5 Horror Film Remakes That Enhance the Original Versions

      These horror movie remakes achieved things the originals could not.

      Possibly due to studios and the Motion Picture Association becoming more relaxed, or perhaps due to audiences being less easily shocked, these remakes pushed the boundaries further than the originals.

      Additionally, some were simply better crafted, thanks to filmmakers building upon the work of their predecessors.

      Here are five horror remakes that accomplished what the originals could not. Whether they are superior is subjective.

      The Thing (1982)

      Based on the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing from Another World, John Carpenter’s brilliant remake takes the story in a significantly more intense and horror-focused direction. The plot follows a group of scientists at an Antarctic research facility who become infected by a deadly, shape-shifting alien that can mimic the appearance of its victims.

      With its eerie, isolated setting, themes of paranoia (as any of the men could be the alien, who can be trusted?), and startling, still-impactful special effects by Rob Bottin, The Thing is a recognized masterpiece of the genre. Kurt Russell delivers a subtle and uncomplicated performance that is exactly what the film requires.

      Initially, The Thing did not perform well at the box office, receiving negative reviews and mediocre earnings. It also faced unfortunate timing, releasing shortly after the much more appealing alien film, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

      However, it is now regarded as one of Carpenter’s greatest accomplishments and one of the finest horror movie remakes, as well as one of the best horror and sci-fi films overall.

      The Fly (1986)

      Horror filmmaker David Cronenberg takes the concept of the campy 1958 Vincent Price film and transforms it into a surprisingly poignant and intimate narrative.

      Jeff Goldblum (in one of his standout roles) plays an eccentric, ambitious scientist who starts to mutate into a man-fly hybrid after a teleportation experiment goes awry. The emotional core of the film lies in the relationship between the increasingly deteriorating scientist and an investigative journalist (Geena Davis).

      With The Fly, Cronenberg crafted one of the most empathetic monster films ever; even with the unforgettable, Oscar-winning creature effects by Chris Walas, it is the deeply human love story at its center that gives The Fly its powerful impact.

      Dawn of the Dead (2004)

      Zack Snyder’s adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the 1978 George Romero classic is faster and more terrifying—arriving just before the zombie craze took off in this century.

      Rather than simply replicating the original Dawn, screenwriter James Gunn (now leading DC Films) reinterprets the fundamental premise about a group of survivors taking refuge in a shopping mall during a zombie apocalypse.

      While some critics argue that it lacks the clever satire of Romero’s version, we believe it stands strongly on its own and is one of our favorite horror remakes. Not to mention, its zombies are decidedly scarier than the blue-tinted undead from the original.

      Additionally, the opening scene is significantly more effective compared to the slowly escalating newsroom panic of the first Dawn of the Dead.

      Let Me In (2010)

      While Dawn of the Dead takes several liberties with its source material, Let Me In is an almost scene-for-scene remake of the acclaimed 2008 Swedish vampire film, Let the Right One In. Despite its heavy reliance on the original, Let Me In is a compelling film in its own right.

      The film shifts the setting from a snowy, rural Swedish suburb to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where a lonely, bullied 12-year-old boy (played sensitively by Kodi Smit-McPhee) befriends a peculiar, pale girl of his age (Chloe Grace Moretz), who happens to be a vampire.

      With a touching supporting performance from Richard Jenkins as the girl’s guardian, Let Me In proves to be a notable American adaptation of the Swedish original. Similar to The Fly, what elevates this film as one of the best horror remakes is not just the expertly crafted scare scenes, but the unique, unexpectedly moving love story at its center.

      Last House on the Left (1972)

      While we generally believe most great films should not be remade, we make exceptions for American versions of exceptional foreign films that bring their themes to a broader audience—and ideally encourage viewership of the originals.

      It might sound absurd that Last House on the Left, a brutal and punishing exploitation film, is inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s 1960 Swedish arthouse classic The Virgin Spring—winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film—but it is true. Both films are effective in their own rights.

      Bergman’s film is meticulously crafted, showcasing outstanding filmmaking, while Craven’s American version presents a frequently raw quality that gives the impression of witnessing something taboo.

      Which one do you think is scarier?

      A Side Note

      In 2009, director Dennis Iliadis produced a more refined version of Craven’s Last House on the