Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Reboot Is the Perfect Yellowjackets Replacement

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Though the show Yellowjackets is finishing after four seasons about a group of teenage girls stranded in the Canadian wilderness, the story of their actions might not be over. The creator is already planning a new adaptation that could continue exploring similar themes.

I’m so excited about Mike Flanagan adapting another Stephen King story! He’s become the master of bringing King’s work to life on screen, and it all started with Brian De Palma’s fantastic adaptation back in 1976. Now, Flanagan’s tackling this new novel as a series, and honestly, I think it’s exactly what I need after finishing Yellowjackets. It feels like it’ll fill that same suspenseful, character-driven void!

Stephen King’s Carrie Was the First Exploration of Hell as a Teenage Girl

I first learned about Stephen King’s incredible journey when I discovered he used to be an English teacher! It’s amazing to me how his experiences shaped his writing. He told me he was deeply affected by remembering two girls he knew in high school who were constantly bullied, and that really sparked the idea for his first published novel. It’s about Carrie White, a sixteen-year-old who faces terrible ridicule because of how she looks and her strict, religious upbringing. It’s a heartbreaking story, and knowing where it came from makes it even more powerful.

Initially, King wasn’t thrilled with the story, as he struggled to connect with the main character. However, he creatively reshaped it into a novel told through letters, which ultimately led to its publication and quick success. While King often explores themes of high school bullying in his work, Carrie still stands out as a unique example.

This book offers a unique look at bullying through the eyes of a girl. While bullying affects everyone, the way girls behave can be particularly cruel, and the author vividly portrays this in their first novel.

Chris Hargensen, the most prominent bully at school, starts the cruel incident in the gym shower when Carrie first gets her period. When Chris was banned from the prom as a consequence, she became even more determined to target Carrie. She devised a terrible plan to get Carrie elected prom queen, only to publicly humiliate her by pouring buckets of pig’s blood over her.

This disturbing pattern of behavior was specific to the intense social dynamics of high school girls. Chris was incredibly clever, but also deeply malicious, and her actions ultimately led to a tragic massacre of the town. She was secretly under immense pressure from bullying both at home and school, reaching a breaking point. The public humiliation she experienced at prom was the final trigger, causing her to destroy the school and everyone within it.

King highlighted the repeating pattern of bullying and its consequences. Sue Snell, initially involved in the mistreatment of Carrie, felt remorseful and tried to make amends by asking her boyfriend to take Carrie to the prom. Sue was one of the few people who showed Carrie kindness. However, after the disastrous prom night, Sue herself became an outcast for being associated with Carrie. These themes of bullying and social isolation remain relevant in stories today.

Yellowjackets and Carrie Shared Mean Girl Archetypes

The show Yellowjackets, which first aired in 2021, explores what happens when people’s darker sides emerge. It suggests that if girls can be mean to each other within the rules of society, they might become even more savage when completely cut off from it. The series draws inspiration from real events and tells its story through two different time periods: the 1990s and 20 years later.

The story really kicked off when a girls’ soccer team from New Jersey crashed a plane in the Canadian wilderness. Similar to the real-life story of a rugby team, the girls faced freezing temperatures while trying to survive and get rescued. But instead of focusing on survival itself, Yellowjackets used this situation to explore the complex relationships and power dynamics between teenage girls.

After the Yellowjackets team found themselves stranded, they began to resort to increasingly harsh and desperate measures. This change didn’t happen all at once; initially, the girls focused on finding ways to be rescued. Jackie, the team captain, was a natural leader, though she hadn’t earned the position through athletic skill. Instead, she was chosen for her ability to connect with and control the other girls.

Jackie wasn’t suited for a difficult life. Lacking practical skills, she relied on others to handle things for her. It soon became obvious she was losing her grip on the team, and she reacted by becoming increasingly dependent.

Jackie, while more likable than Chris Hargensen, still deeply hurt her teammates. Her jealousy peaked when she became fixated on Travis. Travis and Natalie had become close while hunting, but Jackie damaged their bond by spreading rumors about Natalie.

Jackie was spiteful towards Natalie, and when Travis began to question his relationship, she quickly tried to capitalize on the situation. Feeling deeply betrayed by her closest friend, she made a hurtful decision – she slept with someone, anyone – despite the pain it would cause others.

Jackie wasn’t the only one hurting people. Shana slept with Jeff because she was jealous of Jackie, and possibly even had secret feelings for her. Meanwhile, Mari acted like a typical bully, and her behavior became more problematic as the show continued.

When people feel trapped and desperate, they often start to blame each other. Relationships between girls, in particular, can be incredibly complex, and this is a common theme in stories. With his adaptation of this Stephen King novel, Mike Flanagan might be able to capture all the subtle details and complexities of the original work.

Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Can Continue On the Yellowjackets Legacy

Stephen King’s Carrie has been adapted for the screen many times, but the adaptations aren’t always faithful to the book. Certain details from the novel haven’t been included, and one frequent point of disagreement between the book and its adaptations is how Carrie herself is portrayed.

Okay, let’s talk about Sissy Spacek as Carrie. She absolutely nailed the role – she’s become iconic for a reason! However, the film version of Carrie differed a bit from the book. A big part of why Carrie was so relentlessly bullied, and it’s important to the story, was her weight and skin issues. Removing those details, as the movie does to some extent, makes the bullying feel less… understandable, and honestly, a little less impactful. It muddies the waters of why everyone was so awful to her.

Carrie White is undoubtedly an unusual character. Her strict religious mother failed to educate her about periods, viewing them as sinful. When Carrie unexpectedly began menstruating, she was terrified, and her reaction led to widespread ridicule at school. While this storyline was present in the original film, later adaptations often cast conventionally attractive Hollywood actors in the role, unintentionally making Carrie more likable and complicating the story of her bullying.

Flanagan has a chance to really explore the story behind the unfilmed book, especially since he’s telling it as a TV series. Similar to shows like Yellowjackets, he can deeply examine the inner lives of teenage girls, even the unsettling parts. He can also focus on the mysterious powers of the teenage characters, potentially expanding on the original story in interesting ways.

As a huge fan of Yellowjackets, I’ve been fascinated by how the show has managed to avoid fully explaining what’s going on. Like, we’re three seasons in and still don’t really understand Taissa’s creepy visions – there’s no solid answer for what they are. And the same goes for the Wilderness itself – what is that place? It’s a bit different with the parallel story about Carrie, though; that feels more grounded and doesn’t rely on these big, unanswered questions.

It’s clear that Carrie is a supernatural horror story, and the series doesn’t need to debate its genre. The director has the opportunity to delve into Carrie’s background and how her telekinetic powers work in a way Yellowjackets didn’t. Given his track record, the director has consistently demonstrated his skill at adapting Stephen King’s work, and Carrie is poised to be another big hit.

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2025-12-09 07:41