To celebrate the release of super entertaining horror Final Cut, the French remake of the acclaimed J-Horror One Cut Of The Dead, we look at some of the greatest horror remakes to grace the big screen. Final Cut follows a low-budget zombie film shoot thrown into chaos after their demanding director unleashes an ancient curse causing the real undead to rise from their graves, in the pursuit of ultimate filmmaking realism. Now, the actors must fight the undead and their director, desperately attempting to make sure they’re not left on life’s cutting room floor. Final Cut is written and directed by Academy Award®–winning writer-director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) and stars Romain Duris and Bérénice Bejo (The Artist).
THE THING – Dir: John Carpenter (1982)
Carpenter’s vision of The Thing from Another World is a masterclass in the technical achievement of practical effects to horrify. It originally debuted to underwhelming reception, with some labelling it “instant junk” – but of course, formed a cult following which eventually pivoted the passion of The Thing from disgust to adoration. Every element of this film could and perhaps should be acclaimed. The practical effects, which were once shrugged off, now stand as a testament to the timelessness of sticking to classical forms of scares, rather than digitizing them.
THE CRAZIES – Dir: Breck Eisner (2010)
A remake of a Romero classic could be labelled as sacrilege or it can be acclaimed, as shown with Steve Miner’s Day of the Dead or Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead. Eisner’s The Crazies occupies a slightly surreal middle ground between the two, incorporating elements of the original whilst redefining within a modern context, allowing for greater play in this hellscape. We have government espionage and military intervention against the backdrop of a zombie-like virus that still feels fresh even as we approached zombie oversaturation point. The maniacal and unhinged nature of The Crazies is chilling, having been completely overridden by an almost-heightened intelligence alongside a hunger for unadulterated slaughter.
EVIL DEAD – Dir: Fede Alvarez (2013)
It allowed The Evil Dead to re-enter into the public consciousness and to ensnare a new generation with the fascination for the Necronomicon, as well as a re-examination and a revival of the original adoration that Ash and the Evil Dead series received in its heyday. While it may not be universally loved, it is nevertheless an impressive attempt to add to the canon of a respected and adored franchise, rather than a disrespectful cash grab as is the way of many horror remakes.
IT – Dir: Andy Muschietti (2017)
Stuck in development period for the better part of a decade, swapping out directors and writers, with at one point Cary Fukunaga attached to write and direct, we eventually received what could be considered one of the greatest Horror remakes of all-time. Having achieved the highest-grossing horror of all time, this is a brilliant coming-of-age adventure encased in a horrifying context. Above all else, the characterization is what drives this film, both in the relationships between the Losers Club and their own twisted connections to Pennywise. If the Losers’ Club is the scaffolding, then Pennywise is the foundation of It.
SUSPIRIA – Dir: Luca Guadagnino (2018)
Guadagnino instils a great complexity into Suspiria’s lore, entwining the themes of abuse and motherhood, complicating the viewpoints of who we follow. The exploration of sisterhood, the matriarchal figures behind the Academy and a greater enrichment of the characterization of the witches within the film don’t go unnoticed, elevating it to a level of seriousness the original did not obtain, mostly due to its giallo nature. It would be amiss to not highlight Tilda Swinton’s powerhouse triptych performances film – the mystery of who she plays is only one of the many pieces of this sensational piece of art, that come together to make a violently striking and phenomenal horror that celebrates the original whilst firmly standing on its own.
Signature Entertainment presents Final Cut on Digital Platforms 7th November 2022