The Top 10 Best Horror Remakes
5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of those rare horror remakes that remade a movie and was subsequently remade again (and again). As far as Body Snatcher movies go, I think that the 1978 version starring Donald Sutherland is the best of the bunch. The film is about an alien invasion that is happening without anyone even realizing it. The aliens come to Earth and systematically replace humans with pod people who look exactly like them but share a hive mind. Soon it’s unclear who is human and who is a replacement as the balance between the two shifts precariously over the course of the film. Most alien invasion movies feature big explosions and shock troops. However, Invasion of the Body Snatchers shows the human race going out not with a bang, but with a high pitched, open-mouthed shriek.
4. The Invisible Man
It took a while, but we finally got a terrifying version of the classic Universal movie “monster.” Director Leigh Whannell updates the character from a man who drinks a serum and goes insane to a narcissistic sociopath who also happens to be the leading man in the science of optics. When the woman he’s abusing escapes his lavish mansion, he fakes his own death and uses a special suit he developed to continue tormenting her. This version of the character is the ultimate gaslighter as he tries to not only convince his victim that she’s crazy but also everyone around her that she is. The film focuses on building suspense since the actors have to sell that they’re being terrorized by an unseen force. This could have gone terribly wrong, but The Invisible Man turned out to be one of the most intense horror films I’ve seen in years!
3. The Fly
To this day, I think that Brundlefly is probably one of the most disturbing movie monsters I’ve ever seen. The Fly is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name. It, however, swaps out Vincent Price for Jeff Goldblum (which automatically makes it better in my book) as the “hero” of the movie. Goldblum’s character is a scientist working on a teleportation device that will change the world. When he tests it though a fly accidentally ends up in the pod and the two end up merged on a genetic level. A terrifying transformation ensues and the scientist becomes a terrifying monster. All due respect to the original, but David Cronenberg’s version is pure nightmare fuel in the best possible way, making it one of the best horror remakes of all time.
2. Let Me In
Before Let the Right One In even had a chance to settle after its theatrical release, it got an American remake. That being said, this is one of those rare horror remakes that is just as good as the original. Seriously, the two came out within three years of each other with is a quick turn about even by remake standards. The reason why this film is so good is that it has a perfect cast that includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Richard Jenkins. You could not have picked better actors for the roles in this film, which goes a long way in creating the intimacy necessary for this bizarre vampire romance. Let Me In one of those rare movies that is actually haunting and will stay with the audience long after the credits roll.
1. The Thing
There’s a lot of debate as to whether The Thing is a remake or a sequel. However, since it’s my list I’m going to file The Thing under remake. Especially because I already put it on a list of some of the best movie remakes as well. The Thing follows an arctic research station that falls under attack from an evil shape-shifting alien. Luckily, they have one of the best alien killers in movie history on staff to do battle with it. To this day, I still think that it might be John Carpenter’s best movie simply because it’s got one of the scariest aliens in movie history. Seriously, this “thing” is quite literally the most nightmarish creation to ever appear on the big screen. All those things combine to make The Thing the greatest horror remake of all time.
Honorable Mention: It
It was a tough call whether or not to include It on this list of horror remakes. I decided not to because the original It was actually a miniseries. Because of that, I don’t consider it to necessarily be a remake of a horror movie. If it was though, I would definitely say the new one is way scarier. Besides, it’s one of the best Stephen King movies out there.
I’m sure there are plenty of horror fans with opinions when it comes to the movies that earned a spot on this list. Let me know what you think! Leave a comment below about which of these is your favorite and which movies you think should have been on this list. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new horror remakes hit theaters.