In Hollywood, there’s never a wrong time to revisit the premise of a previously existing classic. It’s usually a movie that earned serious bank upon its initial release, though every now and then, it will just be a matter of an established filmmaker wanting to put his or her own spin on the material. Take Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” for example, which is a remake of a 1947 noir but also a faithful adaptation of the source novel that both movies are based on.
To determine the best movie remakes of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the Ultimate Movie Remakes List on IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon. To rank the films, we created an index of average user ratings on IMDb and average audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, scaled to take into account the varying number of votes across the movies in our database. This combined rating was then averaged with the Rotten Tomatoes critic rating to obtain each film’s 24/7 Tempo index score. To be considered, each film had to have at least 10,000 total user ratings between IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes and 10 approved Tomatometer critic reviews.
Generally, the best remakes bring something new and exciting to the table instead of merely rehashing a previous film or capitalizing on that film’s blockbuster success. For instance, the 1986 musical comedy “Little Shop of Horrors” completely reimagines a low-budget Roger Corman movie and breathes all kinds of new life into the narrative as a result. And while the 1932 pre-code gangster flick “Scarface” is considered a classic, it bears scant resemblance to Brian De Palma’s ultra-violent epic of the same name. (Both, though, are good enough to be considered among the 50 best gangster movies of all time.)
Then there are films such as Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” or John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” which employ modern production techniques and make their respective predecessors seem stiff or dated by comparison. It all provides for a compelling argument in favor of the occasional remake. (These are movie remakes that are better than the original.)
Click here to see the best movie remakes of all time
On the other hand, Hollywood does tend to go overboard in the pursuit of profit. Indeed, was anyone really asking for a remake of “Total Recall” in 2012 or “Point Break” in 2015? Suffice it to say, you won’t find those titles on the following list.
40. Ransom (1996)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.06 (tie)
> Directed by: Ron Howard
> Starring: Mel Gibson, Gary Sinise, Rene Russo, Brawley Nolte
> Original Film: Ransom! (1956)
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39. Father of the Bride (1991)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.06 (tie)
> Directed by: Charles Shyer
> Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
> Original Film: Father of the Bride (1950)
38. Man on Fire (2004)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.09 (tie)
> Directed by: Tony Scott
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell
> Original Film: Man on Fire (1987)
37. Freaky Friday (2003)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.09 (tie)
> Directed by: Mark Waters
> Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Harold Gould
> Original Film: Freaky Friday (1976)
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36. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.10
> Directed by: Jonathan Demme
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Kimberly Elise
> Original Film: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
35. I Am Legend (2007)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.11
> Directed by: Francis Lawrence
> Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield
> Original Film: The Omega Man (1971)
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34. The Front Page (1974)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.13
> Directed by: Billy Wilder
> Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Susan Sarandon, Vincent Gardenia
> Original Film: The Front Page (1931)
33. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.17
> Directed by: John McTiernan
> Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Ben Gazzara
> Original Film: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
32. Red Dragon (2002)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.18
> Directed by: Brett Ratner
> Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel
> Original Film: Manhunter (1986)
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31. Peter Pan (2003)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.21
> Directed by: P.J. Hogan
> Starring: Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs, Olivia Williams, Lynn Redgrave
> Original Films: Peter Pan (1953, 1924)
30. Nightmare Alley (2021)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.22
> Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
> Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Colette, Willem Dafoe
> Original Films: Nightmare Alley (1947)
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29. The Killers (1964)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.23 (tie)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
> Starring: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, Clu Gulager
> Original Film: The Killers (1946)
28. The Parent Trap (1998)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.23 (tie)
> Directed by: Nancy Meyers
> Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Elaine Hendrix
> Original Film: The Parent Trap (1961)
27. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.24
> Directed by: Bill Condon
> Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad
> Original Film: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
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26. The Italian Job (2003)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.25
> Directed by: F. Gary Gray
> Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron
> Original Film: The Italian Job (1969)
24. Cape Fear (1991)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.27
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
> Original Film: Cape Fear (1962)
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23. Heaven Can Wait (1978)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.28
> Directed by: Buck Henry
> Starring: Warren Beatty, James Mason, Julie Christie, Jack Warden
> Original Film: Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
22. Pete’s Dragon (2016)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.29 (tie)
> Directed by: David Lowery
> Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Oona Laurence
> Original Film: Pete’s Dragon (1977)
21. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.29 (tie)
> Directed by: Zack Snyder
> Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber
> Original Film: Dawn of the Dead (1978)
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20. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.29 (tie)
> Directed by: Duwayne Dunham
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, Don Alder, Ed Bernard
> Original Film: The Incredible Journey (1963)
19. An Affair to Remember (1957)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.29 (tie)
> Directed by: Leo McCarey
> Starring: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson
> Original Film: Love Affair (1939)
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18. Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.30
> Directed by: Gabor Csupo
> Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick
> Original Film: Bridge to Terabithia (1985)
17. Cinderella (2015)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.33
> Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
> Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter
> Original Film: Cinderella (1950)
16. The Thin Red Line (1998)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.41
> Directed by: Terrence Malick
> Starring: Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Kirk Acevedo
> Original Film: The Thin Red Line (1964)
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15. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.42
> Directed by: Frank Oz
> Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Levi Stubbs
> Original Film: The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
14. Enchanted April (1991)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.43
> Directed by: Mike Newell
> Starring: Alfred Molina, Joan Plowright, Miranda Richardson, Polly Walker
> Original Film: Enchanted April (1935)
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13. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.44 (tie)
> Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
> Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon
> Original Film: Ocean’s 11 (1960)
12. The Secret Garden (1993)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.44 (tie)
> Directed by: Agnieszka Holland
> Starring: Kate Maberly, Maggie Smith, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott
> Original Films: The Secret Garden (1949, 1919)
11. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.48
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
> Starring: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles
> Original Film: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
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10. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.49
> Directed by: Frank Oz
> Starring: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers
> Original Film: Bedtime Story (1964)
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.51
> Directed by: Philip Kaufman
> Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright
> Original Film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
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8. The Fly (1986)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.56
> Directed by: David Cronenberg
> Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel
> Original Film: The Fly (1958)
7. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.56
> Directed by: James Mangold
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Logan Lerman
> Original Film: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
6. The Jungle Book (2016)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.57
> Directed by: Jon Favreau
> Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba
> Original Film: The Jungle Book (1967, 1994, 1998 [as The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story])
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5. True Grit (2010)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.60
> Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
> Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin
> Original Film: True Grit (1969)
4. The Thing (1982)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.61
> Directed by: John Carpenter
> Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
> Original Film: The Thing from Another World (1951)
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3. Scarface (1983)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.62
> Directed by: Brian De Palma
> Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
> Original Film: Scarface (1932)
2. A Little Princess (1995)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.65
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
> Starring: Liesel Matthews, Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Rusty Schwimmer
> Original Film: A Little Princess (1939)
1. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
> 24/7 Tempo index score: 2.75
> Directed by: John Huston
> Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre
> Original Film: The Maltese Falcon (1931)
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