A girl with branch-like marks on her body in The Rage Carrie 2United Artists

Sign in to your MovieWeb account

Not many horror sequels earn a lot of lasting love from audiences or critics, but if we could save a few from oblivion, The Rage: Carrie 2 might be a good pick for the list. The direct sequel to Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic is apt for re-evaluation, and now’s the perfect time to give it a rewatch: The 1999 film has been added to Pluto TV’s vast library of horror, meaning fans of Stephen King adaptations can already stream this one for free.

The Rage: Carrie 2 tells the story of Rachel, a young teen who’s been in foster care since her mother accused her of demonic possession when she was a child. Rachel is now the typical school outcast, and her best friend’s suicide sends her down a spiral of suspicion. Rachel, meanwhile, believes Lisa ended her life because of a sexual exploitation episode that involved the school’s most popular students.

School counselor Sue Snell (yes, the same Sue Snell from 1976’s Carrie) treats Rachel, and suspects the teen has the same powers that Carrie White had. Snell digs deeper and learns the truth about Rachel’s past, and she tries her best to prevent another episode like Carrie White’s. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis:

When her closest friend commits suicide after being manipulated by the popular crowd, quiet and bookish Rachel Lang (Emily Bergl) decides to get back at the guilty parties. Although Rachel falls for sensitive football player Jesse Ryan (Jason London), she remains determined to punish his callous friends. When Rachel discovers that she has superhuman abilities, it ups the stakes for her revenge, echoing a supernatural incident that occurred decades before.

‘The Rage: Carrie 2’ Doesn’t Deserve the Hate Critics Had for It

sue snell and Rachel in the rage carrie 2United Artists

Ironically, perhaps the film hurts itself when it tries too hard to be a Carrie sequel rather than a standalone revenge film. The supernatural elements are cool, with Rachel’s rampage featuring some turn-of-the-century gadgets used in gnarly shots that’ll make you giggle. But the story — or whatever was left of it after the studio forced it to be a sequel — is pretty relevant. The commentary on bullying, toxic masculinity, and jock culture is strong, and some scenes will infuriate viewers, as they should. That’s when *The Rage: Carrie 2 *is most interesting.

Overall, the performances aren’t great, but Emily Bergl shines as the teen in distress who discovers something extraordinary about her bloodline. Also, keep an eye out for* Succession*’s J. Smith-Cameron, who shows up in the film as Rachel’s biological mother. Original Carrie star Amy Irving reprises her role as Sue Snell, and her performance is also quite solid.

The Rage: Carrie 2 doesn’t deserve as much hate as it’s gotten over the years. In the world of Carrie, multiple remakes have tried to top the original, but they’re re-imaginings that don’t offer much in terms of expanding King’s novel. The sequel does rehash the original story, but it also adds a few elements that, in retrospect, feel much more relevant today. Give it a watch, and you’ll see what we mean when we say that this one is much better than its awful 23% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Release Date March 11, 1999

Runtime 104

Director Katt Shea

Writers Stephen King, Rafael Moreu

Cast

• 

Emily Bergl

• 

Jason London

• 

Dylan Bruno

• 

J. Smith-Cameron