As we get into spooky season it’s finally time to start putting together our horror movie playlists. You know, the movies you show your friends who tend to be horror-averse until the right time of year. A great way to ease your friends into checking out your favorite scary movies is to throw on a remake of an old classic and turn the lights down low. Even though there’s a stigma around horror remakes, that doesn’t mean every classic that’s received a new coat of paint is an abomination. On the contrary, many of the films we’re looking at today are as good as the original, and a few of them even surpass the original.
Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a lush nightmare that codified the giallo genre for people around the world. Even through Suspiria isn’t a straight forward giallo film, it’s still considered one of the best European horror films of the 20th century. When the 2018 remake of the film was announced it was seen as heresy, but then something incredible happened. Luca Guadagnino’s remake takes the basic concept of Argento’s film and blows it out into a multi-layered commentary on generational trauma while delivering on the promise of being a freaky, body horror movie full of witches. Rather than make a straight up remake of Suspiria, Guadagnino created a kind of vibe-centric remake. If you like it weird, you’ll love Suspiria 2018.
John Carpenter’s The Thing may feel like a wholly unique concept, but it’s actually a remake of The Thing From Another Planet from 1951. Carpenter takes the basic location, the Arctic, and the basic concept, a defrosted alien that causes chaos, and turns the entire thing into a claustrophobic, super gory masterpiece. At the time of the film’s initial release audiences and critics hated The Thing, but today Carpenter’s remake is seen as one of the many genre defining masterworks in his canon.
There are very few J-Horror remakes that match the intensity of the originals, but Gore Verbinski’s 2002 remake of The Ring synthesizes everything that makes the original so unsettling into a slow burn horror film that perfectly translates for American audiences. The thing that that speaks to audiences about this film is the incredible concept of a ghost girl who comes out of a TV to off her victims. It’s creepy, it’s unsettling, it rules.
2001’s remake of 13 Ghosts may not be the scariest film you’ll ever see, but it’s a heck of a good time. The original film is a William Castle classic, pulpy, camp, and over the top, it perfectly lends itself to various interpretations. The Steve Beck remake takes the basic concept of a house full of thirteen ghosts and places a family smack dab in the middle. Powered by Matthew Lillard’s kinetic energy, the film is perfect for audiences who want to dip their toes into the horror genre. And if this movie isn’t campy enough for you there’s always the original.
Your mileage may vary with Zack Snyder films, but his remake of the George Romero classic Dawn of the Dead is a straight up banger. Snyder leans into Romero’s original story of a group of disparate survivors stuck in a mall while they’re surrounded by the undead. Snyder doesn’t try to match Romero’s social commentary, but he makes up for that with the sheer visual intensity of the violence in his remake. The opening scene alone is worthy of your time.
If you’ve seen the original Invisible Man you’ve probably thought about what a creep he is. Well, that’s exactly what the Leigh Whannell remake really digs into. This remake revolves around a woman who believes that she’s being stalked by her tech bro ex-boyfriend after he creates a suit that renders him invisible. The thing that’s so utterly terrifying about this film is how real it all feels once you remove the sci-fi trappings.
An early “requel” (remake and sequel at the same time), this version of The Town That Dreaded Sundown takes place in a world where the original 1976 film exists, and after a screening of the original in Texarkana (where the film takes place), the Phantom Killer returns and starts taking people out. What follows is a gonzo remake that folds in beats from original film while creating something completely knew, horrifying, and altogether disorienting.
We hear you, why would you watch a remake of a horror movie starring Paris Hilton? Because it’s fun. This remake of House of Wax combines plot points from the original HOW as well as the cult classic Tourist Trap into a very 2000s horror movie that totally delivers. If you’re looking for something fun, dumb, and full of people being turned into wax figures by a straight up weirdo, throw this baby on with a group of friends and get ready to have a blast.
David Cronenberg’s The Fly is, like The Thing, a remake that essentially makes you forget about the original film. Gone are the cheapo effects and Vincent Price’s scenery chewing, and in their place is a devastating look at the degradation of the human body. Jeff Goldblum is incredible as the doomed scientist Seth Brundle, who slowly turns into a giant fly following a mishap with a piece of transporter technology. Equally sad, disgusting, and terrifying, The Fly is a must-see.
With Evil Dead from 2013, Fede Álvarez proved that he completely understands how to remake a classic horror film. This take on Sam Raimi’s original film focuses solely on the original film and ignores the comedic paths taken by the sequels. In a brutal 92 minutes, Álvarez gives audiences the beats of the original while finding new and terrifying ways to make audiences crawl out of their skin. The third act bloodbath (literally) is not to be missed.
