While Hollywood loves to remake classichorror movies, there are some whose legacy is so great that viewers just wish they’d leave the classics alone. In the history of horror, some films just stand in a league of their own, and to try and exploit their popularity with alackluster horror remakethat nobody asked for would feel almost blasphemous. With classics from directors like Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg, it’s hoped that film studios know better than to try and pursue a remake that audiences will flat-out reject.
Although some of thebest horror movies everhave already received disappointing remakes, as viewers have been subjected to retreads of everything fromA Nightmare on Elm StreettoThe Thing, others have managed to keep their legacy intact. It truly needs to remain this way as nobody wants to go back and revisit the legend ofThe Blair Witch Projectwith a new crop of actors or have to be subjected to a newJawscomplete with modern CGI. There are enoughhorror sequelsalready in danger of ruining these property’s legacy, so let’s not push things even further with unwanted remakes.
10The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
The Blair Witch Projectwas such a singular event in horror historythat to try and repeat it with a remake would just feel pointless. As a sleeper hit that showcased the potential of the found-footage genre in horror, part of the appeal of pseudo-documentary was its unique nature, as its marketing campaign spread the fictional legend of the Blair Witch and presented the lead actors as genuinely missing.
The Blair Witch Projecthas already had two poorly received sequels, and Lionsgate has expressed interest in rebooting the franchise (viaHollywood Reporter.)
With a low budget and an improvised style,The Blair Witch Projectpurported to be the genuine footage from discarded cameras of three young filmmakers who sought to explore a legend surrounding killings and disappearances attributed to the ghost of a Blair resident accused of practicing witchcraft in 1785. With a rich history as a trailblazing horror movie, remakingThe Blair Witch Projectwould feel like a pointless endeavor, as the shock value is already gone, and it would not have the same impact as a retreaded origin story.
9Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)
Directed by Jack Arnold
Few films embody the creature feature craze of the 1950s better thanCreature from the Black Lagoon, a classic of its era that should remain that way. From the iconic design of the Gill-man to the era-appropriate underwater practical effects, this 3D horror movie looks great for the time in which it was made, and it would feel inappropriate to return to this property with updated modern CGI techniques.
The slow-burn tension and mysterious Amazon setting ofCreature from the Black Lagoonare also out of step with the action-packed, jump-scare nature of many modern horror remakes. While there’s no need to remake this 1950s classic, that’s not to say its influence isn’t far-reaching, as the lessons learned from this movie can be seen in many modern movies. Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning filmThe Shape of Wateressentially felt like a spiritual successor toCreature from the Black Lagoon, so its legacy has already continued through subsequent media.
828 Days Later (2002)
Directed by Danny Boyle
It’s truly hard to underestimate the impact of this post-apocalyptic story from director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland.28 Days Laterwas a trailblazing zombie movie that helped reinvigorate the genre for modern times. With fast-moving zombies and a gritty, realistic environment,28 Days Latermoved away from the more comedic side of the zombie genreand reestablished it as a truly frightening concept that’s only become more relevant in the wake of widespread viruses and pandemics in the modern age.
As an unconventional horror that kickstarted an entire franchise, it would feel wrong to remake28 Days Later. Instead, the franchise has decided to continue expanding its world with sequels that add depth and intrigue to the aftereffects of the Rage Virus. With the enjoyable sequel28 Weeks Later,a long-awaited legacy sequel28 Years Laterawaiting release, and an announced fourth movie,28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, there’s no need to remake a series that’s still going as strong as ever.
7Event Horizon (1997)
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
Set in the year 2047,Event Horizonwas a Lovecraftian space nightmare that, although a commercial failure upon release, has since gained a reputation as a cult classic. As the story of a group of astronauts tasked with recovering a lost ship, this simple premise soon turns into an outright cosmic horror as they encounter a sinister and unknowable gateway to another dimension. With a slow-burn style, supernatural possession, and menacing otherworldly threats, director Paul W. S. Anderson truly captured something special withEvent Horizon.
Event Horizonhas a troubled production history, and Anderson was forced by Paramount to cut down his original version from 130 minutes to 96 minutes in length. Rather than pointlessly trying to remake this sci-fi classic, what viewers would really love to see is the full, unedited version of Anderson’s original cut. However, much ofEvent Horizon’soriginal footageappears to have been lost due to improper storage, so the original version is shrouded in mystery.
6Misery (1990)
Directed by Rob Reiner
There have been countless all-time great Stephen King adaptations over the years, althoughMiseryholds a special place due to the unmatched lead performance of Kathy Bates. With an Oscar-winning turn as the obsessive fan Annie Wilkes, audiences were left quaking in their boots as she held the writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan) captive and forced him to endlessly rewrite the finale to his novel series. As theonly King adaptation to win an Oscar, this showcases just the unique appeal of Rob Reiner’sMisery.
While other King classics likeCarrieandThe Shininghave already received remakes, nobody wants to see anyone attempt to repeat Bates’ career-defining performance, as it would likely feel like nothing more than a cheap parody. The terror of Annie Wilkes was in how Bates played her, as she translated the horror of the book perfectly from page to the screen.
5Hereditary (2018)
Directed by Ari Aster
As a movie released in 2018, there haven’t been many discussions about attempting to remake Ari Aster’sHereditary, and it should stay that way. This modern classic has gained a reverence among horror enthusiasts that few modern movies manage to garner, and this means that as the years go on, studios will surely attempt to return to the property for an ill-advised remake. With such a unique sense of style and a setup that leans into the tropes of classic stories of Satanic cults such asRosemary’s Baby,Hereditaryshould stand on its own.
As a filmmaker of singular vision, directorAri Aster did not even opt to return toHereditaryfor a sequeland instead has continued telling unique and idiosyncratic horror stories. Rather than return to the same subject matter for a follow-up film, Aster pushed into new territory as he gave his own take onThe Wicker Man-style rituals withMidsommarand a surreal odyssey into the nature of fear withBeau Is Afraid. It seems horror studios should take a page out of Aster’s book and continue exploring original ideas instead of unwanted remakes.
4Get Out (2017)
Directed by Jordan Peele
WhileGet Outwill surely still be thought about as an all-time great horror movie 50 years from now, hopefully its dark political relevance will feel like such a relic of a bygone era that a remake would not even make sense. Jordan Peele captured something essential about race, white fragility, and the fetishization of Black bodies with this extraordinary directorial debut. WithGet Out, Peele reflected contemporary society’s discriminatory beliefs onto itself, and a remake would mean that modern culture has not heeded the lessons it had to teach.
As a layered look at a supposedly post-racial United States,Get Outhighlighted that prejudices are now just hidden below the surfaceinstead of being spoken outright. With a career-defining performance from Daniel Kaluuya, there’s no need to remakeGet Out,as it feels like a fully realized vision that achieved everything it set out to do. As a real piece of auteur filmmaking from Peele, remakingGet Outjust wouldn’t have the same impact.
3Jaws (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
TheJawssequels were enough to prove that this property delivered diminishing returns. The originalJawsmovie by Steven Spielberg was not only an all-time great horror-thriller but, along withStar Wars, represented a watershed moment in the history of Hollywood as it signaled the dawning of the summer blockbuster. This legacy cannot be repeated, and remakingJawsin the modern era would be a fool’s errand.
Jawswas the original killer shark movie, and its legacy has already been repeated with a litany of lackluster sequels and countless rip-off movies that try to tap into its iconic nature. With a troubled production history, so many things about the success ofJawswere happy accidents, as the continual breakdown of its mechanical shark actually led to the unseen power of its movie monster. Nobody wants to see a remake ofJaws,and if the studios ever attempted it, then it would just sink like a lead balloon to the bottom of the sea.
2Alien (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott
The sci-fi classicAlienhas earned its reputation among the best horror movies ever made, as Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ripley helped turn the damsel in distress trope on its head and deliver one of the all-time great movie heroines. From director Ridley Scott, the power ofAlienwas that it combined incredible worldbuilding, genuine scares, and a deeply claustrophobic haunted house-style horror story all into one. Asthe crew onboard the Nostromo was taken out one by one by the terrifying Xenomorph, watching as Ripley did everything in her power to survive made for truly nail-biting viewing.
The only time it makes sense to remake a horror movie is when it feels like there’s a possibility that the new film could improve upon the original. This would not be the case withAlien, and nobody wants to see the studios try. Instead, the richly imagined lore of the Xenomorph should be expanded, which allows new filmmakers to put their spin on this world without harming the legacy of the original. While there’s been a mixed response to some of the later movies, the success ofAliensandAlien: Romulusproves it’s possible.
1The Exorcist (1973)
Directed by William Friedkin
As one of the greatest horror movies of all time, there’s truly no repeatingthe cultural impact ofThe Exorcist,and nobody wants to see them try to remake the original. With groundbreaking practical effects, masterful tension, and a chilling atmosphere, one major reason to leave this classic be is that it still holds up as well today as it did back in 1973. The shock factor ofThe Exorcistwas unlike anything previously seen in horror, as theater attendees reportedly fainted and vomited from the sheer terror of what they were witnessing on screen.
The Exorcistpaved the way for a litany of subsequenthorror moviesthat dealt with religious spiritual practices and the dark world of demonic possession. The influence of this movie was far-reaching, and its impact on popular culture means that a remake couldn’t be anything else but a letdown. The performances of Linda Blair as the possessed girl Regan and Max von Sydow as the priest were also irreplaceable, so it’s best to just let the legacy of this classic be.
