Carrie

"If you've got a taste for terror...Take Carrie to the prom!"

1976 1h 38m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 4,475

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Withdrawn and sensitive teenager Carrie White faces bullying from her classmates and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers, things take a dark and violent turn.

“If you've got a taste for terror...Take Carrie to the prom!”

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Cast

Sissy Spacek
Carrie
Piper Laurie
Margaret White
Amy Irving
Sue Snell
William Katt
Tommy Ross
John Travolta
Billy Nolan
Nancy Allen
Chris Hargenson
Betty Buckley
Miss Collins
P. J. Soles
Norma

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: Lawrence D. Cohen
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $34M — a 18.8× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Carrie Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian De Palma, shot by Mario Tosi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Pino Donaggio. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie and Amy Irving carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian De Palma directs. Mario Tosi behind the camera. Pino Donaggio scores. Paul Hirsch cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $34M — a 18.8× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
350 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Part of the "Carrie Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Brian De Palma, shot by Mario Tosi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Pino Donaggio. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Paul Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie and Amy Irving carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "If you've got a taste for terror...Take Carrie to the prom!".
10IMDB entry: tt0074285 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 28 themes, including "high school", "child abuse", "based on novel or book", "isolation".

The technical file

Cinematography: Mario Tosi
Original score: Pino Donaggio
Editing: Paul Hirsch
Costume design: Rosanna Norton
Makeup / hair: Wes Dawn
Stunt coordinator: Dick Ziker
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,800,000
Box office: $33,800,000
Return: 1878% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Carrie (1976)

Awards

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Carrie Collection

An awkward, telekinetic teenage girl's lonely life is dominated by relentless bullying at school and an oppressive religious fanatic mother at home. When her tormentors pull a humiliating prank at the senior prom, she unleashes a horrifying chaos on everyone, leaving nothing but destruction in her wake.

Also by

Brian De Palma

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Cat Ellington2017-02-10
Carrie had been included on a list of great films to which my mother had taken my older brother and me to see upon their theatrical releases decades ago. And the memories of that long ago time will forever remain with me. Back when the Chicago Theater had still been a movie house, Carrie was the first film that my family and I had gone out on our weekly "Movie Date Night" to see. Good times. Gooood times. Carrie is an undisputed horror masterpiece. I still...get chills.
CinemaSerf2023-06-03
★ 7/10
Sissy Spacek is really good in this as the socially inept, psychologically tortured, girl living in the shadow of her overbearingly Christian mother, with few friends and some remarkable telekinetic powers. What ensues is a complex, at times convoluted, angst-ridden horror film that sees the best and worst of human nature - of all ages - depicted, as thoughtless pranks and humiliation become the order of the day with some chilling consequences. Piper Laurie is superb as the zealot mother, as is John Travolta as the odious "Billy" and the combination of Brian de Palma and Stephen King make for a compelling, multi-layered critique on many different aspects of intimidation, bullying as well as adding some genuinely scary moments too!
RalphRahal2024-12-14
★ 8/10
Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976) remains an iconic adaptation of Stephen King's novel, blending psychological horror with deeply human themes of alienation and vengeance. The film’s portrayal of high school life, social cruelty, and supernatural terror is deeply affecting, resonating with audiences even decades later. From its infamous opening locker room scene to the chaotic prom climax, De Palma's direction demonstrates a masterful control of mood and pacing. The visual style, characterized by long takes, slow motion, and the daring use of split-screen during the prom sequence, creates a cinematic experience that is both intimate and expansive. These techniques pull viewers into Carrie’s inner world while amplifying the horror of her ultimate revenge. The production itself is a marvel for its time, achieving a balance between the surreal and the real. The careful choreography of the prom scene, where chaos is unleashed in a ballet of destruction, reflects De Palma’s meticulous eye for detail and his ability to innovate under pressure. It’s worth noting that some of the film's most memorable sequences, like the split-screen prom massacre, arose out of budgetary constraints—proving De Palma's ability to turn limitations into creative triumphs. The performances elevate the material further, with Sissy Spacek's portrayal of Carrie standing out as both vulnerable and haunting. The supporting cast effectively embodies the oppressive social dynamics of high school, creating a believable and suffocating environment for the protagonist. Understanding De Palma’s personal history adds another layer to the film’s intensity. His exposure to the visceral realities of his father’s work as a surgeon shaped his comfort with the graphic and the grotesque, evident in the film’s bloody moments. Additionally, De Palma's own experience trailing his father to uncover an affair—an event he later described as formative—infuses his work with themes of voyeurism, psychological tension, and human frailty. These personal elements lend Carrie a raw authenticity that transcends its horror genre trappings. Despite the controversy surrounding its explicit content, Carrie avoids gratuity in favor of storytelling. De Palma’s bold choices underscore the film’s central themes rather than overshadow them, making it as much a character study as a tale of terror. The film's success helped cement his reputation as a provocative yet deeply skilled filmmaker, unafraid to explore the darker corners of human experience. Revisiting Carrie highlights why it remains a classic. Its blend of compelling performances, innovative cinematography, and psychological depth sets it apart not only from other adaptations of King’s novel but also from modern horror films attempting similar themes. De Palma’s ability to channel his personal experiences into his art gives Carrie an emotional resonance and cinematic flair that continues to captivate audiences.