10 More Movie Remakes Better Than The Original
9. The Fly (1986)
Rightly or wrongly, there are many different arguments that could be used to justify a movie being remade. Whether it is a cold-hearted cash grab or a genuine homage to a filmmaker's inspiration, one thing remains the same in that they should never be merely a shot-for-shot reproduction.
There has to be something new brought to the table, and while this could be something subtle, there will always be David Cronenberg who took his remake of The Fly into a completely different genre altogether. Whereas Kurt Neumann's effort from 1958 was firmly a thriller, Cronenberg's iteration of the movie had a strong hand in establishing and cementing the body horror genre.
In the original, when André Delambre (Al Hedison) unknowingly splices himself together with a fly, the change happens immediately. Jeff Goldblum's Seth Brundle, however, has the process drawn out, happening gradually and far more painfully. This, with frightening effects and a love story at its core, makes up a bulk of the film that simply wasn't there previously - and it's a completely different viewing experience for it.
Goldblum himself arguably puts in his best-ever performance, and surrounded by a stronger story off the back of a very particular vision in Cronenberg's trademark style, the 1986 version makes for a more uncomfortable watch, and that's exactly how it should be.