5 remakes that surpass the original

It almost always turns out that the book is better than the movie and the remake is worse than the original, but there are also times when the new version is leaps and bounds better than the original movie. Moreover, many people sometimes do not even suspect the existence of an earlier version. There are a few remakes here that are not only as good as the original, but better in many ways.

“Suspiria”, dir. Luca Guadagnino (2018)

Dario Argento is a peerless master of giallo, and his murders and violence in Suspiria (1977) are filmed in a way that captivates with beauty despite the horror and, of course, the detective element. Luca Guadagnino’s new version is more reminiscent of a psychological horror, where the main character tries not so much to unravel the mystery of the legendary dance academy, but to achieve perfection in dance, which makes it resemble the protagonist Black Swan. Portam is on the verge of insanity. In fact, both films are worth watching, but the remake is stronger thanks in large part to the talents of Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, and Mia Goth.

By the way, we’ve written before about what distinguishes different subgenres of horror, from giallo and gothic to slashers and slow burners.

“O”, direction. Andrés Muschietti (2017)

Let’s start with the fact that fans of Stephen King’s book of the same name criticized both versions, finding both films superficial. But cinema lives by completely different rules than literature, so when a comparison is made between old and new adaptations, the latter wins hands down. The fact is that, despite the timing, the first film adaptation cannot boast of strong acting, although the images of the hellish clown feeding on children’s fears are no less scary. And Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise turned out to be more convincing, as did the performances of the adult actors portraying the adult children. Additionally, from a plot perspective, the remake revealed more information about the psychology of the main characters.

“The Talented Mr. Ripley”, dir. Anthony Minghella (1999)

Recently, the noir series “The Talented Mr. Ripley” was released, based on the book of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, but this film adaptation should be considered separately, so we compare two great films: “In the Bright Sun” (1960) with Alain Delon and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999) with Matt Damon. If in the first film the main anti-hero commits a crime, steals money and lives under someone else’s identity, in the remake the identity of the killer is more contradictory. Delon’s heroine is not tormented by what she has done, appearing as a pure “predator”, but Matt Damon’s Ripley accidentally turns into an unstoppable killer: she admired Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) and was also jealous and hated him . cold. It is no coincidence that he begins his story with regret, with the words “It all started with that damn jacket”, which he wore in the evening and introduced himself as a different person. It was this episode that started the chain of deadly events. And in terms of genre, “In the Bright Sun” is a crime drama, while “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is a psychological thriller.

“Ocean’s Eleven”, dir. Steven Soderbergh (2001)

Probably only Steven Soderbergh fans know that Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of the movie of the same name starring Frank Sinatra. While the original film is also captivating with its atmosphere and acting, it is still less dynamic compared to the final version starring George Clooney as the cunning Danny Ocean. The first version is a classic heist movie, but in the second film the hero will settle scores with an old enemy and meet his ex-wife, which deepens the situation even more: rather than personal interests, it is the thirst for justice that drives him. And Ocean’s partners in the remake do not fade into the background of the leader, but act just as brightly and boldly.

“Scent of a Woman”, dir. Martin Brest (1992)

Few people know that one of Al Pacino’s most popular films is the remake of the Italian film adaptation of Dino Risi’s (1974) “Scent of a Woman”, based on the novel “Darkness and Honey” by Giovanni Arpino. In the story, retired blind captain Fausto (Vittorio Gassman), accompanied by a young soldier (Alessandro Momo), goes to Naples to have a good time in high society. He is still irresistible and he also loves women whose scent means more to him than to others. The truth is that behind her courage lies an unmet need for true love. In the American version, the plot remains the same, but the “chemistry” of the relationship between blind Colonel Frank and Charlie (Chris O’Donnell), a young “green” man assigned to him as a “nurse”. It has nothing to do with military affairs, it is stronger. Charlie is initially angry at her cruel attacks and words, but later learns life wisdom from her and is filled with sincere, friendly feelings.