Quick and dirty, just like this carefree if placid remake/reinterpretation/whathaveyou, the 2013 cinematic version of Carrie is an updated take for a young audience who probably wouldn't watch '70s horror or read Stephen King. I liked it well enough and appreciate the fact that this classic story is being told once again to new generations regardless of the specific setting or level of care to each and every detail.
Julianne Moore is great as Margaret White and is in striking contrast to her protagonist role in Hannibal (2001), while, although she plays well, Chloë Grace Moretz (Hit-Girl from Kick-ass, 2010, and Kick-ass 2, 2013) doesn't feel quite appropriate as Carrie White. She's too naturally pretty and regularly dressed which requires suspension of disbelief that she could be such an outcast. Her acting isn't bad, but Moretz would have been much better suited in this film as Sue Snell.
There are some worthwhile added scenes in this update including Margaret White giving birth to Carrie, a much more graphic and provoking pig slaughtering scene, and Carrie's classmates recording the shower incident on their phones and subsequently posting the footage on social media. Touches like this make the 2013 Carrie reminiscent of the Evil Dead remake from earlier in the same year in that it updates a classic with a glossy finish for the pure hell of it but has the decency to add a few slightly fresh scenes or ideas. New movie doesn't chill like old movie doesn't chill like Stephen King's novel, but it's enjoyable enough to see if you're a fan of the others or like lukewarm scary movies.
