English-language remakes of foreign films that are actually good

English language remakes of foreign films that surpassed expectations

English language remakes of foreign films often face skepticism. Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (2006), a remake of Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs, won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, for its intense portrayal of undercover deception in Boston’s crime scene.

Similarly, Let Me In (2010) reimagined Sweden’s Let the Right One In, maintaining the original’s eerie atmosphere while adapting it to 1980s America. These films exemplify how remakes can transcend cultural boundaries, offering fresh perspectives while preserving the essence of the originals.

Speak No Evil

Just two years after its 2022 debut, Blumhouse made a remake of the Danish psychological horror movie Speak No Evil. Two couples meet and become close while on vacation in both versions, and one of them extends an invitation to spend the weekend at their home.

A lovely excursion rapidly devolves into a nasty and extremely painful one. Even if Blumhouse’s adaptation is a little milder than the violent Danish one, James McAvoy’s horrifying acting is what makes it work.

The Ring

The Ring is a remake of the Japanese horror movie Ringu, starring Naomi Watts. The fact that Ringu is part of the new horror fashion in its nation makes it highly important, yet director Gore Verbinski manages to blend his unique vision with a chilling sense of dread.

Watts portrays a journalist who looks into an odd videotape that appears to kill viewers a week after they watch it. The Ring impacts people not because of blood but just because of its mood and images.

A Man Called Otto

The 2015 Swedish film version of the novel A Man Called Ove served as the inspiration for the American movie A Man Called Otto. The name of character Otto, played by Tom Hanks, is a nasty man who despises his life.

His discovery of a vibrant family next door gives him a fresh lease of life. Hanks is a great fit for the role of Otto, but viewers will be most moved by Mariana Treviño’s supporting role as the kind neighbor Marisol. A beautiful movie.

CODA

In 2021. CODA came out to amazing reviews. It won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The movie follows Ruby. She is the only hearing person in her deaf family. She tries to support her brother and parents. She also pursues her dream of a music career.

Many people don’t know that CODA is a remake of the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier. But CODA feels better because the deaf actors give heartfelt performances.

The Birdcage

In 1978, the highly acclaimed French-Italian film La Cage aux Folles received three Oscar nominations. When meeting the traditional parents of their son’s fiancée, a couple played by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane pose as straight.

Williams and Lane are outstanding in this well-known comedy from the 1990s, and the bizarre premise of The Birdcage makes for an amusingly enjoyable time.

Brothers

Three of Hollywood’s top talents, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman, feature in the adaptation of the 2004 Danish movie Brothers. Maguire portrays Sam Cahill, a thought deceased soldier serving in Afghanistan.

Sam struggles with severe PTSD as he tries to reintegrate into daily life after returning home to live with his brother and sister-in-law. Together with a youthful Bailee Madison who can compete with her more experienced co-stars, the three leads are amazing.

Let Me In

Swedish horror film, 2008. Based on the same-titled novel, Let the Right One In is considered one of the top horror films in the world. In 2010, the U.S. movie Let Me In gave it a remake treatment. In both movies, a young kid who has been bullied becomes pals with an enigmatic vampire girl.

With striking, spectacular effects and a distinct dark tone that sets it apart from its predecessor, Batman director Matt Reeves is free to add his flavor to the narrative.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Even though Stieg Larsson’s well-known novel series Millennium had already been made into a trilogy of films in Sweden in 2009. Renowned filmmaker David Fincher continued to work on his adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (played by Daniel Craig) enlists the aid of hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). Fincher’s dark direction and styling are flawless. Mara’s portrayal of Lisbeth is impeccable.

The Departed

Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is one of his best movies. It finally won him an Oscar. Not everyone knows it’s a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. Both versions hold up on their own.

The story follows a cop undercover in a gang and a mole in the police. The cast is stacked: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg all shine.

The Parent Trap

Lindsay Lohan’s The Parent Trap is a remake of a 1961 Disney movie. But the story goes back even further. It started with a 1950 German film called Das doppelte Lottchen.

Lohan plays Annie and Hallie, identical girls who meet at camp and secretly switch places to reunite their divorced parents. A whole generation grew up loving this movie. It also kicked off Lohan’s acting career.

Ambulance

Ambulance (2022) is one of Michael Bay’s most popular recent movies. There are enough of his trademark explosions and action. However, the concept wasn’t his at first. It is a remake of a Danish film from 2005.

The story focuses on two brothers who, after a robbery goes awry, take over an ambulance. With strong performances and visually appealing pictures throughout, it’s a fast-paced, high-stakes trip.

12 Monkeys

The 1962 French film La Jetée, which lasts just under thirty minutes and is narrated completely via still pictures, served as a loose inspiration for 12 Monkeys. This allows the 1995 version to accomplish considerably more with its narrative.

Disease has ravaged a bleak future in the wildly popular science fiction movie. In the film, Bruce Willis portrays a prisoner who is offered freedom in exchange for going back in time to learn more about the virus that has killed nearly all of humanity. Brad Pitt co-stars in the film.

True Lies

James Cameron’s True Lies, a remake of the French film La Totale! from 1991, was one of the most popular action movies of the 1990s and starred one of the greatest action heroes of all time. The film, which stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He attempts to find the truth by applying his specific knowledge and abilities. It’s a funny and thrilling trip that effortlessly blends several genres.

Vanilla Sky

Alejandro Amenábar is well-known for directing the 1997 Spanish film Open Your Eyes and the haunting movie The Others. You might not be aware, but that movie was remade in the Tom Cruise movie Vanilla Sky.

Cameron Crowe is the director of Vanilla Sky, which centers on a conceited magazine editor whose face is deformed during a fight with a past lover. He begins to doubt reality after having surgery. The film offers a lot of twists and criticism through the usage of psychology and science fiction.

Funny Games

The German thriller of the same name from 1997 was remade as Funny Games in 2007. But this remake is special since it was directed by the same Michael Haneke as the original. Haneke disliked that the German original could not find a worldwide audience.

Thus, it is a shot-for-shot remake. Additionally, he modified it to draw attention to Americans’ lack of understanding of foreign films. Both versions make for a difficult viewing experience and are equally unsettling.

Three Men and a Baby

Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, is the director of the well-known 1980s comedy Three Men and a Baby, which is based on the French film Trois hommes et un couffin from 1985. Played by Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg, and Tom Selleck, have happy male lives until a baby is born.

The other two must decide because one of them, namely the father, is not there and is unaware that he has a kid. Watching the three major actors in the movie pretend to be fathers is a lot of fun.

A critical look at the most disappointing family films of our time, where good intentions fell short and audiences deserved better.

Solaris

Andrei Tarkovsky is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His 1972 Soviet sci-fi epic Solaris set a high bar that few dared to touch. But in 2002, Steven Soderbergh took on the challenge and delivered.

Starring George Clooney, his version follows a psychologist investigating a space station orbiting a strange planet. It’s moody, mysterious, and far from your typical sci-fi blockbuster.

Fall in love all over again, discover the most unforgettable romantic films from the last 30 years.

Think Hollywood can’t nail a foreign classic? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.