For all the big budgets and big stars Hollywood boasts at its disposal, it’s not often when a “Hollywood remake” is actually better than whatever version came before. But sometimes, it’s actually possible for a Hollywood remake to be pretty darn good.
From movies to TV, the American entertainment ecosystem is littered with countless spin-offs, remakes, and reboots. Sometimes, a hit piece of media comes from overseas, even drumming up enough buzz to catch the eye of Hollywood producers. And that’s how remakes happen: If it worked there, it can work anywhere. In theory, at least. Because more often than not, the idea of “Hollywood remake” inspires dread or just plain apathy.
Whether it’s because the adaptation was made carelessly or there’s too much consideration to catering towards American tastes, most Hollywood remakes of foreign-made movies and TV shows fall short of what makes the original so unique. But that doesn’t happen all the time. Here are the American movie and TV remakes that are actually, really, pretty good.
