Remaking a classic movie always poses a risk. Common refrains include questions about the audacity of a redux and comparisons to the first film–chatter both the best and worst movie remakes always attract.
Conventional wisdom says to leave the original alone, and while some remakes fall flat, many others either match or eclipse the earlier outing. Many better remakes bring something new to the earlier stories, while the worst typically miss or omit the qualities that made the original picture special. All in all, it’s easy to differentiate between the best and worst movie remakes.
1. Best: A Star is Born (2018)
A Star is Born, the third remake of the original 1937 film, joins the others released in 1954 and 1976. It tells the story of the doomed romance between an up-and-coming singer, portrayed by Lady Gaga, and an established musician battling personal demons, played by Bradley Cooper. With eight Academy Award nominations, it more than lives up to its predecessors.
2. Best: The Fly (1986)
When The Fly, starring Vincent Price, premiered in 1958, it became a massive box office hit and set a high standard for horror flicks. Nearly 30 years later, Canadian director David Cronenberg more than met that challenge with his vision of an ambitious scientist whose experimentation goes awry. It has more gore than the first film but delivers unforgettable frights.
3. Best: Cape Fear (1991)
Robert DeNiro’s brilliant performance of the menacing Max Cady stands out among even the worst movie villains. The ex-convict preying on the family of the defense lawyer he blames for sending him to prison goes from charming to violent in the blink of an eye, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Gregory Peck, Martin Balsam, and Robert Mitchum, who played Max Cady in the 1962 film, all appear in the remake.
4. Best: The Birdcage
The comedic stylings of the late great Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Hank Azaria shine in this satire about prejudice, what makes a family, and definitions of masculinity. The original film, La Cage aux Folles, became an international hit after its 1978 release. The Birdcage, the English-language adaption of the French movie, received numerous accolades from critics and audiences alike.
5. Best: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Based on Jack Finney’s 1954 book The Body Snatchers (a novel that has inspired both some of the best and worst movie remakes), the 1956 black-and-white film shook audiences with the story of Earth’s invasion by a hostile alien race in the form of seed pods that could replicate human beings identically but without a soul, conscience, or emotions. The 1978 release frightened audiences even more by showing the physical disintegration and takeover of human bodies in full color.
6. Best: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Blending comedy and horror isn’t easy, but actor-comedian-director Roger Corman did that in 1960. The 1986 remake about a giant carnivorous plant named Audrey II kept the B-movie campy fun of the original. Its musical numbers, headed by none other than Levi Stubbs, the lead singer of Motown’s R&B group The Four Tops, gleefully pushes it over the top. It’s no surprise both films became cult classics.
7. Best: Insomnia (2002)
A riveting cat-and-mouse game between a murderer and a police detective with questionable ethics occurs against the backdrop of Alaska’s midnight sun. The psychological thriller starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank remakes a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. Pacino’s character’s onscreen struggles with insomnia and his guilty conscience are a masterclass in acting.
8. Best: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Moviegoers familiar with the Technicolor extravaganza starring Judy Garland may not know of the earlier silver screen efforts to bring L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel to the silver screen. The first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910), and the second, The Wizard of Oz (1925), differ slightly from the 1939 release through characters and storyline, but Garland’s depiction of Dorothy Gale lives in the hearts of generations of viewers.
9. Best: The Mummy (1999)
Boris Karloff’s star turn in The Mummy (1932) emerged when monster movies like Dracula and Frankenstein made audiences scream. Like other modern movies, the 1999 action adventure had the benefit of digitally-produced special effects, not to mention the pairing of Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Watching Rick, Evelyn, and company battle the evil Imhotep and dodging flesh-eating scarabs and a mummy army makes for a good time.
10. Best: Casino Royale (2006)
David Niven starred in the 1967 original Casino Royale, a parody of James Bond films. Fast-forward 39 years to Daniel Craig playing the real deal in the 2006 film in his first 007 appearance. This time, the British super spy engages in a high-stakes poker game against bad guy Le Chiffre. Casino Royale portrays the brash James Bond early in his career and includes a horrific torture scene guaranteed to make viewers squirm.
11. Best: Heat (1995)
Heat distinguishes itself from other Hollywood recreations in that the same person, in this case, Michael Mann, directed both the original film and the remake. A do-over of the 1989 made-for-television movie L.A. Takedown depicts a detective’s hunt for a murderous criminal gang.
Fun fact: Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro starred in The Godfather II, but they didn’t appear onscreen at the same time until Heat, but this time on opposite sides of the law.
12. Best: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
The charm and charisma of the Rat Pack, consisting of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, centered the 1960 film about an epic casino heist. The palpable chemistry of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Andy García, and Julia Roberts powered the 2001 revival, which sparked a franchise of films, including 2018’s all-female Ocean’s 8.
13. Best: The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
The stylish 1968 vehicle starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway embodies the cool factor of the era, from the acting to the cinematography to the costume design. The 1999 adaptation brings sophistication and elegance to the screen, with the suave Pierce Brosnan as a billionaire art thief and Rene Russo as the insurance investigator hired to catch him. The movie pleasantly reminds viewers of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
14. Best: The Longest Yard (2005)
A story about a ragtag football team made up of inmates playing against correctional officers sounds implausible, but it worked for Burt Reynolds in the 1974 original flick and for Adam Sandler in the 2005 version of the sports comedy. The spirited action on the field matches the energetic hip-hop soundtrack, with tracks from Nelly, Lil’ Wayne, T.I., and Akon.
15. Best: Scarface (1983)
The 1932 Scarface film, based on the 1929 novel by Armitage Trail, drew inspiration from the life and crimes of Al Capone. Brian DePalma’s opus branches off from the old-school mafia in favor of a new type of gangster, the modern-day drug lord. More than just a cult classic, DePalma’s Scarface rightfully occupies a significant place in pop culture, from the “Say hello to my little friend!” catchphrase to the half-black and half-white poster with the red lettering.
1. Worst: When A Stranger Calls (2006)
The first 20 minutes of 1979’s When a Stranger Calls terrified audiences more than the entire 2006 remake did. The 2006 version lacked tension, jump scares, and anything resembling a twist. The teenage babysitter terrorized by mysterious phone calls is a classic Hollywood trope, but that’s more than enough material to work with to generate scares. Unfortunately, it didn’t rise to the challenge.
2. Worst: Swept Away (2002)
A haughty wealthy woman and the working-class man she denigrates find themselves shipwrecked on an island. Due to the circumstances and survival abilities, they soon reverse roles and fall in love with each other. Critics raved over the Italian-language film when it premiered in 1974. Guy Ritchie’s effort, in which he miscast his then-wife Madonna in the lead, fell far short. Madonna’s an amazing entertainer but lacks the acting chops this role requires.
3. Worst: The Pink Panther (2006)
Steve Martin and the late Peter Sellers possess a comedic genius with decades-long resumes to back it up. Martin taking on the role of Inspector Clouseau means filling impossibly big shoes. In all fairness, Martin’s comedic attributes differ from those Sellers brought to the role. On the upside, it did have the catchy number-one hit song “Check on It” by Beyoncé, Bun B, and Slim Thug.
4. Worst: Psycho (1998)
Director Gus Van Sant recreated Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece nearly scene for scene but in color instead of black and white, and set in 1998. Despite the close replication, it still lost something in translation. At the very least, viewers expect a remake to add something to the original movie, and Van Sant didn’t do anything to augment Hitchcock’s vision.
5. Worst: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Some films are so good they should remain untouched, like Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Craven’s exceptional work went into uncharted waters in the slasher genre in the form of serial child killer Freddy Krueger. The 2010 movie may have provided some jump scares for viewers unfamiliar with the first outing, but for fans of the original, it didn’t contain any surprises, at least not any pleasant ones.
6. Worst: The Grudge (2020)
Takashi Shimizu, the director of the critically lauded 2002 Japanese supernatural horror film Ju-On: The Grudge, remade an English-language version of his movie, The Grudge (2004), which became a global box office hit. The vengeful ghost of Kayako Saeki continues to unleash mayhem and death on unsuspecting innocents in the 2020 reboot, but the film didn’t add anything beyond what the earlier films offered.
7. Worst: Jacob’s Ladder (2019)
Michael Ealy’s riveting portrayal of veteran Jacob Singer highlights an otherwise thoroughly disappointing film. It’s a Herculean task trying to recreate the nightmarish setting from the 1990 version starring Tim Robbins. The earlier release took a few viewings to understand the full gist of the story, but the new one needed to stoke more interest to want to get through it the first time around, much less a second time.
8. Worst: Red Dawn (2012)
In 1984’s Red Dawn, a brave group of teens calling themselves the Wolverines fought against the Soviets and Cubans after an attack on the United States. The cult classic, released at the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and its communist adversaries, gave it a patriotic feel that resonated with American audiences.
While North Korea (laughably) becomes the hostile invader in the 2012 movie, unlike the original, it fails to invoke a sense that such an onslaught could occur on American soil.
9. Worst: One Missed Call (2008)
There’s something about Japanese horror films that’s seemingly hard for American directors to duplicate. Even though One Missed Call includes many of the scenes from the 2003 film and the leads are based on the characters from the original Japanese film, Takashi Miike’s scares didn’t carry over. The listless, borderline lazy acting and the script’s predictability doomed it from the first line.
10. Worst: The Wicker Man (2006)
One of the movies that nearly derailed Nicholas Cage’s career, The Wicker Man, fails in every way imaginable. The first movie, made in 1973, earned its fright credentials with the presence of horror staple Christopher Lee, not to mention the genuinely disturbing imagery used throughout the film. With its disjointed, almost unintentionally laughable script, the Cage version committed the cardinal sin of boring audiences.
11. Worst: Godzilla (1998)
Growing up watching the genuine Japanese Godzilla franchise of films, for all of their campiness, amounted to an entertaining motion picture viewing experience. The 1998 American reboot of the first Godzilla failed to convey that same feeling, partly because of the modern-day special effects and the terrible writing. A cultural icon like Godzilla deserves better.
12. Worst: Flatliners (2017)
With stars like Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon and a riveting script about death, the 1990 film had audiences on edge, wondering what happens after death. The script in the newer Flatliners didn’t inspire that same level of interest in the characters and the demons plaguing them despite the decent casting.
13. Worst: Mr. Deeds (2002)
Hollywood directors should take note: If you have any notions of remaking a Frank Capra-directed film, please don’t do it. The bland remake of the movie Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) never goes beyond another pedestrian Adam Sandler comedy, but more lowkey. It also lacks the charm and warmth Gary Cooper brought to his portrayal of Mr. Deeds.
14. Worst: The Haunting (1999)
Yet another remake that lost some chills and thrills due to modern-day special effects, The Haunting feels rather hollow, like it’s following a basic Hollywood horror film template. The rudimentary special effects utilized in the 1963 movie seem pedestrian by today’s standards, but that’s what made the earlier film a far superior production.
15. Worst: Rollerball (2002)
If a movie like Rollerball (1975) gets remade with its biting commentary on a dystopic society, you’d better go all in or sit down. John McTiernan, the director of Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October should have sat this one out. The 2002 film skipped over the social message of the first movie, instead giving audiences one dull, pointless action sequence after another.
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