Like their spiritual counterparts in prequels, sequels, and large-budget reboots, Hollywood has seen numerous remakes grace the silver screen over the past century or so. In some cases, these remakes are … less than fantastic, disappointing audiences who expressed nothing but love for their earlier cinematic predecessors.
As many frustrating remakes as we’ve seen in the past, the film industry has also released its fair share of remakes that have more than lived up to the initial installment in its series. From stylish comedy capers to bone-chilling sci-fi horror films, here are seven remakes that genuinely outshine the original.
With the endearing success of the recent Ocean’s franchise, it’s easy to forget just how fantastic the 1960 version of Ocean’s 11 was in its heyday. Drawing on the magnetic star power of the Rat Pack, Ocean’s 11 coasted on the supreme acting capabilities of its main cast (most especially Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.). With 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh expanded upon the high-concept premise of its predecessor, weaving in some sleek direction, sharp comedy, and an even larger cast of main and supporting players.
Director David Cronenberg has developed a sizable reputation for his highly visceral body horror films. Applying that same gory sensibility to his remake of The Fly, Cronenberg once again terrified and nauseated audiences the world over. While the original Fly succeeded as a kitschier B-horror vehicle, Cronenberg’s The Fly spends a significant portion of time stripping away Seth Brundle’s humanity, transforming him from an amiable if conceited scientist into the increasingly animalistic Brundlefly hybrid.
Don’t’ get us wrong, 1969’s True Grit is a definitive classic in the Western genre. But when it comes right down to it, the Coen brothers oversaw a timeless postmodern addition to the Western landscape with their 2010 version of True Grit. Faithfully adapting Charles Portis’ original novel, the Coens eloquently capture the rugged sense of adventure explored in its literary source material, right down to its bittersweet final chapter.
As one of the most terrifying books ever penned by horror maestro Stephen King, any film adaptation of It was guaranteed to scare the dickens out of the average movie-goer. While most viewers knew they might be frightened by 2017’s It, nobody knew just how horrifying the final results would turn out to be. Though the original 1990 miniseries was limited by a low budget and dated special effects, 2017’s It took full advantage of its more impressive production values, paving the way to one of the best horror movies of the 2010s.
The fourth film to bear the A Star Is Born name, 2018’s A Star Is Born utilizes every necessary filmmaking characteristic it takes to make a great movie, from sensational direction to some gut-wrenching performances from its main leads. Never shying away from its tragic albeit realistic depiction of alcoholism and depression, 2018’s A Star Is Born is sure to leave most viewers weeping by the time its final credits begin to roll.
Like several other movies on this list, 1984’s Dune was plagued by problems from the very get-go. Most obviously, the studio behind Dune’s production feared the astronomical cost of making an epic on par with the original novel – something Denis Villeneuve never balked at. As a result, while most of 1984’s Dune left out key elements from the book, Villeneuve’s two-part Dune saga creatively adapted its source material for the big screen, dovetailing an overarchingly faithful script with an A-list cast of actors and some first-rate special effects.
Like most remakes, 1982’s The Thing doesn’t adhere very closely to the underlying narrative elements of 1951’s The Thing from Another World. Distancing itself from its predecessor in more ways than one, The Thing managed to create an unforgettable sci-fi horror movie as tense and claustrophobic as Alien. Cleverly relying on the concept of a shapeshifting alien as its chief antagonist, The Thing’s growing suspense and budding air of mystery leaves viewers every bit as perplexed and paranoid as its main characters.
