10 Times Hollywood Horror Remakes Wowed Us
Welcome to Ranking Horror. We recently explored Hollywood remakes of international horror films. Some were very good while others were very bad. Today, we are taking a look at 10 Times Hollywood Horror Remakes Wowed Us.
Table of Contents
When we are referring to remakes of its own horror movies, we mean absolute horror classics from the past. After all, we know Hollywood enjoys recycling its own ideas as much as it possibly can. There are new remakes of old movies coming out every year and the horror genre is no exception.
The good news is, some of these remakes have been absolutely fantastic. Hell, some of these remakes have been even better than the original; with a couple going on to be listed among the greatest horror movies of all time. You can probably guess most of the entries on this list but why not come along with us anyway as we look at 10 times Hollywood Horror Remakes Wowed Us.
| Rank | Movie Title (Year) | The Remake Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Thing (1982) | The Peak of Practical FX Paranoia |
| 2 | The Fly (1986) | Tragic, Gruesome Body-Horror Excellence |
| 3 | The Invisible Man (2020) | A Chilling Modern Take on Gaslighting |
| 4 | Dawn of the Dead (2004) | High-Octane Zombie Chaos |
| 5 | It: Chapter One (2017) | The Ultimate Coming-of-Age Nightmare |
10. Halloween (2007) – Redefining the Shape with a Brutal Backstory
- Director: Rob Zombie
- Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- IMDb: 6.0/10
Why it Ranked: Is this a little controversial? Probably, but that is why Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of Halloween is opening up this list. Let me clarify; this version isn’t better than the 1978 original; that would be a bold, and frankly ridiculous claim to make! I am saying, however, that Zombie brought enough to the story for the 2007 version to stand on its own two feet. Sure, some people may not like the stronger focus on the backstory of Michael Myers, but I think it was a great idea to actually give a face to this faceless killer.
Synopsis: After being institutionalised for 15 years, Michael Myers escapes Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and returns to Haddonfield. He begins stalking high school student Laurie Strode and her friends, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake as Dr. Sam Loomis desperately tries to track him down.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
9. Piranha 3D (2010) – A Raucous, Blood-Soaked Summer Splatter-Fest
- Director: Alexandre Aja
- Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell
- Runtime: 88 minutes
- IMDb: 5.5/10
Why it Ranked: You might laugh at this suggestion, but hear me out. If you are looking to turn your brain off and just enjoy a legitimately hilarious B-movie that is heavily inspired by 80s horror then you are in for a treat with Piranha 3D. Alexandre Aja keeps it simple here. This is raucous stuff full of boobs, blood, killer piranhas and ridiculous deaths. Don’t think too hard about what you are watching and just try to enjoy yourself. It is a brilliant option with a few drinks and some snacks on a warm summer’s night.
Synopsis: An underground earthquake releases a horde of prehistoric, man-eating piranhas into Lake Victoria during the height of Spring Break. A local sheriff and a group of strangers must band together to stop the aquatic massacre before the party-goers are entirely consumed.
Where to Watch: Max, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
8. Maniac (2012) – A Chilling First-Person Descent into Madness
- Director: Franck Khalfoun
- Cast: Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder
- Runtime: 89 minutes
- IMDb: 6.1/10
Why it Ranked: Franck Khalfoun made the inspired choice of casting the ultra clean-cut Elijah Wood in the lead role of this remake of William Lustig’s 1980 classic. Maniac is filmed entirely from the perspective of our lead character, placing us in his shoes as a fly on the wall to his harrowing deeds. It’s a novel idea that gives the viewer an additional feeling of guilt and remorse as we almost feel like accomplices to the acts taking place. This first-person perspective gives the movie a completely unique style that you rarely see in the slasher genre. It is a genuinely disturbing movie.
Synopsis: Frank is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin shop who stalks and scalps women to “preserve” them. When he develops a fixation on a young photographer, the line between his twisted fantasies and reality begins to blur, all captured through a visceral POV camera style.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Plex
7. Fright Night (2011) – Biting Satire and Genuine Charm in the Suburbs
- Director: Craig Gillespie
- Cast: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell
- Runtime: 106 minutes
- IMDb: 6.4/10
Why it Ranked: I don’t think anyone expected this movie to be all that good but I was definitely surprised. Even Colin Farrell managed to do a fantastic job filling in for Chris Sarandon as the vampire next-door neighbour Jerry. I am a huge fan of the original version, but this remake retains everything that made it so enjoyable. The spirit of adventure is still there in spades, as are the nods to classic horror movies. A worthy example of a great Hollywood remake which still stands as one of the most surprising in recent horror history.
Synopsis: Charley Brewster is a high school student who becomes convinced that his charismatic new neighbour, Jerry Dandrige, is actually a vampire. When no one believes him, Charley enlists the help of a Vegas illusionist to take the monster down.
Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Apple TV
6. The Crazies (2010) – A Gritty, Relentless Upgrade to a Romero Classic
- Director: Breck Eisner
- Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- IMDb: 6.7/10
Why it Ranked: The Crazies is something of a forgotten movie as of late, which is disappointing as it is a truly fantastic horror movie. The original version was somewhat overshadowed by Romero’s zombie films, but Breck Eisner’s 2010 remake is even better. It is scarier, gorier, and better paced than the original while still paying homage to everything that made it great. It showed that Romero had more stories up his sleeves than just those featuring the flesh-eating undead, and Eisner polished that concept to perfection.
Synopsis: After a military plane crashes near a small Iowa town, a biological weapon leaks into the water supply. As the residents transform into mindless, depraved killers, a sheriff and his pregnant wife must escape before the military “contains” the situation permanently.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
5. It: Chapter One (2017) – Pennywise Returns to Haunt a New Generation
- Director: Andy Muschietti
- Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Martell
- Runtime: 135 minutes
- IMDb: 7.3/10
Why it Ranked: I was fairly split on whether or not to include this. Firstly, the original version is a television miniseries, not a movie. Secondly, the second chapter of this series is nowhere near as good as the first. As it stands, however, It: Chapter One is an utterly compelling watch that took the best parts of the miniseries and condensed them into one film. It also managed to hold on to what made the original so damn scary. The cast is exceptional and Bill Skarsgård brings a specific brand of creepy to the demented clown.
Synopsis: Seven outcast children in Derry, Maine, are terrorised by an ancient, shape-shifting predator that appears every 27 years to feed on children. Taking the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the entity exploits the specific fears of its victims to hunt them down.
Where to Watch: Max, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
4. Dawn of the Dead (2004) – Snyder’s High-Octane Reinvention of the Undead
- Director: Zack Snyder
- Cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- IMDb: 7.3/10
Why it Ranked: Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead is a brilliant example of how to get it right when remaking a classic horror movie. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this movie improved on the original immensely as well as paying homage to it in a number of different ways. The pacing, tension, and atmosphere are completely unrelenting. It’s an utterly gripping movie from start to finish and somehow manages to find an even more perfect balance of drama and action than the 1978 original. I really like this film; it is one of the best Hollywood remakes ever.
Synopsis: After a nurse wakes up to a world overrun by aggressive, fast-moving zombies, she joins a group of survivors in a local shopping mall. They must fortify their position while dealing with internal tensions and the growing swarm of undead outside.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
3. The Invisible Man (2020) – A Masterclass in Sci-Fi Tension and Gaslighting
- Director: Leigh Whannell
- Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
- Runtime: 124 minutes
- IMDb: 7.1/10
Why it Ranked: I was not expecting Leigh Whannell’s 2020 remake to be so damn good and so damn scary. The Invisible Man manages to take the very real subject of domestic violence and turn it into a legitimately effective science-fiction based horror movie. The story grips you immediately thanks to Cecilia’s predicament and the consistent feeling that she is never quite fully alone lends the film bags full of tension. It never lets up from start to finish and remains utterly compelling throughout. It is not just a great remake; it is a great horror movie in its own right.
Synopsis: Cecilia escapes an abusive relationship with a wealthy optics scientist only to find herself haunted by an unseen presence. As her sanity is questioned by those around her, she must find a way to prove she is being hunted by something that no one can see.
Where to Watch: Freevee, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
2. The Fly (1986) – Cronenberg’s Body-Horror Masterpiece of Tragedy and Decay
- Director: David Cronenberg
- Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- IMDb: 7.6/10
Why it Ranked: We couldn’t possibly make this list without including what is perhaps the greatest Hollywood horror remake of all time. Cronenberg’s 1986 masterpiece isn’t just a great remake; it’s one of the finest horror films ever made, period. Combining science-fiction with body-horror and a story replete with tragedy, it’s hard to think of too many films quite as affecting and shocking as The Fly. Eschewing the tame, and rather camp, nature of its inspiration allowed Cronenberg to explore some seriously shocking subject matter and visuals that will literally never leave you.
Synopsis: Brilliant but eccentric scientist Seth Brundle accidentally fuses his DNA with a common housefly during a teleportation experiment. What begins as enhanced strength and energy soon turns into a grotesque and unstoppable metamorphosis that threatens his life and his relationship.
Where to Watch: Disney+, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
1. The Thing (1982) – The Ultimate Lesson in Paranoia and Practical FX
- Director: John Carpenter
- Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley
- Runtime: 109 minutes
- IMDb: 8.2/10
Why it Ranked: It is impossible to write this list without talking about The Thing. It is not only a brilliant remake but one of the greatest horror films of all time. It’s astounding that John Carpenter’s 1982 reinterpretation initially received such harsh criticism. It stands, in modern times, as a seminal movie in the genre. It is still scary to this day and it is very easy to see why it stands as one of the most important genre movies ever. I love it and try to watch it whenever I can. It is the gold standard for how to remake a movie properly.
Synopsis: A research team in Antarctica is infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien lifeform that can perfectly mimic any organic creature. As paranoia sets in, the men must figure out who is still human and who is “the thing” before it escapes to the mainland.
Where to Watch: Peacock, Amazon (Rent/Buy)
Better Than the Original?
There we have it – 10 times Hollywood actually got it right with a horror remake. From the gruesome transformations in The Fly to the biting satire of Fright Night, these films prove that a fresh coat of paint (and a lot of blood) can sometimes create something truly special. Sometimes, the “recycling” machine actually produces gold.
If you love these remakes, why not check out some of the films they were inspired by? Or, if you’re in the mood for something completely different, take a look at our unsettling UK horror list. I’ll be back soon with more deep-dives into the horrors of our modern age. Stay spooky.
🎥 Quick Picks: Remake Magic for Your Vibe
- 🏆 The All-Time Great: The Thing (1982)
- 🧬 The Body-Horror King: The Fly (1986)
- 🧠 The Psychological Terror: The Invisible Man (2020)
- 🤡 The Modern Classic: It: Chapter One (2017)
- 🍿 The Popcorn Splatter: Piranha 3D (2010)
