11 Horror Remakes Better Than The Original
Although these horrors were great, the remakes are on another other level.
Remakes have been marred in skepticism almost as long as they've been around. Not only does it seem lazy to rehash a recognised story, redoing a movie poorly feels like an insult to the original.
Although there are plenty of retellings that turned out well, the bad outweighs the good, especially when it comes to horror. Even if a slasher or psychological thriller had masterful tension and shocking twists, doing it all over again won't necessarily recreate the same result (as the shot-for-shot remake of Psycho proves).
Modern remakes frequently rely on jump-scares or heightened gore to appeal to contemporary viewers, potentially undermining the subtle aspects that defined the one that started it all. Also, there are certain horrors that were executed so perfectly, it doesn't seem feasible for a remake to improve on them.
But stranger things have happened. Whether they preserved the original's essence or took the haunting story in a bold new direction, these do-overs didn't just match their predecessors but surpassed them.
CBS Media VenturesIt doesn't occur that often, but these horror remakes pulled off the impossible and improved upon what came before.
11. Mirrors
It can be aggravating when a horror remake strips away the nuance of the original, replacing it with an in-your-face approach. Although Mirrors falls into this bracket, it's perceived more favourably than the South Korean original, Into the Mirror.
Both versions follow an ex-policeman who starts working as a security guard in a department store. When the former detective notices a string of mysterious deaths in the area, he suspects a malevolent force is responsible.
Into the Mirror unfolds like a slow-burn mystery with paranormal elements, blending the detective drama with a ghost story. Unfortunately, this approach is sluggish, especially when the characters are dealing with the procedural investigation. Mirrors trims these aspects and ramps up the supernatural encounters early, keeping tension high from the get-go.
The remake also finds more innovative ways to incorporate mirrors and reflections into the kills (especially the nightmarish bathroom scene).
Into the Mirror's lead is decent, but lacks the charisma of Mirrors' Kiefer Sutherland, who injects an ample amount of believability into an otherwise incredulous story.
On top of that, Mirrors concludes with a shocking ending that even the biggest horror veterans don't see coming.