11 Horror Remakes Better Than The Original

Based on Stephen Gilbert's Ratman's Notebooks, both film adaptations of Willard centre around an awkward loner who trains rats to exact revenge on those who've wronged him.

Although the concept is creepy, the 1971 version plays out like a tragic drama with sprinkles of horror. The 2003 version however embraces gothic scares, with surreal set designs, exaggerated shadows, eccentric pacing, and warped camera angles. As a result, it feels like a twisted fable, not a realistic drama. The remake leaves little to the imagination, showing up close what happens to the poor souls who get on the titular character's bad side.

But if there's anything that elevates 2003's Willard, it's Crispin Glover's performance. Due to his off-kilter line delivery and insect-like physicality, this Willard is more compelling and unpredictable. He mightn't be physically imposing but you're constantly left on edge, since it's impossible to tell what Glover's Willard is going to do next. However, the Back to the Future star never goes too cartoonish, constantly teetering between enraged and pitifully vulnerable.

Though the first adaptation pushes the revenge aspect, 2003's incarnation highlights Willard's obsession and madness, creating a more personal and depressing tale.