10 horror remakes that completely changed the original

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Speak No Evil (2024)

Horror remakes are known for changing the tone or cinematography style, but some movies, viz Speak no evilChange the originals more significantly. The announcement for the Hollywood version of Speak no evil Was surprising because the news broke one year after the release of the original 2022 Danish thriller. The original movie was quickly hailed as one of the best horror movies of the past five years, setting an extremely high bar for the 2024 version with James McAvoy.

Surprisingly, the 2024 version of ​​the film thrived against all expectations because the creative team chose to diverge from the original in many ways – especially the Hollywood ending. Speak no evil. The movie is not the first remake to completely change the source material. Many remakes differ from the originals in theme, narrative style, plot and characterswith varying levels of success.

10

Black Christmas (2019)

Sorority sisters try to survive a murderer

The original is a clear winner when comparing the 1974 and 2019 versions of Black ChristmasPartly because the new version completely changes the ending. Rather than a simple premise, the movie introduces a supernatural element at the last moment. The fraternity brothers use an incantation and black liquid to possess new pledges with the spirit of the misogynistic Calvin Hawthorne.

The inclusion of spirits mitigates the critical messages about rape culture and the patriarchy, which is also a shift from the commentary on abortion in the original Black Christmas. Unfortunately, due to the poor execution of the themes and significant narrative changes, the remake is simply not as good as the original movie. The writers would have been better off updating the themes, keeping the subtlety in the script, and leaving out the supernatural twist altogether.

9

Susperia (2018)

A dance group is caught in witchcraft

The 1977 movie Susperi is only loosely related to the 2018 film of the same name. Although they have the same basic premise, the visuals, the color palette, character arcs and violence are all different. The Technicolor of the original may have been more interesting to look at, but the darker, more muted color palette of the remake contributes to the eerie tone. The dancing is more central to the plot rather than a background element. However, the most significant change comes in the form of the ending.

Rather than defeating the witch in the remake of Susperi, Susie ends up being the real witch. She kills the imposter and slaughters all the followers, creating a bloody good time for viewers. Suzy also gives the wishes of the followers who worshiped her before. Ultimately, both versions of the movie have a lot of great things going for them, but the ending of the remake is more entertaining to watch.

8

Evil Dead (2013)

A group of young adults awakens Deadites

At face value, there are very few differences between the originals Evil Dead movie and the 2013 remake. Five characters go to a cabin in the woods, where they read a book bound by human flesh that summons a demon that conjures deadites. However, the two horror movies are completely different when it comes to their tone and visuals. In the remake, the five main characters do not go to the cabin for a fun time. They are trying to help Mia detox from her opioid use disorder.

When she begins to see things, they believe that she is hallucinating. The story element gives the movie a sad tone from the beginning. Evil Dead (2013) only gets more horrifying, dark and serious as time goes onRemoving the comedic elements in the original movie. The violence is more disturbing to watch with extreme close-up and body horror, like a person cutting off their own arm. Although they have similar storylines and locales, the two couldn’t offer a more different viewing experience, making both movies contenders for the best movie of the year. Evil Dead Franchise.

7

The Invisible Man (2020)

A man uses invisibility to gain power

Although they share the same source material and name, the 1933 movie The invisible man is very different from the eponymous 2020 movie. The original film focuses on the mad scientist Griffin, who finds a way to become invisible but soon realizes that he cannot reverse his visibility after taking the serum. in contrast, The remake of the movie focuses on the fear of technological advancements rather than scientific discoveries. The main character, Cecelia Kass, is the ex-partner of a rich, abusive man who develops technology to become invisible at will. Unlike the original, this is not a permanent state of being.

While the original incorporates dark humor, the newer version is somber and tense. moreover, The invisible man (2020) focuses on the themes of abuse, trauma, control, power and how all these themes interact with one another. The only significant thematic crossover is the investigation of sanity. Ultimately, the deviations from the original movie allow the story to feel more relevant to modern audiences.

6

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

A ghost attacks teenagers through their dreams

The remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street is often accused of being a copy and paste of the previous movies, offering nothing new that sets it apart. However, the movie is completely different when you look at it through the lens of the new Freddy Krueger backstory. In the original movie, Freddy was a child killer before his death, killed by the parents living on the street he terrorized. His targets as a ghost are the children of the people who killed him.

In the remake, the villain was a child molester before his death, Freddy Krueger’s initial origin story. His targets as a ghost are the kids he previously sexually abused. With this in mind, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) becomes a tale about confronting and overcoming past trauma. These teens are survivors who cannot move on from their past. This creates a strong allegory, changing the perception of the eventsEven if they are technically the same.

5

Carrie (2013)

A bullied and oppressed teen develops telekinesis

While both movies follow the basic premise in the Stephen King book, the two theatrically released movie adaptations of Curry Have very different character arcs for Carrie and Sue. One of the most significant shifts is Kerry White’s personality. In the 1978 version of the movie, Carrie is afraid of her abilities and does not use them by choice. Even the scene where she wreaks havoc on her classmates seems to take place in a trance rather than a fully conscious state.

In the 2013 version of CurryThe titular main character has happily embraced her telekinesis and uses it herself. While this makes you feel more empowered, it also gives you a villain arc from the start. That said, her upbringing and bullying still impact the final act of the movie. Additionally, the endings go in very different directions for Sue Snell. In the new movie, Sue ends up being pregnant and in a mentally stable state rather than PTSD.

4

Prom Night (2008)

A killer stokes characters leading up to prom night

The 1980 movie Prom night Has very few elements in common with the 2008 version outside of the prom setting. The original film has a murder-mystery element with an unknown, masked killer. The story offers multiple possible suspects. Finally, the story in the 1980s Prom nightIt’s one of revenge, with the villain seeking revenge for an old cover-up murder. The new movie has a completely different structure, characters and story.

The identity of the killer, Richard Fenton, is known from the beginning of Prom night (2008)Removing the murder mystery component. Fenton was previously a teacher who became obsessed with a student named Donna Keppel, which makes his motivation stalking and fixation. At the end of the new Prom nightFenton killed almost the entire Keppel family. Interestingly, the new story may actually be a reference to the character Mr. Sykes from the 1980 movie, who behaved in a creepy and predatory way. Unfortunately, none of these movies are particularly great or memorable, even for horror fans.

3

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

A killer called the Miner terrorizes a small town on Valentine’s Day

When it comes to movie remakes, one usually beats out the other. Both versions of My bloody valentine are equally compelling, in part because they take very different approaches to storytelling. The 1981 version of My bloody valentine has a heavy focus on the curse of the city and the lore, making the titular holiday central to the plot. however, The 2009 version of this story has almost zero connection to Valentine’s DayMaking the timing of the murders coincidental. Harry just so happens to come back to town at that time.

The newer version of the story also leans into the exploitation film genre, incorporating more sex and gore. The red herring character has different possible motives, with the original featuring revenge and the remake featuring homicidal rage. Finally, the 1981 version of My bloody valentine Does a lousy job of hiding the killer. The list was quickly narrowed down to three options. The 2009 movie does a better job of keeping the miner’s identity until the end.

2

The Vanishing (1993)

A man tries to track down his kidnapped girlfriend

like Speak no evil, The vanishing Started as a foreign film, its ending was changed to be more hopeful. The original Dutch movie, Spoulos, Ended with Rex drinking powdered coffee and waking up in a box buried underground. He dies in the same way Saskia does as Raymond sits above ground and reads a newspaper about the character’s disappearance. With the original ending, the movie makes a bleak commentary on how people become evil.

however, The vanishing (1993) changes the story by having Rita, the new girlfriend of Jeff (the American equivalent of Rex), find him and Barney (Raymond). She kills the kidnapper, and Jeff and Rita go on to write a book about their experience. This changes the core message of the ending to be about never giving up on love, a much sappy message. Unfortunately, the new version of the movie was not as well received as 2024 Speak no evil. Because of this change, The vanishing is widely regarded as one of the worst Hollywood remakes of international horror movies (viz Collider).

1

Speak No Evil (2024)

A family visits the home of a family they met on vacation

The basic premise of Speak no evil Remains the same throughout both movies. Two couples with their children meet on vacation, and then one of the couples is invited to go to the other’s house for a week. It is eventually revealed that the duo whose house it is kills other couples and kidnaps their children. However, 2024s Speak no evil Changes the original movie in the way that the twist is revealed and the ending. In the original version, Bjørn discovers the truth. The 2024 movie has Ant, the kidnapped son of Ciara and Paddy, exposing the truth to Agnes.

When the original film wraps up, Abel (the Danish version of Ant) has drowned, and Patrick and Karin have brutally murdered Born and Louise by stunning them to death. They also adopted Agnes as their new child. Hollywood’s version of the movie ends with Louise killing Ciara and Ant killing Paddy. The surviving couple drive off with Ant and Agnes in the car. Not similar The VanishingThe new ending of Speak no evil Did not destroy the message or themes because the two movies are complementary to one another.

Sources: Collider