When it comes to the senior prom, most teens are concerned with what they’ll wear, who their dates will be and what will happen after prom. But who really thinks that the newly crowned prom queen will raise telekinetic hell onstage? Stephen King’s cult classic has been resurrected for the silver screen, and with it, a soundtrack that introduces you to tortured high school student, Carrie White.

Composed by Marco Beltrami, best known for his work in the films “Mimic” (1997), “The Faculty” (1998) and “Resident Evil” (2002)—this cavalcade of horror begins with the intro, “Carrie’s Main Title” and “The Birth of Carrie”. The child Margaret has borne is not an average child, but a supernatural one. The slow, ominous strings will cause the audience to recoil in fear and enchantment at the same time. “When Periods Attack”, “Carrie On”, “Headbanger” and  “Go to Your Closet”  will inspire a twinge of fear and sadness within the audience as they bear witness to the mistreatment and torment Carrie suffers at the hands of her brutal classmates and unstable mother. “Love You Too, Mom” shows Carrie’s unwavering love for her abusive mother. Her suppressed anger begins to trigger her first telekinetic experience in “Mind over Matter”.   “Sue Gets an Idea” and “Shopping” reveal a remorseful side to Sue as she finds ways to atone for her poor treatment of Carrie.

Carrie has embraced her new found powers and rebels against her mother in “Levitated Mass”, “Preparing for Prom” and “Trapped in the Closet”.  She unleashes her unbridled fury onto the prom guests in “Blood Bath”, “Kill ‘Em All” and “Driving Her Crazy”. This is no longer prom night; it is a living nightmare.  “Heading Home” and “Mommie Dearest” end Margaret White’s mistreatment as Carrie releases her ultimate wrath upon her mother. The final nail is hammered into Carrie’s coffin with “House Crumbles” and “Burn in Hell”. While these songs are dark, they symbolize Carrie’s release from her suffering.

“Carrie” has proven to be a cult classic among Stephen King fans. The score also demonstrates its epic success among the fans because the music beautifully, yet sadly tells Carrie’s story. Each track describes her horrific beginnings and her equally mortifying end. While I have no doubt that the movie will gain many followers, I truly believe that this score will have a greater impact on the audience.

Final Grade: A

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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