10 Horror Movie Remakes That Were Instantly Forgotten

There are some core components that can make a standard horror movie an instant classic: great characters, gruesome kills, a creepy antagonist and some awesome special effects. But one of the worst things that can befall a genre classic is for it to be given a terrible remake - something that has happened all too often when it comes to horror movies.

It's important to note that some remakes can be great - just look at 2021's Candyman or the 2020 Invisible Man remake, both incredibly strong and powerful adaptations of horror icons. But for the most part, horror adaptations can somehow take the things we loved about a classic movie, and burn them to the ground.

Some remakes will, of course, go on to become 'bad movie' fodder - to be laughed at and mocked over a giant bowl of popcorn at a house party.

But what about the remakes that the world forgot? The remakes that were buried deep in the backs of our minds as a throwaway movie on a lonely Wednesday night? These are the forgotten remakes of movies that should never be forgotten, and it's clear their awkward attempts to rehash perfection were bound to cause some controversy...

There are two possible films that might come to mind when you hear "Black Christmas". Firstly, the 1974 festive slasher starring Olivia Hussey, or secondly, the middling 2006 Canadian remake starring Katie Kassidy, which followed the same sorority-central plot. Both films are unanimously recognised and remembered, the former a definitive and formative entry in the slasher sub-genre, and the latter something of a cult fave in horror circles.

However, in 2019, another Black Christmas remake was released - and to very little acclaim. Starring Imogen Poots as Riley, this interpretation focuses heavily on rape culture and feminist issues (which is great), but strays fairly far away from the original source material in its approach.

Without the monstrous Billy - who featured in both the Bob Clark original and Glen Morgan's gnarly 2006 remake - it feels like an entirely new concept with a stolen name, even citing black magic as the cause for the murderous fraternity antics, changing the dynamic of the franchise entirely.

With poor reviews and forgettable box office ratings, 2019's Black Christmas won't be making its way onto Santa's Nice List anytime soon.