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

4. Evil Dead

Speak No Evil James McAvoy
Tristar

Evil Dead is one of those sacrosanct horror films that many fans felt shouldn't ever be remade - beyond Evil Dead II being a quasi-remake of the original, of course.

And it was incredibly easy to have through-the-floor expectations for 2013's remake given that Bruce Campbell wasn't the lead and it was being helmed by a virtually unknown filmmaker, Fede Álvarez, in his feature debut.

Even with original director Sam Raimi producing the remake under his Ghost House banner, what was the point in rehashing perfection?

Though Álvarez's remake absolutely wears its bigger budget on its sleeve - having been produced for $17 million compared to the original's $375,000 - and takes a more serious, less-camp approach, it nevertheless delivers an appreciably nasty, extremely bloody reimagining.

Much of the credit goes to not only Álvarez's visually creative direction, but also Jane Levy's superb performance in the lead role, ensuring it was easier than expected to forget about Ash and just enjoy the gnarly ride.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.