10 Horror Remakes Everyone Expected To Suck (But Didn't)
6. Friday the 13th
After successfully remaking The Texas Chain Saw Massacre against the odds, director Marcus Nispel proved it was far from a fluke by doing it again for Friday the 13th.
But his 2009 remake was far from a straightforward redo - it instead offered up a retelling of the original Friday trilogy, telling a streamlined origin story for Jason that made some impressively bold and unexpected choices.
Right from its scintillating prologue, this is a ferocious horror that doesn't skimp on the gore but also occasionally takes a breath for some goofy humour. Who among us can forget Travis Van Winkle's irrepressible horndog dudebro Trent?
The remake also dares to expand the lore of Jason in some fascinating ways, namely explaining his ability to so effortlessly get the drop on his victims without it feeling like a mythology expansion nobody asked for.
Despite grossing almost $100 million worldwide, though, it didn't lead to the expected glut of sequels due to legal issues regarding the franchise's rights.
And over 15 years later, we're still waiting for a new Friday the 13th. What the hell, man?