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

There wasn't much interest in 2006's remake of The Hills Have Eyes when it was first announced, because as if remaking a Wes Craven classic wasn't bad enough, it was being directed by Alexandre Aja, whose previous film High Tension tripped over itself so spectacularly in the third act.

But there's honestly a solid argument to be made that Aja's film is superior to Craven's, or at least comes within a mouse hair of it. 

With its gnarlier gore, creepier setting, and an intriguing post-9/11 thematic which takes American exceptionalism to task, this is a remake that updates the original in all the right ways.

Also, shoutout to the ever-underappreciated Aaron Stanford for his terrific central performance as protagonist Doug.

While there's a low-fi grottiness to the original that this remake can't replicate, in terms of violence, intensity, and character development, the 2006 film is a vast improvement.

And much like Marcus Nispel, Aja pulled off another coup remake a few years later when he helmed the shockingly entertaining Piranha 3D.