratosphere.

We break down the journey from King’s debut novel in 1974 to the iconic 1976 film adaptation that made prom night a blood-soaked cautionary tale. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie brought Carrie and Margaret White to life with performances so intense they both landed Oscar nominations. Not too shabby for a movie where the gym literally explodes.

We also dig into the creative crew that shaped the film’s nightmare energy:
 • Director: Brian De Palma
• Screenwriter: Lawrence D. Cohen
• Composer: Pino Donaggio (after Bernard Herrmann passed away)
• Art Director: Jack Fisk
• Cast Highlights: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, John Travolta (yes, that John Travolta), Betty Buckley, P.J. Soles

De Palma leaned into Hitchcock influences hard, especially Psycho. Even the sound stage has history. Parts of the movie were filmed at Culver City Studios, including the same location where Gone With The Wind staged the burning of Atlanta. Swap flames for pig’s blood and you get the idea.

We also walk through Carrie’s legacy. There have been:
• The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
• Carrie: The Musical (1988)
• TV movie remake in 2002
• Feature film remake in 2013
• Upcoming Mike Flanagan limited series for Prime Video arriving in 2026

Yes, Mike Flanagan is back at it. The new cast is already exciting:
 • Summer H. Howell as Carrie White
• Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White
• Matthew Lillard as Principal Grael
• Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen

Flanagan adapting King again. A tale as old as time. A prom dress as red as… well, you know.

Favorite Pull Quotes

"The violence isn't triggered by some ancient evil. It's triggered by relentless bullying and horrible abuse."

"Her saving those pages literally changed modern literature."

"It perfectly captures Carrie's brief moment of pure happiness and acceptance... makes the fall even harder."

Transcript

[Ambrose:] Okay, picture this. You are in high school. You are awkward. You are terrified of gym class. And your mom thinks everything you do is a one-way ticket to hell. Yeah. Welcome back everyone.

[Kelly:] Seriously. We are diving into Carrie today. The horror movie that said the real monster is… high school. And maybe your mom. A lot your mom.

[Ambrose:] Right. This thing is a classic. Brian De Palma’s 1976 masterpiece, still haunting audiences almost fifty years later. Blood. Chaos. Prom gone so wrong it should be a warning video for teenagers.

[Kelly:] The kind of prom where you go home early. Through a wall.

[Ambrose:] So, Carrie gets grouped with big scary movies like The Exorcist. But the way this one scares you is totally different.

[Kelly:] Yeah. In The Exorcist, you have a demon like, “Hey, let me ruin this little girl’s life.” It is a supernatural evil. Clear bad guy.

[Ambrose:] But in Carrie, the evil is not a demon. It is… all the people around her. It is real life horror.

[Kelly:] Exactly. Carrie’s telekinesis is not some ghost teaching her tricks. It is trauma with superpowers.

[Ambrose:] Her powers show up right as she hits puberty. It is tied into growing up, feeling like a freak, not fitting in. All that messy teen stuff.

[Kelly:] It makes her a victim long before she becomes scary. You root for her. You do not want her to snap. But then everyone keeps pushing her. And pushing her.

[Ambrose:] So she becomes a symbol for female power. Especially teenage girls finding their strength. People get nervous about that.

[Kelly:] It flips the whole horror trope around. Usually the final girl survives and beats the monster. Carrie becomes the monster. And it destroys her too. It is tragic and brutal.

[Ambrose:] Critics still argue how to label the movie. Horror. Black comedy. High school drama. A twisted fairy tale with a prom dress.

[Kelly:] And speaking of twisted, Piper Laurie as Margaret White, Carrie’s mom, is unreal. Like, “Please get this woman out of my house” unreal.

[Ambrose:] The whole movie builds like Cinderella. Only instead of losing her shoe, she loses her grip on reality.

[Kelly:] She finally has a good moment. Crown on her head. Everyone cheering.

[Ambrose:] And then… SPLAT. Pig’s blood. The ultimate school prank from hell.

[Kelly:] The audience goes from “Aww, she is having fun” to “Oh no we are dead” in one second. De Palma nailed that mood shift.

[Ambrose:] Then we get the difference from The Exorcist. No salvation. No priests yelling “The power of Christ compels you.”

[Kelly:] It leaves you with, “Wow… everyone failed her.” Kids, parents, teachers. Literally the whole town.

[Ambrose:] And the trauma does not stop when Carrie dies. Look at Sue Snell. She tried to help. She is left with nightmares for the rest of her life.

[Kelly:] So the movie says, “This is what bullying does.” This is what happens when you crush the wrong person.

[Ambrose:] Which brings us to the guy who wrote the original story. Stephen King. First big book. Almost did not happen.

[Kelly:] He hated his first draft. Like tossed it right in the trash. Gone.

[Ambrose:] Enter Tabitha King, his wife and the real MVP. She found it in the garbage like, “Hey honey, maybe do not yeet your dreams into the wastebasket.”

[Kelly:] She even helped improve Carrie as a character. So yeah. Whole horror genre changed because a wife believed in her husband’s weird story about prom.

[Ambrose:] King based Carrie on two real girls he knew. One bullied for being poor. One crushed by strict religion. He combined that hurt.

[Kelly:] And here is the cool part. King thought the movie was better than the book. He said the film was more fun, more alive.

[Ambrose:] The book has that whole “fake police files and news reports” style. Feels like homework. De Palma was like, “Nah. We want full panic mode inside Carrie’s mind.”

[Kelly:] And it works. The movie hits you right in the feelings. Then it lights the feelings on fire.

[Ambrose:] They changed a bunch of stuff too. Like the ending.

[Kelly:] Oh yeah. In the book, Carrie destroys the entire town. Fire everywhere. Like a teenage Godzilla.

[Ambrose:] Budget said no. Studio said also no.

[Kelly:] So they made the nightmare smaller. The gym. The place where they mocked her. The horror hits harder because it stays personal.

[Ambrose:] And then they changed Miss Collins’ fate. She lives in the book.

[Kelly:] In the movie… she does not.

[Ambrose:] De Palma basically wanted the audience to know, “Nobody is safe. Not even the nice one.”

[Kelly:] Makes the movie extra stressful. Like, “Can one adult survive high school, please?”

[Ambrose:] Then the mother fight. Book version is quieter. Movie version is knives and religious terror.

[Kelly:] It is wild and unforgettable. Which brings us right into the casting, because these actors really brought the chaos to life.

[Ambrose:] Exactly. Behind every bucket of fake pig’s blood is a cast who actually suffered for the art. We are talking Sissy Spacek’s full-on commitment, real slaps on set, and that prom scene that basically became horror history.

[Kelly:] And trust me, none of that would have worked if the cast was even slightly off. They went all in, and it shows.

[Ambrose:] So let’s talk about Sissy Spacek. Because honestly, once you see her as Carrie White, you cannot picture anyone else doing it.

[Kelly:] Fun fact. De Palma almost cast Amy Irving as Carrie. Like… what? She ended up playing Sue Snell instead.

[Ambrose:] Spacek basically fought for it like it was the last slice of pizza. Her husband, Jack Fisk, was the art director, and he totally hyped her up to audition.

[Kelly:] She showed up with greasy hair, no makeup, and this old homemade dress. Crew members tried to help her look “pretty,” and she was like: “No. I am auditioning for a character who is bullied, not going to tea with the Queen.”

[Ambrose:] De Palma saw her and instantly knew. She drove home fast afterward before anyone could change their mind.

[Kelly:] And she stayed in character the entire shoot. She even told the cast, “Hey, I love you all, but do not try to be my best friend.” That way, when they were mean to her on camera, it felt real.

[Ambrose:] Speaking of real, the shower scene. Her screaming after getting her first period is absolutely intense.

[Kelly:] Jack Fisk helped her tap into that panic. He told her to imagine being hit by a car. Just the total shock of something bad and sudden happening to your body.

[Ambrose:] Meanwhile, Piper Laurie, who played Margaret White… kind of thought she was filming a dark comedy at first.

[Kelly:] Honestly, that makes perfect sense. Her performance is campy, but also terrifying. Like “laugh because you are scared and do not want to cry” terrifying.

[Ambrose:] That dramatic vibe earned her an Oscar nomination. De Palma had to be like, “Yes, Piper, it is horror. Please keep being scary.”

[Kelly:] She kept a famous line too. “Red, I might have known it would be red.” The dress is very pink though.

[Ambrose:] She insisted Margaret saw it as red. Like sin. In her brain everything is red. Genius and creepy.

[Kelly:] Now on the bully side of things, you have Nancy Allen as Chris and John Travolta as Billy.

[Ambrose:] And the hilarious part is they thought they were the funny couple.

[Kelly:] Right? Then they saw the final movie like, “Oh… we are the worst humans alive.”

[Kelly:] De Palma took realism seriously. The scene where Miss Collins slaps Chris? Thirty real slaps. Nancy Allen was actually crying by the end.

[Ambrose:] Meanwhile Travolta was like, “I am not actually hitting her. Calm down, everyone.” Which is… fair.

[Kelly:] Also fun: Amy Irving’s real mom plays Sue’s mom in the movie. That must have made grounding scenes extra awkward. “You are grounded.” “Mom, we are acting.”

[Ambrose:] Now we get to the part everyone remembers. The prom sequence. If the prom in Carrie were a Yelp review, zero stars. Would not attend.

[Kelly:] They filmed that for two whole weeks. On the same historic sound stage where they burned Atlanta in Gone With the Wind.

[Ambrose:] De Palma went full fancy mode. Remember that spinning dance shot?

[Kelly:] Oh yeah. Carrie and Tommy rotate one way, camera rotates the other. You feel like you are floating with her. It is magical and dizzy and perfect.

[Ambrose:] Then they drop the bucket of pig’s blood. A warm, sticky blanket of misery.

[Kelly:] They used warm Karo syrup with red food dye, but it got cold and stiff fast. Sissy Spacek had to be sprayed constantly so she did not glue her face to her neck.

[Ambrose:] Imagine standing there like a syrup statue for days. That is method acting and a core workout.

[Kelly:] De Palma originally wanted the prom massacre in split screen. Super stylized.

[Ambrose:] But when he saw it, he was like, “This looks like homework.” So he cut most of it.

[Kelly:] Instead he made it fast, frantic, pure panic. It hits you right in your breathing.

[Ambrose:] Then comes the showdown with Mom. Knife crucifixion. Absolutely insane.

[Kelly:] He got that idea while talking to Martin Scorsese. Because why not plan religious murder chats with another legendary director.

[Ambrose:] Also that creepy prayer closet statue? People think it is Jesus, but it is actually Saint Sebastian.

[Kelly:] Oh. The guy who gets pierced by arrows. Nice foreshadowing. Totally normal household decor.

[Ambrose:] Then the final jump scare. The hand shooting out of the grave.

[Kelly:] Completely De Palma’s idea. Inspired by the movie Deliverance. And back then, sudden jump scares were not a thing.

[Ambrose:] Audiences lost their minds. People screamed. Popcorn everywhere.

[Kelly:] And Sissy Spacek did it herself. She straight up got buried in a hole. That is dedication until the very last shot.

[Ambrose:] So, Carrie becomes a giant hit. A horror classic. Hollywood goes, “Let’s do it again.” Which… always works out, right?

[Kelly:] Spoiler. It does not always work out.

[Ambrose:] Right. We have sequels, remakes, a musical disaster, and even a brand-new series coming soon. There is a lot of Carrie chaos to unpack.

[Kelly:] grab a snack. Or a prom crown. Just maybe skip the pig’s blood.

[Ambrose:] Definitely skip the pig’s blood. Anyway, after Carrie turned prom night into a full-blown catastrophe, Hollywood looked at the box office and went, “Oh, people love trauma. Let’s do more of that.”

[Kelly:] First up. The Rage: Carrie 2 in 1999. Turns out Carrie had a secret half sister named Rachel. Because nothing says “good sequel” like surprise telekinetic siblings.

[Ambrose:] Amy Irving came back as Sue Snell. Now a guidance counselor trying to stop another teen tragedy. Spoiler. It does not go great.

[Kelly:] Then we get the crown jewel of weird: Carrie: The Musical in 1988.

[Ambrose:] One of Broadway’s biggest flops. Lost millions. Closed after five performances. That is not even enough time to learn everyone’s names backstage.

[Kelly:] Betty Buckley, who played Miss Collins in the movie, played Margaret White in the musical. So she basically went from gym teacher to “I will pray the sin out of you.”

[Ambrose:] Theatre history books love that mess. It is like a campfire horror story now.

[Kelly:] Then in 2002, they tried a TV movie version. Claimed to be more faithful to the book.

[Ambrose:] Except they completely changed the ending. Carrie survives and goes on a road trip with Sue.

[Kelly:] Sorry. What? Carrie does not need a vacation. She needs therapy and maybe a nap.

[Ambrose:] Fans were not happy. Critics were like, “You missed the point. Tragedy is kind of the whole story.”

[Kelly:] Then the big remake in 2013. Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie. Julianne Moore as the mom.

[Ambrose:] It made money. So, checkmark on that. But mixed reviews.

[Kelly:] Chloë is an amazing actress. But she already looks too confident. You are not supposed to think Carrie could win a fight. She is supposed to be fragile and scared.

[Ambrose:] The effects were cool, but you lose something when everything is CGI. The original felt… painful and uncomfortable. Like real teenagers making bad choices.

[Kelly:] So if we are counting wins: Original film. The rest… not so much.

[Ambrose:] Which brings us to the newest attempt. A limited series from Mike Flanagan.

[Kelly:] Oh the creator of Midnight Mass and Haunting of Hill House. So this man knows trauma.

[Ambrose:] Stephen King usually says “stop touching Carrie.” Like every reboot wakes him up angry.

[Kelly:] But Flanagan apparently convinced him. His pitch is to focus on the whole community. How everyone failed her. In a modern world where bullying spreads online like wildfire.

[Ambrose:] Eight episodes. On Prime Video. Hopefully out in 2026. And they already wrapped filming last October.

[Kelly:] Cast looks solid too. Summer H. Howell as Carrie. Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White. I can already feel the religious terror.

[Ambrose:] And Matthew Lillard is in it. Which instantly makes me happy. Give that man a school to run.

[Kelly:] So if this works, it could finally match the original’s emotional punch. Fingers crossed.

[Ambrose:] Oh, the lights are flickering. Again. High school flashbacks.

[Kelly:] Do not worry. If pig’s blood drops from the ceiling, I am suing someone.

[Ambrose:] Alright. Grab a flashlight. We are going down into the Critic’s Crypt where we lock in our final judgment.

[Kelly:] Think about this while we head down the stairs. If Flanagan really digs into how the whole town broke Carrie, will audiences be patient enough for all that slow, emotional horror?

[Ambrose:] Or do we just want that explosive, chaotic prom night energy?

[Kelly:] Either way, we are settling it in the crypt.

[Ambrose:] Watch your step. No buckets allowed.

[Kelly:] If this new one works, it might finally hit the same emotional punch as the original. Fingers crossed we get something that really sticks with people.

[Ambrose:] Exactly, we can only keep our fingers crossed. Oh great, the lights are flickering again. I am getting high school flashbacks.

[Kelly:] Well, if pig’s blood drops from the ceiling, someone is getting sued.

[Ambrose:] Alright, it’s flashlight time. We are going to head down into the Critic’s Crypt to lock in our final judgment.

[Kelly:] And I want you to think about this on the way down. If Flanagan really shows how the whole town failed Carrie, will audiences be into that slow build of emotional horror?

[Ambrose:] Or do we just want the wild chaos of prom night going up in flames? Let us know in the comments.

[Kelly:] Either way, we are settling it in the crypt.

[Ambrose:] Exactly. So, watch your step. This is a strict no-bucket zone.

[Ambrose:] Alright. We made it down here. No buckets falling from the ceiling. That is already a win.

[Kelly:] Yeah, the décor is a bit Chainsaw Chic, but at least nobody here hates us enough to dump pig’s blood on our heads…Yet.

[Ambrose:] Speak for yourself. My bullies in high school would love this place. With creepy lights. Constant dread. It kind of feels like home.

[Kelly:] Same emotional damage, just a new location. Anyway, welcome to the Critic’s Crypt. Time to talk final judgment for Carrie.

[Ambrose:] The movie that proved prom is actually a horror genre.

[Kelly:] Look, if you give a bullied girl psychic superpowers and then humiliate her on the most important night of her life, things are going to get crispy.

[Ambrose:] So crispy. And honestly, that is exactly where Carrie shines. Let’s get into it.

[Ambrose:] I’ll Go First. My first pro. It’s got to be Sissy Spacek. She is unreal in this. She plays Carrie with so much pain and innocence that when she snaps, you get it. You feel every ounce of hurt that pushes her to burn the world down.

[Kelly:] Oh I completely agree with you on that. Her performance sticks with you long after the credits. And Piper Laurie as her mom? Terrifying. That woman could weaponize Bible quotes that would scare the devil out of you.

[Ambrose:] “They’re all gonna laugh at you.”

[Kelly:] That lives rent free in my head. Also, the slow build to chaos works so well. You spend so much time in Carrie’s shoes that the payoff hits harder.

[Ambrose:] Oh my god you are so right, plus the prom scene is iconic. The blood drop. That spin shot. The doors slamming. The fire. The whole moment is a horror masterclass.

[Kelly:] Exactly. And let’s not forget the practical effects, which gives it this raw, messy feel that you do not get from shiny CGI. It feels like disaster could actually happen any second.

[Ambrose:] Right, those practical effects gives this movie it’s authenticity which CGI could never do…Okay, let’s talk about the cons. Because every movie has them.

[Kelly:] Even spooky perfection has room for notes.

[Ambrose:] Right. Well, my first issue was some pacing early on. You know, those high school bullying scenes drag in some spots. And I get the point. They’re suppose to be mean. But, can we move on.

[Kelly:] Yeah. We did not need a whole highlight reel of the gym class being jerks. We got the picture after the first five insults.

[Ambrose:] And also, a few moments look dated now. Not bad, just VHS-flashback energy. And I get it some people love that old gritty look.

[Kelly:] True. And the hand-holding is real when it comes to certain scenes. It can feel like a seventies-after-school-special before it turns into literal hellfire.

[Ambrose:] Exactly and Margaret White’s religious rants kind of boarded on cartoonish sometimes. I mean, still terrifying. Just…wow.

[Kelly:] Yeah and I blame her for every kid who broke out in a full-body sweat the first time someone said “Amen.”

[Ambrose:] Alright. Time for the big moment. Our final judgment.

[Kelly:] Yeah, let’s get to meat and bones and oh do not slip on the blood.

[Ambrose:] Oh thanks. Ok for me, Carrie is a classic that earns it. The performances, the tension, that legendary finale. I am going 4.5 out of 5 Coffins. And I know there’s a Half a coffin floating nearby somewhere.

[Kelly:] Well, I am a tiny bit lower, only because a few parts

feel their age. Still amazing, still essential horror. But, I give it 4 out of 5 Coffins.

[Ambrose:] Ok. That is a solid salute for our prom queen.

[Kelly:] It was blood-soaked, but fabulous.

[Ambrose:] Okay, let us get out of here before someone prays at us too aggressively.

[Kelly:] Did that shadow just move.

[Ambrose:] Nope. Not sticking around to find out. Run.

[Kelly:] You are tripping me again, aren't you.

[Ambrose:] It is a survival strategy. You get it.

[Kelly:] Sure. Keep telling yourself that.

[Kelly:] Okay, fresh air. No ghosts. No buckets. I can breathe again.

[Ambrose:] Uh, speak for yourself. My lungs stayed in the Crypt.

[Kelly:] You are such a drama queen.

[Ambrose:] No Kelly, I am a survivor. There is a difference.

[Kelly:] Sure. You sprinted up those stairs like someone yelled “Pop quiz.”

[Ambrose:] Look, if a place has flickering lights and creepy Latin whispers, I am not walking. I am going full Olympic sprinter.

[Kelly:] Oh ok. And you nearly tackled me into the wall.

[Ambrose:] no, no, no. That was the wall’s fault for being in the way.

[Kelly:] Uh-huh. Real heroic.

[Ambrose:] Hey, I slowed down once we hit the hallway.

[Kelly:] Because you tripped over your own shoes.

[Ambrose:] It attacked me.

[Kelly:] Your shoelace attacked you?

[Ambrose:] Yes. Deep betrayal.

[Kelly:] I should take a picture next time.

[Ambrose:] Please do not. I have a reputation to maintain.

[Kelly:] Oh yeah, the reputation of “guy who screams at stairs.”

[Ambrose:] They creak suspiciously. You cannot trust that.

[Kelly:] We are literally still in the building. Keep your voice down before they hear you.

[Ambrose:] “They.” What do you mean “they.” Oh great. Now I am scared again.

[Kelly:] Relax. The worst is over.

[Ambrose:] Is… is that a bucket in your hand?

[Kelly:] Huh, no I grabbed it in case we needed… um… emergency protection?

[Ambrose:] Who carries a bucket for protection?

[Kelly:] Someone who has learned from history.

[Ambrose:] oh ok. Put. It. Down. And walk away slowly.

[Kelly:] Fine. Just do not blame me if—

[Ambrose:] Did you just drop it on purpose—

[Kelly:] No, but just maybe if we act cool it will…

[Ambrose:] Nope. I am leaving.

[Kelly:] Wait…what. Why?