I set out to compile a list of remakes that actually surpassed their originals. Honestly, I struggled. I only found about twelve strong examples that truly earned that title . It’s a testament to how rarely remakes improve on what came before. Most fall flat. The exceptions …
“Ocean’s Eleven,” “The Thing,” “The Fly, “Casino Royale,” “The Departed,” “True Grit,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Scarface,” and “Sorcerer”
That’s pretty much it. In more than a century of filmmaking, only a dozen remakes have truly justified their existence—eclipsing the originals or at least standing shoulder to shoulder with them. (Though I’m stretching a bit with “Sorcerer,” which is really only on par with The “Wages of Fear.”)
Fact is, remakes rarely live up to the original. It’s not just nostalgia clouding our judgment. The truth is, most remakes aren’t driven by creative ambition but by risk-averse studios hungry for IP recognition. Filmmakers tasked with recreating beloved classics are often told to play it safe.