10 Horror Remakes Everyone Expected To Suck (But Didn't)

Back in 1990, it was nothing short of sacrilege to consider remaking George A. Romero's legendary zombie film Night of the Living Dead, and so it's little surprise that reviews of the era were largely negative, in addition to it flopping at the box office.

But watch the movie today and it's tough not to get swept up by both director Tom Savini's peerless makeup effects and the film's smart reimagining of the original text, at once reverent to the original - having been also penned by Romero - and unafraid to make contemporary changes.

Most praise-worthy is the remake's reinvention of female lead Barbara (Patricia Tallman), who is lent considerably more agency in this newer take, while Tony Todd gives a superb performance as protagonist Ben.

Look past the fact that Night of the Living Dead 1990 doesn't "need" to exist - does any film? - and it's a rare remake crafted with real respect for what came before, while also feeling empowered to bring fresh ideas to the table.