Many of us feel passionate about films; movies that we saw when they originally came out (or so we thought) and enjoyed so much that we can’t imagine it being done any other way. But what may surprise many of us is that often, these films are not the originals. Although some cinema masterpieces are often left alone – and rightfully so – others get remade once or twice, or even more. King Kong is a perfect example, having been remade eight times since it was first shown in movie houses in 1933.
Remaking a film is often a reliable strategy for filmmakers. It may not be an original idea and the majority of these new versions pale in comparison to the original. However, there are those instances where a remake exceeds the initial version in both critical acclaim and audience reception. (Check out these movies that keep getting remade).
To determine the movie remakes that are better than the original, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and both audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of mid-September 2023, weighting all ratings equally. Remakes were ranked based on the difference between their index score and that of the original film they were based upon.
Movies are often remade for multiple reasons. Nostalgia is one of the primary rationales. People are often drawn to a film that they know and love, one that brings back fond memories of a certain time in their lives and producers hope to bring this same feeling to a new generation of viewers and connect with the existing audience. It is also another way to modernize an older film. Reboots enable filmgoers to relive their original film experience while offering a refreshing approach to the original material.
In addition, technology can expand upon the original film. Certain films that may be outdated are rebooted thanks to newer technology which brings a new cinematic experience to science fiction and horror films. John Carpenter and David Cronenberg took two of the most famous sci-fi films of the 1950s, “The Thing” (1951) and “The Fly” (1958), and built on their terrifying effects with technological advancements in the 1980s.
Other movie remakes may look abroad for inspiration, reworking popular foreign-language films to reach a wider American audience. The popular Swedish film, “A Man Called Ove” was redone in 2022 for American audiences, changing the setting to Pittsburgh as “A Man Called Otto” starring Tom Hanks. Then there is Iceland’s “Á annan veg” (or “Either Way”) was transported from the Icelandic countryside to rural Texas as “Prince Avalanche.” (See this list of the top American adaptations of foreign movies.)
Certain reboots have been released as many as 60 years after the original (like “West Side Story”), but others, like five of the films on this list, were remade within four years of the original. Eighteen of the 25 remakes on our list were released in the 21st century, demonstrating that Hollywood has hardly tired of its remake strategy – and might even be learning to do things a little better sometimes.
Here are the movie remakes better than the original:
25. (2007) vs. 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 vs. 7.6/10
- RT audience score: 86% vs. 79%
- RT Tomatometer score: 89% vs. 96%
24. The Mechanic (2011) vs. The Mechanic (1972)
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 vs. 6.9/10
- RT audience score: 51% vs. 65%
- RT Tomatometer score: 53% vs. 33%
23. Prince Avalanche (2013) vs. Either Way (2011)
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 vs. 6.6/10
- RT audience score: 53% vs. 65%
- RT Tomatometer score: 82% vs. 65%
22. The Debt (2010) vs. Ha-Hov (2007)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 vs. 6.9/10
- RT audience score: 66% vs. 69%
- RT Tomatometer score: 77% vs. 69%
21. West Side Story (2021) vs. West Side Story (1961)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 vs. 7.5/10
- RT audience score: 93% vs. 84%
- RT Tomatometer score: 91% vs. 91%
20. Wrong Turn (2021) vs. Wrong Turn (2003)
- IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 vs. 6.1/10
- RT audience score: 46% vs. 54%
- RT Tomatometer score: 65% vs. 40%
19. Fever Pitch (2005) vs. Fever Pitch (1997)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 vs. 6.7/10
- RT audience score: 60% vs. 59%
- RT Tomatometer score: 65% vs. 50%
18. The Fly (1986) vs. The Fly (1958)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 vs. 7.1/10
- RT audience score: 83% vs. 71%
- RT Tomatometer score: 93% vs. 95%
17. Freaky Friday (2003) vs. Freaky Friday (1976)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 vs. 6.3/10
- RT audience score: 57% vs. 57%
- RT Tomatometer score: 88% vs. 70%
16. We Are What We Are (2013) vs. We Are What We Are (2010)
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 vs. 5.7/10
- RT audience score: 50% vs. 48%
- RT Tomatometer score: 86% vs. 72%
15. Willard (2003) vs. Willard (1971)
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 vs. 6.2/10
- RT audience score: 51% vs. 38%
- RT Tomatometer score: 64% vs. 57%
14. The Crazies (2010) vs. The Crazies (1973)
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 vs. 6.1/10
- RT audience score: 56% vs. 43%
- RT Tomatometer score: 70% vs. 69%
13. Scent of a Woman (1992) vs. Scent of a Woman (1974)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 vs. 7.6/10
- RT audience score: 92% vs. 83%
- RT Tomatometer score: 89% vs. 83%
12. Lassie (2005) vs. Lassie (1994)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 vs. 5.9/10
- RT audience score: 64% vs. 55%
- RT Tomatometer score: 93% vs. 88%
11. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) vs. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 vs. 6.3/10
- RT audience score: 79% vs. 55%
- RT Tomatometer score: 90% vs. 92%
10. The Thing (1982) vs. The Thing from Another World (1951)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 vs. 7.1/10
- RT audience score: 92% vs. 73%
- RT Tomatometer score: 86% vs. 86%
9. True Lies (1994) vs. La Totale! (1991)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 vs. 6.3/10
- RT audience score: 76% vs. 63%
- RT Tomatometer score: 71% vs. 63%
8. CODA (2021) vs. La Famille Bélier (2014)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 vs. 7.3/10
- RT audience score: 91% vs. 75%
- RT Tomatometer score: 94% vs. 83%
7. The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) vs. The Kindergarten Teacher (2014)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 vs. 6.6/10
- RT audience score: 68% vs. 45%
- RT Tomatometer score: 90% vs. 77%
6. The Departed (2006) vs. Internal Affairs (2002)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 vs. 8.0/10
- RT audience score: 94% vs. 59%
- RT Tomatometer score: 90% vs. 88%
5. Pete’s Dragon (2016) vs. Pete’s Dragon (1977)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 vs. 6.4/10
- RT audience score: 72% vs. 60%
- RT Tomatometer score: 88% vs. 56%
4. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) vs. Ocean’s 11 (1960)
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 vs. 6.6/10
- RT audience score: 80% vs. 81%
- RT Tomatometer score: 83% vs. 48%
3. Return to Paradise (1998) vs. Force majeure (1989)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 vs. 6.3/10
- RT audience score: 74% vs. 50%
- RT Tomatometer score: 71% vs. 50%
2. Dune (2021) vs. Dune (1984)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 vs. 6.4/10
- RT audience score: 90% vs. 66%
- RT Tomatometer score: 83% vs. 49%
1. The Maltese Falcon (1941) vs. The Maltese Falcon (1931)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 vs. 6.9/10
- RT audience score: 91% vs. 49%
- RT Tomatometer score: 99% vs. 71%