10 Horror Movie Reboots That Lived Up To The Original

These days, it’s all too common for horror movie reboots to be terrible cash grabs done just to cash in on the love and adoration that many horror fans have for the genre and franchises.

Take the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre for example, released in 2022. The lack of care and respect for the franchise is evident, with fans and critics unanimously panning the film. Many reboots like this fail to capture the spark that makes the originals so good and leave everyone wondering how these images managed to get past the drawing board.

However, there are instances where a remake comes out and exceeds all expectations by sticking to the original and honoring the beloved franchise. It rekindles the passion that many fans have for the genre, while creating new fans in the process.

It’s definitely a nice surprise when a movie like this comes out and actually offers something new, rather than rehashing the same ideas and drawing inspiration from what’s come before.

So here are ten such reboots that lived up to the legacy of – or even bettered, in some cases – their predecessors.

One thing that is absolutely necessary for a reboot of any film to do the original justice is that the filmmakers taking on the task must have a great deal of respect for the source material. If those involved aren’t passionate about building the legacy of a franchise they love, then it’s doomed from the start.

Fortunately, it’s clear that The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) is a labor of love, and it works as both a reboot and a fitting homage to the 1976 film, with a few meta nods to the original.

There’s a nostalgia factor at play here that may help longtime fans appreciate this image, but that’s not the only reason for its positive reception. The small-town setting helps create a thrilling atmosphere with acute tension. Addison Timlin’s latest daughter, Jamie Lerner, is likable and you genuinely care about her, which is more than can be said for many heroes and heroines in the genre, and a strong supporting cast bolsters the list of potential victims.

It’s a brutal reboot that’s a fitting homage to the original 1976 film, and the way it blurs the line between sequel and homage is wonderfully meta, offering a lot for new and old fans alike.