6 American Horror Movie Remakes with Much Scarier OriginalsThink American cinema is frightening? Think again! In fact, many of your favourite American horror movies might not actually be American at all! Here are 6 creepy tales portrayed on film that have been borrowed from other parts of the world… and believe it or not, the originals are even scarier!
The Ring (2002) / Ringu (1998) 
PICTURED: Originals on the left, remakes on the right.
The Ring, starring Naomi Watts as the journalist investigating the mysterious deaths of a bunch of teens who all watched the same spooky video, was pretty unsettling in its own right. In fact, the ‘Samara look’, copying the sullen appearance of the ghostly girl, is still a popular last minute Halloween costume. But Samara is like a puppy dog compared to Sadako; the vengeful spirit from the original 1998 Japanese film Ringu. Based on the pant-wetting Japanese concept of ‘Yūrei’ (pissed off spirits), this is a mythology that just didn’t translate well into the western world, leaving American audiences a bit disappointed. Shutter (2008) / Shutter (2004) 
After he was Pacey, and before he was Peter Bishop, Joshua Jackson starred as Ben in the 2008 movie Shutter. A bit of a dick really, Ben was being haunted by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, Megumi, in 85 minutes of jump-off-your-seat scenes that are now a true classic scare tactic in American cinema. However, while Shutter may have been scary, it’s got nothing on the 2004 version. The original Thai movie went down a different route to really get under the audience’s skin. Instead of obvious jumps and scares, Shutter (2004) is quieter, eerier, and hugely disturbing, leaving many sleeping with one eye open. The Uninvited (2009) / A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) 
In 2009, The Uninvited hit theaters across the country, telling the story of Anna; a recently-released mental patient. Eagle eyed viewers will undoubtedly have picked up on the fact that nobody except Anna interacts with her sister, Alex, who Anna accidentally killed in a fire, somewhat hinting at the big twist. The original movie, however, was a lot harder to predict. The 2003 South Korean original, A Tale of Two Sisters, was based on the Asian folktale Janghwa Hongryeon jeon, and like most films in the ‘K-Horror’ genre it kept the audience in the dark right up until the big reveal, really enhancing the spooky surprise. Let Me In (2010) / Let the Right One In (2008) 
A joint effort by British and American filmmakers, Let Me In was part of the massive vampire trend that was sweeping the world at the time. With the opening scenes focusing on disfigurement and murder, the audience were quickly thrust into the dark, dark world of blood-sucking, retaliation…. and New Mexico. Let Me In tried to be as true to the original, Let the Right One In, as possible. However, without Director Tomas Alfredson on board, it failed to live up to its Swedish predecessor. Like A Tale of Two Sisters, the creepy factor here is that the horror isn’t served up on a silver platter; the audience have to wait for it. Quarantine (2008) / REC (2007) 
Dexter’s Jennifer Carpenter took a break from filming the hit series to star in Quarantine; a sort of Blair Witch-type movie about a reporter who just happens to be stuck in a virus-filled apartment complex at the wrong time. Unlucky, hey? Overall, the movie was alright, but the Spanish original, REC, was better. 2008’s Quarantine and 2007’s REC are remarkably similar and follow the same path from start to end. But there is one big difference. Ask yourself this question: what’s scarier — mutant rabies, or flesh-eating zombies? Exactly. An out-of-control virus doesn’t even come close to edge-of-your-seat zombie action. Funny Games (2007) / Funny Games (1997) 
One of the most disturbing films of all time, Funny Games (2007) was part of the somewhat distressing ‘torture porn’ culture. While not scary in the same way as classic horror films, the level of unsettling, unpleasant behaviours (with no motive or justification) was enough to give us all sleepless nights. This 2007 American version is actually a remake of the original 1997 Austrian version. From the same writer/director, and using a shot-for-shot remake technique, the two films are practically identical, although the outdated cinematography and foreign language add an extra layer of discomfort for many. What do you think of this list? Are there any titles you'd add to it? Let us know in the comments! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Katie Porter is an aspiring writer, movie lover, and part of the team at Seatup. In her free time, she enjoys exploring her home state Colorado and plays in women's amateur rugby league.
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