15 Underrated Movie Remakes That Deserve Another Look

Len Wiseman’s Total Recall remake hit cinemas and then bargain bins like lightning, leaving many of us wondering if it ever actually happened. But happen it did, bringing the original’s story into a 21st century where chemical warfare has devastated the planet, a gravity elevator runs through the Earth’s core, companies can implant fake memories for cash, and Colin Farrell’s factory worker Douglas Quaid finds himself at the centre of a grand conspiracy, uncertain if he really is who he thinks he is, or if he’s living a life of captivity, subversion and control.  

Visual aesthetic aside, Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 original isn’t quite as great as you remember, and if you like your sci-fi cold and shiny, rather than body horror red, the remake is the one for you. The same ideas and story are present, although the remake’s major faux pas is removing the uncertainty of the original.

But it is a winner on several other fronts, especially (it should go without saying) as Colin Farrell is a far better actor than Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bryan Cranston does an excellent turn opposite him as malignant baddie Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen. All in all, it is difficult to deny that the remake has plenty going for it and is a solid sci-fi action thriller in its own right.