Authored by Rodney Southern in Movies and Television
Published on 08-04-2009

Horror movie remakes have become very popular in recent years, and when you consider the genre it is easy to understand why. Horror movies follow a pretty standard formula, and certain ones did it better than others. It seems logical that in the hit or miss world of horror movies, that remakes would be a good idea. At least a fan base is usually already in place. That said, what were the best modern horror movie remakes of all time? Here are my picks:

5. Friday the 13th While many people in the critic’s booth did not appreciate the retelling of this horror classic, those that enjoy slick modern horror loved it. The characters, plotline, and acting are all pretty decent in this version, and Jason seems to be faster and stronger than in previous Friday the 13th movies. It was quite disgusting and gory, and that is usually what the horror fan is looking for.

4. Halloween – This movie gave mixed feelings as well. On the one hand, Michael Myers back story was told in a powerful and direct fashion. On the other, John Carpenter’s original Halloween was pretty much impossible to top for most horror fans. The movie features a solid group of young actors, and is a must see for any Halloween fan.

3. The Ring – The Ring was really just a way to bring the movie to America. This movie was a hit across multiple fan bases, and was a great movie from start to finish. The creepy edge the movie has is actually quite tame in comparison to the original, but it is still scary just the same.

2. The Hills Have Eyes – This movie was easily the most frightening and gory horror movie in years. The older version was scary and even a bit gory, but it was nothing in comparison to this slick remake. The movie is tough to watch for anyone that is not a huge horror fan, and even some of them have a tough time sitting through the whole thing.

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – This movie got a lot of flack from the fans of the original movie. Still, it is without a doubt the best of the modern remakes in my opinion. They did a wonderful job of bringing in the dread and haunting feeling of this story. The thing that is missing in the new movie is the grainy, dirty cinematography that was such a staple of the original. In spite of this, the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a haunting, scary story and an excellent entry into the horror movie remake genre.