7. Disturbia = Rear Window
I was incredibly close to not including this entry on the list. In the build up to Disturbias release and when eventually seeing the final product it was hard to remove the sense this was a straight up and obvious remake of Alfred Hitchcocks Rear Window, but with more no, no, no, no, no. But despite the similar plot beats the production were loathe to call it a remake, stating Rear Window as just one of many films they drew inspiration from (along with, oddly enough, Straw Dogs and The Conversation). So welcome to the list, Disturbia. Shia LaBeouf finds himself under house arrest and begins to develop suspicions about his neighbours, which eventually turn out to be true. The script originates from the nineties, but was ignored when an actual remake of Rear Window was mooted. But when it hurtled into production it felt like the filmmakers were trying too hard to distance themselves from it, suspecting what they were doing; LaBeouf spent more time researching what its like to be under house arrest. In all this avoidance, however, the key similarities became even more highlighted. Unlike many on this list, Disturbia is more clearly ripping off the classic. Its still an OK film, but hard to enjoy without acknowledging the original.