10 Horror Movie Reboots That Actually Lived Up To The Original
These films helped to rekindle our lost love for cinema's most brutal genre.
Nowadays, it's all too common for horror movie reboots to be downright terrible cash grabs made solely with the intent of cashing in on many horror fans' love and adoration for the genre and franchises.
Take the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre for example, released in 2022. The lack of care and respect for the franchise is apparent, with both fans and critics unanimously panning the film. Many reboots like this fail to capture the spark that makes the originals so good, and leave everyone wondering how these pictures ever made it past the drawing board.
However, there are some instances when a remake comes out and exceeds all expectations by living up to the original and doing right by the beloved franchise. This reignites the passion that many fans have for the genre, while also creating new fans in the process.
It's truly a welcome surprise when such a film comes out and actually delivers something fresh, rather than rehashing the same ideas and riding off the coattails of what came before.
Here, then, are ten such reboots that lived up to the legacy of - or even bettered, in some cases - their predecessors.
10. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
One thing that is absolutely necessary for a reboot of any film to do justice to the original, is that the filmmakers taking on the task must have a great deal of respect for the source material. If those involved aren't passionate about building upon the legacy of a franchise they love, then it's doomed from the start.
Thankfully, it's clear that The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) is a labour of love, and it works as both a reboot and a fitting homage to the 1976 film, with some meta nods to the original.
There is a nostalgia factor at play here which may help endear long-time fans to this picture, but that's not the only reason for its positive reception. The small town setting helps to create a spine-shivering atmosphere with razor sharp tension. Addison Timlin's final girl, Jamie Lerner, is personable and you genuinely care and root for her, which is more than can be said for many of the genre's heroes and heroines, and a strong supporting cast bolster the roster of potential victims.
It's a brutal reboot that is a fitting tribute to the original 1976 flick, and the way it blurs the line between sequel and homage is wonderfully meta, offering plenty for new and old fans alike.