Carrie (1976) d. Brian De Palma

Stephen King adaptations have run the gamut all the way from legitimate masterworks to unwatchable trash. Brian De Palma's 1976 film is definitely the former. The bleaker than bleak tale of an abused teenage girl who gains supernatural powers earned Piper Laurie her second Oscar nomination and Sissy Spacek her first of six (six!) Best Actress nominations, but should have gone all the way to Best Picture.

At school, the shy Carrie White (Spacek) is bullied and at home she is verbally and physically abused by her religious fanatic, single mother (Laurie). She is screamed at, beaten, and locked away under the stairs. As the punishments worsen, Carrie starts to notice that she is controlling things with her mind. These small acts of telekinetic power seem trivial at first, mostly glass breaking, but they eventually lead to something greater. The film's major set piece, where Carrie unlocks her true power after being embarrassed in front of the whole school, the blood-soaked and fiery prom scene, is among the most memorable in all film.