Like any movie genre with hugely popular movies and franchises, there comes a time when the studios decide to revisit their existing IPs by remaking movies from their back catalog. Thehorror genreis no different, and whileaudiences often get some great remakes, such as 1982’sThe Thing,andThe Flyfrom 1986, there are many horror remakes that would have benefited from a few changes.
There have also been some excellent modern horror remakes recently, such asthe intoxicatingSpeak No Evil, plus hopes are high forRobert Eggers' upcomingNosferatu. However, for every horror remake that lands a killer blow with audiences, and at the box office, there are other movies from the genre that would have been much better with a few tweaks.There’s nothing wrong with remaking classic horrors, if they’re remade with respect to the original.
10Martyrs (2015)
Directed By Kevin Goetz And Michael Goetz
When the originalMartyrswas released in 2008, it was met with a mixed reception from fans and critics, but that didn’t stop it from going on to becoming one of the most talked-about horror movies of recent times. The French-made production was a brutal revenge story with such visceral horror that you’re likely toonly watch it once.
Martyrs
Cast
Two women are kidnapped and fall into the hands of a group that believes in the power of martyrdom and sacrifice. They believe in gaining knowledge and enlightenment through torturing other people and applying extreme violence. When the women finally manage to escape, all they can think about is revenge.
Unfortunately, when it was remade in 2015, in English, it was a watered-down version of the original, and currently has only a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, 2015’sMartyrsisn’t a bad movie overall, it just pales in comparison to the original.A bolder approach to the original story, plus being brave enough to at least match the gore of the French movie, would have elevated the remake considerably. Sanitizing the original movie didn’t work for this remake.
9The Amityville Horror (2005)
Directed By Andrew Douglas
The house in 1979’sThe Amityville Horroris one of the most iconic locations in the horror genre. It’s a character in itself, plus the way it’s designed makes it look like the kind of place you’d avoid on a dark night. That was one of the reasons whythe 1979 movie worked so well.
With less CGI, and less reliance on clichéd horror tropes, the 2005 remake would have been far better.
The plot of the movie follows a couple who move into the house where a mass murder was committed, and the premise was ripe for a more modern re-imagining. The 2005 remake, starring the ever-dependable Ryan Reynolds, also takes place during the 1970s, and the story is relatively the same.
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror is a 2005 horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George as George and Kathy Lutz, who move into a house in Amityville, New York, only to experience disturbing paranormal activities. The film is a remake of the 1979 classic and is based on the purportedly true events that inspired Jay Anson’s book of the same name.
However, what worked so well about the original is that often what the audience doesn’t see is scarier than what’s on-screen. The movieisn’t one of Ryan Reynolds' best, as it tries to cram too many jump scares into the plot overall. With less CGI, and less reliance on clichéd horror tropes, the 2005 remake would have been far better.
8Carrie (2013)
Directed By Kimberly Peirce
One of the hardest tasks any horror remake has is to try and recapture the magic of the original movie. When you’re taking on such an iconic movie likeCarrie, which has been copied and parodied ever since it was released in 1976, the remake has to at least match the original for scope and invention.The casting in the 2013 version was good, as Chloë Grace Moretz is a fine actor, but it was lacking in other areas.
Carrie
Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, Carrie follows young Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenager abused by her classmates and her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore). After a particularly upsetting incident at school, Carrie learns that she has telekinetic powers, and when her bullies continue to torment her, she turns the tables on the entire town.
Carrieis being remade for TV, but the original movie was incredibly unnerving from the beginning, and the classic moments such as the shower scene, the wild final act, and Carrie’s relationship with her mother are framed by inventive camerawork. All of which is lacking in the remake. It’s a decent film, but in context, it’s too safe.The key moments needed more real menace and greater threat, and the CGI simply doesn’t work well enough.
7Poltergeist (2015)
Directed By Gil Kenan
This is another example of a director doing a decent job of remaking a classic horror movie, but when you consider how iconic the originalPoltergeistis,the remake is severely lacking in some areas.Poltergeistwas based on a true story, and has many iconic scenes, and imagery that have become synonymous with the era.
10 Horror Movies That Are About To Get A Remake
Between classics of the genre like The Blob and relatively new hits like Train to Busan, plenty of beloved horror movies are about to get remakes.
While it’s too influenced by Stephen Spielberg for a horror movie, it’s a fun ride nonetheless. A remake ofPoltergeistwas a great idea because the original never knew if it was a spooky Spielberg family movie or a Tobe Hooper horror flick. The remake, however, simply should be more creepy.
Poltergeist
Poltergeist is a 2015 supernatural horror film that explores the frightening ordeal of a family whose suburban home is besieged by malevolent spirits. As the spirits' alarming presence intensifies and abducts their youngest daughter, the family is compelled to unite in an effort to save her.
There’s no sense of real dread or exciting thrills like there was in the original, and changing the iconic character of Tangina, played by the great Zelda Rubinstein, to a guy simply didn’t work.Someclever casting, plus less reliance on bad CGI, would have made this remake a lot more fun.
6House On Haunted Hill (1999)
Directed By William Malone
For a movie that was made in 1959, the originalHouse on Haunted Hillwas incredibly creepy, and its storyline in which a millionaire offers $10,000 to five people, if they agree to be locked overnight in a spooky house, was solid.The remake was made forty years after the original, so plenty of time had passed between versions, and with a few alterations, the 1999 remake could have been great.
House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill is a supernatural Horror film released in 1999 with direction from William Malone. Starring Famke Janssen, Geoffrey Rush, Ali Larter, and Taye Diggs, follows a group of people who attend a birthday party at a private residence that was once home to a psychiatric hospital that experienced a horrific fire.
The location still works very well, but the remake, unfortunately, sticks to the basement of the house for the majority of the action while there’s an entire decked-out mansion they could have explored. The cast is good, and while Geoffrey Rush is a great actor, the movie would have been more fun with a bold choice, such as Bruce Campbell, to bring some macabre life to Stephen Price.It’s a fun remake, but better use of its location and more creative castingwould have improved it.
5House of Wax (2005)
Directed By Jaume Collet-Serra
This is another great example of a classic Vincent Price movie from the 1950s that could have been remade in a very effective way. While the 2005 remake is by no means a terrible movie, there are certain elements that could have been improved upon to make it better. The cast is mostly solid, with24star Elisha Cuthbert at the height of her career, but the casting of Paris Hilton in a key role was too divisive.
House of Wax
House of Wax is a horror thriller directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, and Paris Hilton. The plot revolves around a group of friends who discover a house filled with wax figures that may be extremely realistic for an unnerving reason. The 2005 slasher is a remake of the 1953 horror film of the same name.
Hilton actually does a good job in the role of Paige, and is playing almost a parody of her real self. However, this is also to the detriment of the film.Hilton’s appearance in the film may be fun, but it distracts from what could have been a very effective remakeof the solid, creepy 1953 original. While Paris Hilton was a key aspect ofHouse of Wax’smarketing campaign, and helped to sell the movie, her inclusion was more of a gimmick. Recasting the role would have been a good move.
4Pet Sematary (2019)
Directed By Kevin Kölsch And Dennis Widmyer
Stephen King adaptations have been hit or miss over time, and while the horror maestro’s novels are some of the most chilling books of all time, they haven’t always been translated into great movies. King has previously calledPet Semataryhis most frightening novel, and in 2018, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, claimed that their 2019 remake would be the scariest adaptation.
Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary follows Dr. Louis Creed and his family as they relocate to rural Maine from Boston. After discovering a mysterious pet cemetery in the nearby woods, the family faces unsettling events linked to this burial ground. The film explores themes of grief and the supernatural.
The original movie has become a cult classic over time, and while it wasn’t a critical hit overall, it’s still considered one of the better Stephen King adaptations by a lot of people. The remake is technically very good, but it needed more well crafted scares to make it effective.It’s too restrained, and with more gore, plus some memorable visuals, it could have been great.Also, thetrailers spoiledPet Sematary’smain twist.
3Hellraiser (2022)
Directed By David Bruckner
The originalHellraiserfrom 1987 was a fascinating, grotesque look at the macabre ways in which people seek out pleasure, and pain. It also featured an incredibly cool-looking, iconic villain in its Lead Cenobite, AKA pinhead.
What would have worked better is if the writers had created characters who didn’t make such stupid decisions.
Its sequels didn’t expand upon the original film as well as they could have, so when Hulu remade the movie in 2022, hopes were high.Hellraiser’spinhead is a classic villain, and the 2022 reboot works well on several levels, including some of the cenobite design. What would have worked better, however, isif the writers had created characters who didn’t make such stupid decisions.
Hellraiser
Both a reimagining and a new novella adaptation of Clive Barker’s The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser is a new film exclusively arriving on Hulu. In this film, a young woman struggling with addiction somehow stumbles upon a puzzle box from ages past. By solving this puzzle, she will summon the Cenobites, supernatural beings with a love of sadism and who believe the line is blurred between pain and pleasure.
They’re either constantly screeching, or acting like fools, which makes it very hard to care about any of them. Also, while the cenobites look great, if director Bruckner had shot them in more inventive ways than simply in a full-frame, they would have been more menacing.
2The Omen (2006)
Directed By John Moore
It’s been suggested that 1976’sThe Omenhad a cursed set,but it was one of the first movies to deal with the concept of the antichrist, to great effect. It was a hit with audiences, and critics, plus it also performed well at the box-office. Its main antagonist, Damien, played by Harvey Stephens, is terrific, and is a truly iconic horror villain.The 2006 remake has a great cast, but is lacking in imagination.
The Omen
The Omen (2006) is a horror film directed by John Moore, starring Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick. The film is a remake of the 1976 classic, following Robert Thorn as he suspects his adopted son, Damien, may be the Antichrist. The narrative delves into themes of supernatural destiny and parental fear, retaining the ominous and suspenseful atmosphere of the original.
While it’s not a direct shot-for-shot remake,The Omenstill manages to feel far too similar to its superior original. Director John Moore has made some good movies, such as 2001’sBehind Enemy Lines, but the production needed a visionary filmmaker to breathe new life into the franchise. An auteur such as Guillermo Del Toro could have brought the supernatural story to life with visual flair.
1A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Directed By Samuel Bayer
Freddy Krueger is one of the most iconic horror villains of all time, and the franchise has been a hugely popular series ever since he first donned his bladed glove, in 1984. There have beenrip-offs ofA Nightmare On Elm Street, but when director Samuel Bayer made the remake in 2010, it was a great time to revisit the character and bring the series back to life.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street, released in 2010, revives horror icon Freddy Krueger with a darker, more sinister portrayal. The film follows a group of teenagers who discover their shared connection, making them targets for Krueger as he stalks them through their nightmares.
However, while the 2010 movie is certainly divisive, it could have been salvaged by some straightforward alterations to the production.Jackie Earle Haley is great casting, as Freddy Krueger, but his whole appearance is entirely wrong, and his voice in the film is irritating when it should be more menacing. Plus, hiring a director with a greater horrorpedigree, such as James Wan, would have been a smart move.
