Best Remakes

by BryanDowling93 | created - 17 Oct 2013 | updated - 22 Jun 2014 | Public

A list of remakes that did justice to its original or possibly surpassed it's original film.

[In no Order]

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1. True Grit (2010)

PG-13 | 110 min | Drama, Western

80 Metascore

A stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer.

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin

Votes: 357,557 | Gross: $171.24M

True Grit 1969 is a classic John Wayne film but True Grit 2010 is in my opinion a more constructed and better acted film and that's not to say I will never watch True Grit 1969 again as I will but I will lean towards the 2010 version more as I feel Coens made a better film and it had better acting.

P.S: I saw original first so there aint no bias opinion.

2. The Thing (1982)

R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

57 Metascore

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur

Votes: 466,774 | Gross: $13.78M

We can all agree that this film is better the 50's version as John Carpenter created a very suspensful film lead by a strong performance by Kurt Russell.

3. The Fly (1986)

R | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

81 Metascore

A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel

Votes: 201,973 | Gross: $40.46M

Another film we can all agree on is David Cronenberg's masterpiece is superior to the 50's version as with John Carpenter's The Thing but The Fly is such a greatly acted and unnerving film with possibly the best performance Jeff Goldblum will ever have in his life.

4. The Departed (2006)

R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

85 Metascore

An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg

Votes: 1,422,579 | Gross: $132.38M

This isn't a direct remake but it is an americanized version of the Hong Kong classic Infernal Affairs released in 2002. The Departed has a similar story as it follows an undercover cop, a mole cop and a drug barren and The Departed is from crime legend Martin Scorsese [Goodfellas, Casino, Taxi Driver] and The Departed is an incredible film with great performances all around including Leonardo Dicaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Whalberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin. I have not seen Infernal Affairs but I'm sure it great enough to spawn this modern classic perhaps even better who knows.

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

R | 158 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

71 Metascore

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.

Director: David Fincher | Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård

Votes: 494,913 | Gross: $102.52M

I have not seen the swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and it's probably better as it's in the actual language the story is suppose to be in but David Fincher crafted a mesmerizing remake with excellent performances by Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig and also most of the cast.

6. Scarface (1983)

R | 170 min | Crime, Drama

65 Metascore

In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.

Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Votes: 916,680 | Gross: $45.60M

Wheater you love this film [like me] or you think its an over the top cartoon of a film [which it is aswell], there is no denying that Scarface is a classic in cinema history as it is over the top but it is iconic with an iconically over the top Al Pacino and Scarface is just great and isn't afraid to go over the limit.

7. Cape Fear (1991)

R | 128 min | Crime, Thriller

73 Metascore

A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis

Votes: 216,707 | Gross: $79.10M

Cape Fear 1962 is a classic and may be a better film [haven't seen it] but Cape Fear 1991 is great with a great performance by Robert De Niro as psychopath Max Cady and it is also directed by the boss Martin Scorsese.

8. Insomnia (2002)

R | 118 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

78 Metascore

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Martin Donovan

Votes: 319,210 | Gross: $67.36M

I have not seen the swedish version but Insomnia while it is Christopher Nolan's weakest film is a great film with 2 great central performances by both Al Pacino and Robin Williams.

9. Let Me In (I) (2010)

R | 116 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

79 Metascore

A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian.

Director: Matt Reeves | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Cara Buono

Votes: 127,324 | Gross: $12.13M

I absolutely love Let The Right One In and while it is lightyears better than Let Me In, Let Me In is still a very good film with it's own spin on the story with an excellent performance by Chloe Grace Moretz but as I said it is lightyears behind the original as Let The Right One In is one of the best modern cinematic masterpieces and Let Me In is far from a masterpiece.



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