We truly live inthe era of the remake.
It seems that every second movie is a retelling of an older one.
The biggest issue with many of these remakes is that they strip away what made the original special.
Image via Universal Pictures
With this in mind, this list looks at ten of the most egregious examples.
ThePoint Breakremake is a prime example of how a film can completely misunderstand the spirit of its predecessor.
On the acting front,Luke Braceylacks the depth and intensity that Reeves brought to the character.
Image via 20th Century Fox
Then there’s the obnoxious product placements, including everything from Monster Energy drinks to high-end sports gear.
1982’sPoltergeistrepresented the formidable creative pairing ofSteven SpielbergandThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre’sTobe Hooper.
The former’s crowd-pleasing sensibility tempered the latter’s macabre creativity.
The result wasone of the most entertaining horrors of the 1980s, boasting strong performance and forward-thinking practical effects.
The movie isn’t awful; it’s just frustratingly mediocre.
It sticks to well-worn formulas, taking no creative risks, and is thus totally predictable.
It was also completely unnecessary, as the originalPoltergeiststill holds up today.
Back in 1963,Robert Wisedirected a terrific adaptation ofShirley Jackson’s seminal novelThe Haunting of Hill House.
A lot of the production design is good, but the story is a complete mess.
Image via 20th Century Fox
Everything falls apart in the third act.
The characters are uninteresting and the “scary” moments place gruesomeness over actual frights.
It forces the protagonists to speak in cliches and reduces some side characters to little more than cardboard cutouts.
Again, it’s simply odd that this movie was made at all.
Overall, it had a raw, unpolished energy that made it a cult favorite.
The 2016 remake, however, is a baffling shot-for-shot retelling that comes across as muted and sanitized.
Image via DreamWorks Pictures
Theres no fresh angle, no inventive reinterpretation.
It’s hard to see why anyone would want to watch it.
It’s a simple movie but an effective one.
In contrast,2019’s iteration is undercooked and heavy-handed, going for thematic resonance but failing completely.
It was actually the second remake, following 2006’s shaky (but still stronger) version.
This flick feels decidedly try-hard.
Image via AVCO Embassy Pictures
The more ambitious it gets, the more nonsensical it becomes.
It should have spent more time on characterization.
As it stands, the heroes are wafer-thin.
The protagonist Riley (Imogen Poots) is likable but undergoes absolute zero character development.
Since the audience isn’t invested in these characters' lives, their deaths don’t move us either.
Rather just rewatch the original.
Image via Lionsgate
The firstJacob’s LadderwithTim Robbinsis a mind-bending psychological horror that masterfully blends reality and hallucination.
It was highly influential, lending ideas to everything fromThe Sixth SenseandSilent HilltoOppenheimer.
The new version follows Jacob Singer (Michael Ealey), a veteran dealing with trauma and paranoia.
For all these reasons, it’s tiresome and thoroughly skippable.
The 1975 version ofRollerballwas a dystopian sci-fi that used brutal sports violence as a metaphor for corporate control.
It was tense and full of biting social commentary (though admittedly more than a little silly).
Image via Universal Pictures
Talk about on-set drama.
HOWD IT GET BURNED?"
The movie tries to be a commentary on gender dynamics, though it’s more boring than thought-provoking.
It also just doesn’tfeellikeThe Wicker Man.
Gone is the religious subtext, the slow-burning dread, andChristopher Lee’s commanding presence.
Nevertheless, despite the movie’s poor reception, the star has talked about making a sequel. "
Image via TriStar Pictures
What was once a sharp and insightful story becomes a tedious dumpster fire with no edge.
Unfortunately,any potential spark is quickly killed by the awkward dialogue and lack of chemistry between the leads.
The final act drags on interminably, stretching what was already a thin narrative into an endurance test.
Not for nothing, critics evisceratedSwept Awayand it won five Razzies, including Worst Picture.
NEXT:The 10 Best Chris Tucker Movies, Ranked
Image via Metro-Goldywn-Mayer Pictures
