5 Best & 5 Worst Asian Horror Movie Remakes Ever Made

3. The Uninvited

Kim Jee-woon’s folklore inspired movie A Tale of Two Sisters is a darkly surreal exercise in psychological horror boasting a labyrinthine plot and distinctly arthouse aesthetic. As the first South Korean horror to be screened in American cinemas and one of the highest-grossing K-Horrors of all time, the movie not only put the K-Horror genre truly on the map but also scooped a host of international film awards.

Unfortunately, the American take on the tale made by British fraternal directing duo the Guard Brothers is none of the above. Abandoning the original’s abstract narrative and twisted twist ending for a more Westernised horror structure made The Uninvited’s plot much more predictable and less jarring than its predecessor. Marketing the film at a teenage audience didn’t help either, with much of A Tale of Two Sisters’ effectively gory visuals sacrificed in the quest to secure a non-offensive PG-13 rating.

Whereas an adolescent-friendly rating didn’t necessarily hurt the American remake of The Ring, most likely due to its supernatural rather than gore based elements, for a remake whose original featured such iconic bloody visuals it certainly reduces the film’s capacity to impact. A lesson in how not to adapt Asian horror movies indeed.