Some fictional characters are so infuriating that viewers cannot help but yell at their screens, and Alison Thornton’s latest role seems to have done exactly that.
The actress has sparked a wave of online reactions for playing one of the most despised characters in Mike Flanagan’s new adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie.
Thornton has viewers fuming over her portrayal, with one fan admitting they “genuinely wanted to throw my remote at her multiple times.”
Highlights
- Alison Thornton has viewers so furious with her latest role that one fan said they wanted to throw their remote at the TV.
- Her take on Stephen King’s infamous bully has sparked comparisons to some of fiction’s most notorious mean girls.
- Mike Flanagan’s modern take on “Carrie” has also sparked a surprising debate over what makes the horror classic truly terrifying.
Her character gives viewers plenty of reasons to root against her in the popular series.
Mike Flanagan’s new Carrie adaptation brings Stephen King’s classic horror story into the Gen Z era
First published in 1974, Carrie follows a lonely teenage girl who exacts revenge on her bullies after discovering she has telekinetic powers.
Brian De Palma first adapted the novel into a film in 1976, with Sissy Spacek starring as Carrie White.
David Carson helmed a television adaptation of the story in 2002, while Chloë Grace Moretz starred as Carrie in the 2013 reboot.
Since the latest adaptation premiered on Prime Video on Wednesday, October 7, viewers have taken to social media to vent about Chris Hargensen, the popular high school student who relentlessly targets Carrie.
Unlike the original story, this version introduces Carrie as a homeschooled teenager who enters public high school after her father’s sudden passing.
Chris’s cruelty goes beyond schoolyard taunts, with the modernized character using an Instagram harassment account called “Carrie Red” to humiliate Carrie.
For viewers, the online campaign makes Chris’s bullying feel especially vicious because Carrie cannot simply leave the humiliation behind when the school day ends.
This version of Chris Hargensen targets Carrie with modern cruelty through an Instagram harassment page called “Carrie Red”
One fan summed up their frustration with Chris, writing, “The most unlikeable person of 2026!”
Another viewer praised Alison’s portrayal of the antagonist, writing, “She played her character so well. I was yelling at my TV.”
Many see their own frustration as proof that the actress has delivered exactly the kind of performance the role demands.
Chris is not the first fictional high school bully to inspire strong reactions, but Flanagan’s adaptation gives her a distinctly modern way to torment Carrie.
The character has drawn comparisons to the ruthless social dynamics of Mean Girls and Gossip Girl, but viewers argue that Chris’s behavior feels especially disturbing because it has consequences beyond school.
One viewer said, “Genuinely wanted to throw my remote at her multiple times. Alison Thornton nailed the assignment.”
Although Chris initially seems like a familiar popular-girl villain, the eight-episode format lets the series explore what lies beneath her vicious behavior.
Thornton’s cruel character has viewers comparing her to other iconic mean girls
Her family is falling apart, her father’s financial troubles threaten the future she expected, and her once-close friendship with Sue Snell begins to unravel.
Thornton has explained that she approached Chris with empathy, seeing her as a troubled teenager without the right role models.
That does not make Chris’s treatment of Carrie acceptable, but it gives the actress a more complicated character to portray than a bully who is simply cruel for cruelty’s sake.
Highlighting this point, one netizen wrote, “True villain, but yet how her childhood and father influenced her - I thought was great context into how Machiavellian she is. She's a 3D villain. The writers really nailed it.”
The online reactions make it clear that Chris’s unpopularity has become part of the conversation around Thornton’s performance.
Rather than confusing the actress with the bully she plays, many fans are explicitly celebrating her ability to provoke such a strong response.
One viewer wrote, “That means… she acted so good! She was insane.”
While viewers despise her character, critics and fans agree it is a testament to Alison’s fantastic acting
Another praised Thornton while comparing her portrayal with Nancy Allen’s Chris in Brian De Palma’s 1976 Carrie: “This was such a great performance. I mean, I hated Nancy Allen, but I LOATHED Alison Thornton. Wonderful job.”
The series itself has received a more mixed response, with some critics praising its expanded character development and modern take on bullying, while others have questioned its pacing and narrative choices.
Professional critics generally responded favorably, though its aggregate scores are slightly lower than Flanagan’s previous gothic horror hits.
The series holds an 86% Tomatometer score from critics and a Metascore of 73, indicating “generally favorable reviews.”
Critics have praised the eight-episode format for giving the latest adaptation room to explore the humanity behind the horror.
Reviewers also note that characters like the bully portrayed by Alison are given “reasons, not excuses, for their growing savagery,” making the tragedy feel richer.
Still, Chris has emerged as one of the series’ most talked-about characters, and Thornton’s performance is a major reason viewers cannot stop discussing her.
“Well, she’s easier to understand than the previous versions who were just a b*tch for the hell of it,” one netizen wrote
