These days, it seems Hollywood can’t get enough of sequels and remakes, churning out new versions of classic films at a breakneck pace. Yet, every now and then a remake swoops in and actually eclipses the original. Below, we count down the top 10 remakes that outshine their predecessors, proving that a fresh take can sometimes be better than the source.
What Makes These Top 10 Remakes Stand Out
10 Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The 1960 cult classic “Little Shop of Horrors” was shepherded by low‑budget legend Roger Corman, who turned a modest B‑movie into a beloved black‑comedy. Its quirky charm sparked a 1982 Off‑Off‑Broadway musical that quickly leapt to a full‑blown Broadway run, delighting audiences for five straight years.
Fast forward to 1986, when Frank Oz took the stage‑musical and turned it into a feature film starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, and Steve Martin. Oz’s version is essentially an adaptation of an adaptation, yet it remains faithful enough to the Broadway production to feel like a natural evolution of the story.
Among fans, the ’86 picture often claims the crown as the definitive version, even though many viewers haven’t seen the 1960 original. Critics’ aggregators show the remake edging the original by a slim 2 % on the “paid‑shill” side, while genuine audience scores plunge roughly 24 % lower for the older film. The movie also boasts an early cameo by Jack Nicholson, adding another layer of trivia for cinephiles.
One quirky footnote that keeps popping up in trivia circles: the 1986 film marks the only occasion where comedy heavyweights Steve Martin and Bill Murray appear together on screen, sharing less than five minutes of joint screen time.
9 Evil Dead 2 (1987)
Sam Raimi’s original 1981 indie horror, “The Evil Dead,” was a shoestring venture made on a $90,000 budget. Its raw energy earned a spot at Cannes in 1982, where a rare Stephen King endorsement helped secure wider distribution.
By 1987, Raimi’s star was on the rise, and the studio handed him a $3.5 million budget to revisit his nightmare. He originally wanted a medieval sequel via time travel, but the producer insisted on staying true to the first film’s tone, resulting in a hybrid sequel‑remake that mirrors much of the original plot while injecting fresh set‑pieces.
Raimi himself calls it a “requel,” and the outcome proves why: a modest $90,000 horror flick reborn with a budget nearly 40 times larger becomes a genre‑defining masterpiece, spawning a beloved franchise that still thrills fans today.
8 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1986)
The 1964 comedy “Bedtime Story” paired David Niven and Marlon Brando as rival con artists in a sun‑kissed Mediterranean locale. While the original was solid, it never quite captured the cultural zeitgeist.
Enter Frank Oz’s 1986 remake, retitled “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine. The script swaps the original’s British‑American dynamic for a snappier U.S.‑British clash, and the chemistry between Martin and Caine elevates the material to classic status.
Critical consensus places the remake well above its predecessor, and it remains a benchmark for modern comedies. The story even resurfaced in 2019 as the gender‑swapped “The Hustle,” starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson, which unfortunately fell flat compared to the 1986 gold standard.
7 The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s 1982 “The Thing” bombed at the box office, pulling in just $19.6 million against a $15 million budget, and critics initially panned it. Over the decades, however, it has been re‑evaluated and now stands as a cult‑classic pinnacle of sci‑fi horror.
Carpenter’s version adapts John W. Campbell Jr.’s 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” but is not the first screen treatment. The 1951 “The Thing from Another World” preceded it and performed respectably, yet Carpenter’s take eclipses the earlier effort with groundbreaking practical effects.
Rob Bottin’s grotesque body‑horror makeup, aided by Stan Winston, gave the film a visceral edge that reshaped the genre. Modern viewers rarely revisit the 1951 version, opting instead for Carpenter’s definitive, atmosphere‑rich masterpiece.
6 The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel has inspired eleven film adaptations, the earliest dating back to 1909. For many years, the 1936 version starring Randolph Scott held the crown as the definitive cinematic rendering.
The 1992 adaptation, directed by Michael Mann and starring Daniel Day‑Lewis, finally eclipsed its predecessors. Day‑Lewis’s magnetic performance, coupled with Mann’s sweeping direction, turned the tale into an epic that resonates with contemporary audiences.
The film earned a BAFTA nomination for Day‑Lewis and enjoys an impressive 88 % Rotten Tomatoes rating—far outpacing the earlier versions—solidifying its place as the ultimate screen incarnation of Cooper’s classic story.
5 The Fly (1986)
Kurt Neumann’s 1958 horror‑sci‑fi picture “The Fly” introduced audiences to a terrifying scientist‑fly hybrid, spawning two sequels and cementing its place in genre history.
David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake, headlined by Jeff Goldblum, took the core premise and amplified the horror factor, swapping the original’s simple experiment for a teleportation mishap that gradually transforms Goldblum’s character into a grotesque creature.
The Cronenberg version clinched the Academy Award for Best Makeup and propelled Goldblum into stardom, making it widely regarded as a superior retelling that outshines the 1958 original in both visceral impact and critical reception.
4 Scarface (1983)
Many assume Brian De Palma’s 1983 “Scarface” is an original, but it is actually a remake of the 1932 film, itself based on Armitage Trail’s 1929 novel inspired by Al Capone’s rise.
The 1932 version, starring Paul Muni, earned an 86 % Rotten Tomatoes score and remains a classic crime drama. However, Al Pacino’s 1983 reinterpretation—set in Miami and infused with themes of immigration, drug trade, and over‑the‑top violence—has become the definitive cultural touchstone, boasting a 93 % rating.
De Palma dedicated his film to original writers Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht, underscoring its status as a true remake that eclipses its predecessor in both style and legacy.
3 The Ten Commandments (1956)
Cecil B. De Mille famously directed epic spectacles, but few realize he tackled “The Ten Commandments” twice: first as a silent 1923 version and later as the 1956 Technicolor masterpiece.
The 1956 remake, infused with vibrant color and sound, reimagined the Exodus story alongside a contemporary family narrative, eclipsing the earlier silent effort and earning a reputation as one of cinema’s greatest epics.
It garnered seven Academy Award nominations—including Best Picture—won Best Visual Effects, and secured De Mille a Critics Circle award for directing. Adjusted for inflation, it ranks as the second‑highest‑grossing biblical film of all time, trailing only “The Passion of the Christ,” and continues to air every Easter season since 1973.
2 The Maltese Falcon (1941)
While many associate the iconic private‑eye Sam Spade with Humphrey Bogart’s 1941 performance, the story first hit the screen in 1931, starring Ricardo Cortez as Spade.
The 1931 adaptation, though a classic in its own right, suffered heavy censorship that stripped away its risqué moments, leaving a disjointed version that only regained its full form in 1966. By then, Bogart’s 1941 rendition—renowned for its sharp dialogue and atmospheric flair—had already captured the public’s imagination.
Rotten Tomatoes reflects this split: the 1941 film enjoys a 91 % rating, while the 1931 version lags at 48 %. The later film’s enduring legacy cements it as the definitive interpretation of Dashiell Hammett’s novel.
1 The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The 1939 Technicolor marvel starring Judy Garland is, surprisingly, a remake of a 1925 silent adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved novel. The earlier version, featuring a young Oliver Hardy as the Tin Man, lacked sound and the iconic musical numbers that define the later classic.
Garland’s rendition brought together an all‑star cast, unforgettable songs, and vivid imagery, quickly ascending to the status of one of cinema’s most cherished films. While the 1910 silent version was the first screen translation, it never achieved the cultural impact of the 1939 masterpiece.
Today, the 1939 “Wizard of Oz” stands tall as a timeless favorite, eclipsing its silent predecessors and continuing to enchant audiences of all ages.