8 Horror Remakes That Became Classics In Their Own Right
7. The Grudge (2004)
Hollywood continued its fascination with Japanese chillers following the success of The Ring with this genuinely frightening ghost story based on Ju-on. The Grudge has managed to set itself apart from the majority of forgettable J-Horror remakes that were churned out around the same time due to its brilliantly choreographed creepy set pieces and opting for a tone of impending dread over clichéd genre jump scares. Although there’s plenty of those on offer too!
The Grudge uses the same director as the original in Takashi Shimizu, leading to the film not really being a Hollywood remake per say. The location isn’t changed from Japan to L.A, a chunk of dialogue is still in Japanese, and most importantly it is handled by someone who truly cares and knows the source material better than any other director would.
Aside from a tepid performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the film is still as chilling watched today as when released. Despite not being as good as the original, it wasn’t too far off, with The Grudge becoming one of only two J-Horror remakes that stand on their own as being great films.