I have been watching Carrie since I was about five years old. Yes, five. No, I probably shouldn’t have been watching Carrie at five. But here we are.

The funny part is that almost none of it scared me. Carrie losing it at prom? Awesome. Everybody running for their lives? Five-year-old me was apparently fine with all of that.

Carrie’s hand suddenly shooting out of the ground and grabbing Sue at the end?

HELL NO.

That got me.

I’ve loved the movie ever since, which means when I heard we were getting yet another Carrie, my first thought wasn’t exactly, “Finally!” We’ve done this, guys. More than once.

But then I heard two words: Mike Flanagan.

Okay. You have my attention.

Then I watched the trailer.

Oh my God. Have you guys seen this thing? Because it actually looks GOOD.

Watch the official Carrie trailer and check out Prime Video’s series details here.

Okay, This Version Has My Attention

Prime Video’s Carrie premieres October 7, and instead of trying to cram Stephen King’s story into another two-hour movie, Flanagan is getting eight episodes to play with it. Even better, they’re dropping all eight at once.

Thank you, Prime Video. I appreciate your support of my terrible binge-watching decisions.

But it’s what they’re doing with Carrie that really has me interested. This Carrie is living in the social-media era.

Oh, that poor girl.

Seriously, Carrie White had enough problems in 1976. She did NOT need an iPhone thrown into the mix.

Think about that locker-room scene happening now. In the original, those girls humiliated Carrie in that room. Today, somebody would have a phone out. Then there’s a video. Then somebody posts it. Then people who have never even met Carrie get to have an opinion about the worst moment of her life.

Prime says a viral bullying scandal is part of this new version, and that’s actually an update that makes sense to me. You don’t have to completely change what made Carrie work. Just put that poor girl in 2026 and give her social media.

She’s already got Margaret White at home. Hasn’t she suffered enough?

We’ve Already Tried More Carrie

I remember The Rage: Carrie 2, where Rachel turned out to be Carrie’s half-sister. It was all right. That’s about as excited as I can get about that one. I don’t hate it, but nobody is calling me on a Saturday night and hearing, “Sorry, can’t talk. Watching The Rage: Carrie 2 again.”

Then there was the 2013 remake with Chloë Grace Moretz.

And I’m just going to say it: I liked it.

I know everybody didn’t. I did. Chloë wasn’t Sissy Spacek, but I didn’t need her to be. I thought she did a good job, I enjoyed the movie, and I will happily stand over here with my apparently controversial Carrie opinion.

So I’m not against another adaptation just because the original is brilliant. But if you’re going to give me another one, give me a reason to care.

This one has several.

Mike Flanagan Is a Pretty Big Reason

I like Mike Flanagan’s work. The man usually knows what he’s doing with horror, and Carrie feels like something that could fit him really well.

Because Carrie isn’t just about watching a girl with telekinesis destroy a prom. Although let’s be honest, that’s certainly part of the fun.

The reason I’ve always felt for Carrie is because that poor girl doesn’t have a chance anywhere. Her mother has kept her sheltered from damn near everything, and then she goes to school and gets tortured there too.

Home sucks. School sucks. Then somebody dumps pig’s blood on her at the one moment she finally thinks maybe something good is happening.

And everybody seems surprised that this ends badly.

Guys. Come on.

Then Stephen King Had to Make This Even More Interesting

Stephen King isn’t sitting on the sidelines for this one. He’s an executive producer, and apparently he’s already seen it.

Even better? He likes it.

King has called Flanagan’s new version “brilliant.”

Well, now.

The man who created Carrie White thinks this new Carrie is good, Mike Flanagan is behind it, and I already liked what I saw in the trailer. I’m trying not to get too excited here, but they’re making it difficult.

Wait. Matthew Lillard Is in This Too?!

Okay, you really could have led with that.

I absolutely love Matthew Lillard. He is one of my most favorite dudes, period. So when I found out he’s playing Principal Grayle in this thing, that was just one more reason to add to a list that was already getting pretty damn long.

And he’s not the only one. Summer H. Howell is our new Carrie White, and Prime says more than 1,000 actors read for the role before she was chosen. Samantha Sloyan is playing Margaret White, which—if you’ve seen Midnight Mass—makes a whole lot of sense. Amber Midthunder from Prey is playing Miss Desjardin too.

So we’ve got Mike Flanagan taking on Carrie, Stephen King involved and praising it, an update to the story that actually makes sense, a trailer that looks good, and now you’re throwing Matthew Lillard at me?

I’m already watching. You can stop selling it to me now.

So Fine. Give Me Another Carrie.

That’s basically where I’ve landed. I didn’t ask for another Carrie. I wasn’t sitting around wondering when somebody would make one.

But now that I’ve seen what Flanagan is doing? I want to see it.

Maybe it will be amazing. Maybe I’ll watch all eight episodes and come back here asking what the hell happened. That’s the fun part.

But the trailer got me. The social-media update makes sense. I like the cast. I trust Flanagan enough to give him eight hours of my time, and having Stephen King involved—and apparently very happy with what he’s seen—certainly doesn’t hurt.

So, do we need another Carrie? Probably not.

Am I going to watch Mike Flanagan’s Carrie anyway?

You’re goddamn right I am.

All eight episodes hit Prime Video October 7.

And that first weekend?

Carrie and I have plans.

Featured image: Summer H. Howell as Carrie White. Prime Video / Amazon MGM Studios.