20 Surprisingly Great Horror Movie Remakes

17. House of Wax

There's no denying that 2005's remake of the classic 1953 Vincent Price-starring House of Wax released to staggeringly low expectations, given that so much of the pre-release discourse was dominated by Paris Hilton's supporting role in the movie.

It didn't exactly suggest a film that was taking itself seriously, then, and while the remake found little love from critics upon original release, over the last 20-plus years since, it has been embraced far more warmly.

For one, it's pretty loose as remakes go, ultimately taking as many cues from 1979's Tourist Trap as the original House of Wax, and it's also skillfully directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who makes expert use of the eerie wax museum setting to give the film a distinct, uncanny vibe.

The performances are rock solid and the kills are great too - particularly Hilton's much-discussed demise, which the filmmakers ultimately used to market the film by straight-up spoiling it pre-release.