10 Movie Remakes That Are Actually Worth Watching

10. Evil Dead

The Original: Declared the “number one Video Nasty” by Mary Whitehouse, banned in the UK and put on trial for obscenity, Sam Raimi’s feature debut needs no introduction.

The Remake: Everything a modern horror movie ought to be, Fede Alvarez’s remake ditches Bruce Campbell’s character and foregoes shameless fan service in favor of doing things on its own terms. It’s still remarkably true to the spirit of Raimi’s film, though, and its remit appears to have been to recreate “the ultimate experience in gruelling horror” for a new generation.

This turns out to be a really cool idea (who doesn’t want to see a zombie armed with a nail gun?) and it’s a step up from the usual attitude of “let’s give them what they want and get the hell out of here.” Though made with its tongue partly in its cheek, Alvarez’s film eschews comic book violence and redefines onscreen brutality. When his characters fall, smash their heads or are struck by nails, they hurt.