Top American Adaptations of Foreign Movies

Bryan Cranston plays a wealthy quadriplegic who hires a parolee (Kevin Hart) to help him reconnect with his ex-wife and son. In the process, an unlikely friendship develops in this life-affirming film. Critics liked the chemistry between Cranston and Hart but were less impressed by the movie than audiences, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

This horror film stars Dakota Fanning as an American dancer who goes to Berlin in the 1970s to audition for a place in a world-famous dance company. She replaces the lead dancer, who suffers a breakdown and accuses the company’s female managers of witchcraft. The Italian original stars Jessica Harper (who also appears in the reprise) as the aspiring student, and marked the final screen appearance of 1940s star Joan Bennett. It holds a 94% Rotten Tomatoes Freshness score.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire play brothers Tommy and Sam Cahill. Tommy is a drifter and Sam is a Marine. When Sam is presumed dead in Afghanistan, Tommy commits to looking after Sam’s family. He becomes close to Sam’s wife, Grace (Natalie Portman), and when Sam unexpectedly returns home, family life becomes complicated. Connie Nielsen stars in the Danish movie that was released in 2004 and holds a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 89%.

Critics liked the low-key tone of “Prince Avalanche,” a story about two road-crew workers away from home and crossing swords with each other and the women in their lives. The original was praised for the performances of the lead characters ands the film’s evocation of the 1980s.

Sebastián Lelio wrote and directed this rom-com about a divorcée who cuts loose on the dance floors of L.A. clubs and eventually finds herself in an unexpected romance. Critics hailed the performance of Julianne Moore in the title role; Rotten Tomatoes audiences were not so enamored of the film, rating it only at 47%, compared to 65% for the original.