Horror movies are some of the oldest forms of entertainment. People love to sit down, get their snacks and drinks ready, and brace themselves to get scared for a couple of hours. What makes horror movies so great is that they make people think outside the box in terms of what is terrifying in the world, from maniacs in a mask, supernatural forces, or otherworldly monsters. Unfortunately, some films fade with time as more are made, after all, horror movies produce lucratively at the box office. Here are twenty dated horror films that could use a remake.
20 The Birds (1963)
Starring Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor, The Birds follows the long-winding journey of Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brenner as they try to survive as supernatural occurrence in their small town; a massive bird attack. This story was a precursor to Jaws and reinforced that Alfred Hitchcock is one of the greatest masters of suspense in film history. It’s about time this film is remade for newer generations to relish in Hitchcock’s classic.
19 The Ring (2002)
This movie shocked audiences from all generations, mostly because it took a very simple approach. From Naomi Watt’s interpretation as Rachel, the ambitious journalist on a race against time to save herself from the video’s curse, to the video’s disturbing imagery, The Ring truly puts audiences at the edge of their seats. David Dorfman also gives a splendid performance as Aidan, Rachel’s neglected son, who also falls victim to the video’s curse and the countdown to his demise. Some call this film The Exorcist of its generation for a reason; it’s truly horrifying.
18 Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
There is no doubt that Rosemary’s Baby is a cult classic, given its eerie plot. Starring Mia Farrow, the story sets off when Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse (Farrow) decide to conceive as Guy’s acting career is finally taking off. After a nightmare on the night, the couple decides to give conception a go, Rosemary wakes up to a very perturbing reality, followed by the discovery that she is pregnant a few weeks later. As her pregnancy advances, Rosemary starts to develop a very insatiable appetite for red meat and an alarming weight loss. Rosemary eventually discovers that she is the vessel for the Antichrist, a realization she comes to terms with when she sees her newborn baby, giving in to her maternal instincts. Rosemary’s Baby is inarguably one of the most horrific and elaborate tales of the late 1960s, and is long overdue for a modern revamp.
17 Wait Until Dark (1967)
Audrey Hepburn was never known for starring in horror films, if anything, she was the immaculate leading lady that graced the big screen with her impeccable fashion and majestic poise. Nevertheless, 1967’s Wait Until Dark has Audrey Hepburn paired off with Richard Crenna and Alan Arkin in a game of cat and mouse. Entangled in a web of lies, recently blinded Susy Hendrix must keep herself and a narcotic-filled doll safe from three thugs looking to outsmart her. In a clever plot twist, Susy uses the advantage she has over her assailants; darkness, to gain the upper hand, submerging her apartment into sightlessness by breaking every light fixture in it.
During the film’s climax, the entire theater went dark as Susy and Roat went face-to-face in a battle to the death. Considering this was Audrey Hepburn’s final big-screen appearance, Wait Until Dark marked her as an early Scream Queen of sorts with the film’s iconic jump scare; this is a film that has inspired many horror films since (Hush and Sightless). Nevertheless, a faithful remake is what this movie truly needs for fans of the original.
16 Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Horror sequels rarely outdo their predecessors, but Friday the 13th Part 2 does this exceptionally. From the shocking opening kill of original final girl Alice Hardy, her replacement by the intelligent and quick-witted, Ginny, and the reveal of this sequel’s real killer, Jason Voorhees himself, Friday the 13th Part 2 packs a punch for any horror aficionados, amplifying the kills and stakes at every moment. It’s time to see what a modern-take of this sequel would give newer generations.
15 The Bad Seed (1956)
This late-50s classic stars William Hopper and Nancy Kelly as the Penmarks as the loving parents of Rhoda, a seemingly perfect only child. Rhoda’s mother soon starts to see beneath Rhoda’s immaculate exterior, noticing her tendency for stealing and lying, but nevertheless keeps the secret, believing Rhoda will grow out of her problematic habits. When Rhoda’s classmate dies, though, the plot thickens, and it’s up to her mother to stop Rhoda before the body count continues to increase. An inspiration for movies like The Bad Seed and Orphan, this classic horror film would be sure to appeal to fans of the psychopathic child horror sub-genre.
14 The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
This movie pales in comparison to the original The Exorcist. It actually proved a weak horror movie altogether due to its weak plot that contradicted everything the original The Exorcist established, giving a divine explanation to Regan’s possession. The movie soon relegated itself to complete camp and misused its predecessor prestige to build itself, along with wasting the talents of Linda Blair and Richard Burton. Whereas other horror films are great in their own right without the need to be revisited, The Exorcist II: The Heretic needs a remake simply because it is not a great film on its own.
13 The Entity (1982)
This underrated horror film has Barbara Hershey portraying Carla Moran, a woman undergoing an extremely rare phenomenon. After being sexually assaulted one night, Carla Confides in her friend about the assault. As the attacks repeat themselves, Carla feels helpless, as no one believes her claims that a supernatural force is behind the acts. Enter a group of paranormal investigators, Carla embarks on a mission to save her children, prove her sanity, and save her body from the evil force trying to claim it as its own. Chilling in every regard, a remake of this supernatural horror flick would surely shock audiences to their core.
12 The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
This film follows a group of high schoolers as they’re hunted by an escaped serial killer, Russ, wielding a power drill. Trish, the cool girl at school, hosts a slumber party while her parents are away for the weekend. Trish invites her closest friends and the new girl in town, Valerie, over for the festivity. Unbeknownst to them, Russ has his sights set on them as he follows their every step until nightfall. One by one, they fall victim to Russ until only Valerie and Trish are left standing. One of the bloodiest slashers of the early ’80s, The Slumber Party Massacre would do excellently remade, implementing modern-day contrivances into its plot.
11 The Shining (1980)
The Shining is one of Stephen King’s most chilling novels. Stanley Kubrick took his own artistic liberties with the 1980 horror adaptation, turning Jack into a deranged madman completely consumed by the Overlook’s curse and losing any semblance of humanity. The film used a moody atmosphere, perturbing imagery, and the element of isolation to our audiences in Wendy and Danny’s shoes as they fight for their lives against Jack Torrance. Although a miniseries was made in the late ’90s that was more faithful to Stephen King’s original source work, a modern-day remake using Stanley Kubrick’s framework is something that would surely bring in horror fans all across the board.
10 Psycho 2 (1983)
The original Psycho was remade in the late ’90s with Anne Heche and Vince Vaughn, paying homage to the Hitchcock classic while adding new twists to keep audiences on their toes. Nevertheless, Psycho 2 remains the only one in its kind. This sequel expanded on Norman Bates’ story and humanized him in a way that turned grim from villain to antihero, while also rewriting some of the events in the original cycle by turning Lila Crane into a villain herself. Psycho 2 ultimately shows audiences that Norman Bates was a victim of circumstances over merely a bloodthirsty killer. With trending series such as You and Dahmer, a Psycho 2 remake would surely appeal to the younger generation with an affinity for serial killer themed entertainment.
9 High Tension (2003)
Marking its 20th anniversary this year, this 2003 French home invasion film shocked audiences all around the world due to its, to play off its name, high tension from its first act. The plot follows two best friends, Marie and Alex, as they visit Alex’s family in the French countryside. What is supposed to be a fun, quiet weekend getaway soon turns into a nightmarish ordeal when a crazed serial killer breaks into the family’s home, killing off Alex’s family members one-by-one as Marie watches in hiding. When only Marie and Alex are left, Marie must overcome her fear to save her best friend from the clutches of this merciless assailant. Given its twist ending that leaves audiences in disbelief as to the killer’s true identity, High Tension needs an American remake. It’s unfathomable that it hasn’t had one yet.
8 Eyes Without a Face (1960)
This 1960s French horror film follows the formula of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. After suffering a near-fatal accident caused by her father, a young woman, Christiane is left disfigured. The father, Dr. Génessier, goes on a bender to restore Christiane’s face, leading him to abducting multiple women to use their faces as substitution for Christiane’s former face. This eerie story is, more than anything, a woeful tale of one father’s attempts to make amends, but ultimately driven to insanity by his own thirst for power and his God complex. From its striking cinematography to commentary on accountability and parenthood, this cult classic needs its American remake soon.
7 Prom Night (1980)
Prom Night was remade in 2008 as an incredibly loose adaptation of the 1980 original starring Jamie Lee Curtis, so much so that it holds no parallels to it aside from the title. The 1980 classic centers around the tragic accident involving a group of suburban children and the death of a neighbor. Promising to take the secret to their grave, the years pass, and they soon find themselves planning their senior prom. Some secrets can’t stay buried forever, though, as a masked assailant starts tracking them down one by one to claim revenge for their past crimes. Jamie Lee Curtis solidified her status as a Scream Queen in this classic slasher, and a cameo in a remake would be a welcomed addition.
6 The Fly (1986)
This David Cronenberg sci-fi-horror flick tells the story of yet another scientist, Seth Brundle, whose life’s work ends up leading to his downfall. When Seth experiments with his breakthrough teleportation machine one night while drunk, his whole life takes a turn for the worse when a fly inadvertently becomes part of the experimentation. Soon after, Seth begins to show insect behavior, from sugar cravings, to physical endurance, and an insatiable appetite overall, Seth’s girlfriend, Ronnie, starts to notice the odd behavior.
Seth soon loses his remaining sanity as his physical body transforms into that of a humanoid fly, and when he attempts to transform Ronnie and their unborn child into flies themselves, Ronnie is left with no choice but to end with Seth’s life herself. Despite is several campy and somewhat contrived moments, The Fly is a disheartening tale of professional burnout and seeing our loved ones fall apart before one’s eyes. With this day and age’s CGI, a remake would improve the original film.
5 The Sixth Sense (1999)
M. Night Shyamalan has a track record for making films that have a controversial plot twist; sometimes it works, and sometimes it rubs audiences in the wrong way. Nevertheless, The Sixth Sense remains one of Shyamalan’s most praised masterpieces. From Haley Joel Osment’s acting, Toni Collette portraying the conflicted mother who wants to help her son get better, but also questions his sanity, to that plot-twist ending where audiences realize the film has been told through an unreliable narrator; The Sixth Sense is a great example that less is more; a simple plot garnered Shyamalan a huge fan following that solidified him as a competent film director. A remake would be an interesting feat for Shyamalan, considering how he’s been focusing on book adaptions in his recent films.
4 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)
This classic film stars Oscar winners Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, and is by far ahead of its time with its tackled themes. Set in the early ’60s, this story follows the lives of two sisters well past their prime, Jane and Blanche Hudson. While both Jane and Blanche are no longer working actresses, Blanche remains as beloved by fans while Jane has faded into the shadows. As Jane’s jealousy increases, so does her insanity, prompting the paraplegic Blanche to plan to sell their home and plan to commit Jane to a psychiatric ward.
This only pushes Jane to the edge of insanity as she cuts Blanche off from the outside world, killing any of those trying to help her. On her dying breaths, Blanche finally reveals the truth behind her accident to Jane. A heartbreaking film about sibling rivalry, jealousy, and humanity’s darkest instincts, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is a horror classic deserving of a remake sooner than later.
3 Jaws (1975)
Just like The Exorcist, this horror classic scared audiences like never before, redefining taking a casual swim in the ocean during the summer. What makes Jaws so powerful is its ability to make audiences fear a creature that is only briefly seen in the film, while the acting and score blend together to maintain the suspense throughout. Ultimately, Jaws is a political commentary on corrupt politics. A modern remake incorporating current CGI would be sure to create a more menacing Jaws for audiences to wince at.
2 The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
This film garnered countless Academy Awards, a series of sequels, and even a TV series, making the name Anthony Hopkins synonymous with Hannibal Lecter. The Silence of the Lambs doesn’t rely on extensive gore to deliver its horror; it brings the viewer into the depths of Buffalo Bill’s mind through his victims, his lair, and the interactions between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Every scene has audiences at the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next, and if Catherine Martin will make it out alive or become Buffalo Bill’s final victim. The Silence of the Lambs is inarguably one of the most chilling horror films ever made, a remake would be something fans of the original would gladly pay to see on the big screen.
1 Gremlins (1984)
This mid-’80s classic redefined the concept of Christmas gifts and adorable household pets. First introduced as the mogwai, this type of pet requires three rules to function properly: do not let it come in contact with water; do not feed it after midnight; and do not let it come into contact with sunlight. Of course, this is a horror movie, and the titular mogwai, Gizmo, soon spawns off five more mogawai after being exposed to water, and these creatures prove anything but lovable. When tricking their owner into feeding them past midnight, tormenting the household they live in, to wrecking havoc on the entire neighborhood; they make for one bloody Christmas night in Kingston Falls. Gremlins remains a household staple during the holiday season for almost four decades; it’s time to see a modern take on this campy horror classic.