5 Asian Horror Films That Hollywood Shouldn't Have Remade
Image Source: MUBI
Asian cinema is known for pushing the boundaries of horror. Filmed through the lens of a different culture, they focus on psychology and atmosphere rather than relying on jump scares or gore. Hollywood horror also has lines that the audience knows, for the most part, will never be crossed. For example, we know that the final girl will always survive to the end and that no animals or children will be harmed on screen. With Asian horror movies, all bets are off. Perhaps this is why forcing them into a western mold fails so often.
After The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004) scared audiences senseless, producers and directors looked to the east to see what else they could adapt. The Ring grossed $250 million worldwide, and its success made the studios hungry for more. However, some horror films should have been left alone.
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5. Chattoe: Kot Tit Winyan (2004)/ Shutter (2008)
The premise of the Thai film was that a couple hit a girl with their car after a party. Tun, a photographer, convinced his girlfriend Jane to drive off and leave the victim. Ghostly images soon started appearing in Tun’s pictures.
Joshua Jackson’s career was on its downturn when he signed up for this film. As he is no stranger to the horror/thriller genre (Urban Legend, Scream 2 , Skulls, Cursed), it should have been a walk in the park.
Unfortunately, the remake threw out everything that made the original so terrifying even though it kept the original premise. Apart from a few cheap jump scares, there was nothing to be afraid of here. Audiences absolutely hated it, with only a 9% rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Don’t bother.
4. Gin Gwai (2002)/ The Eye (2008)
In the original Pang Brothers movie from Hong Kong, a blind violinist Wong Kar Mun received a cornea transplant, and her new eyes gave her the ability to see ghosts. Strangely, this did not make her the most popular girl in town. The climactic scene involved a crash on a busy bridge. Wong Kar Mun tried to get people out of their cars as she warned them of the impending disaster Final Destination style, but they ignored her. She got caught in the explosion and was blinded, losing the ability that has been plaguing her. It’s not a movie to watch alone!
The remake starring Jessica Alba did not stray too far from the original premise, but the atmosphere is entirely different. The quiet tension was replaced by a loud assault on the senses as if it was done by Michael Bay. Sydney Wells was one note throughout, and as a result, Jessica Alba had very little to work with. She would often get accused of a wooden performance for this film. The scares were few and far between and very predictable. It is not terrifying in the least.
3. Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara (2002)/ Dark Water (2005)
The Japanese version of this movie will have you carrying out a thorough inspection of your plumbing. The plot centered around a single mother fighting for custody of her five-year-old daughter while living in a slum apartment. The film mixed the experience of living in bad housing with the supernatural. The family was haunted by the ghost of a missing child who took no prisoners and attacked everyone, including the child that lived in the apartment. This film did not have a happy ending as the ghost ultimately got its own way, which you could argue it deserved considering how it got there in the first place.
The remake starred Jennifer Connelly, who was hot property at the time. She had Golden Globe wins under her belt for A Beautiful Mind and had just starred in The Hulk. The director tried to build the same atmosphere as in Asian cinema but forgot to put in actual scares. It is still tragically sad, but don’t expect to be hiding under the covers. The mother and daughter were never in any real danger. The “drowning in the bathtub scene” was definitely done with less zeal. Most of the shots were of objects in the bathroom or Jennifer Connelly. Either way, it is best to stick to the original if you are looking for a spooky movie for Halloween.
2. Oldeuboi (2003)/ Old Boy (2013)
You should add this South Korean tale of revenge to your watch list as it is incredible. It is part of an unofficial grouping of movies by Park Chan-wook called The Vengeance Trilogy, which includes Lady Vengeance and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) was imprisoned for fifteen years without any explanation. When he was eventually released, he had five days to find out why he was imprisoned. The twist is truly horrible.
With Spike Lee at the helm of the western version, one would think the remake stood a chance. However, Lee did not follow the script verbatim and made some drastic changes. The gamble did not pay off. Lee stuffed the bloated script with cliches from a “Wilson” pillowcase in prison to a scolding ex-wife. This is not The Count of Monte Cristo. The audience does not root for Joe (Josh Brolin) in the same way as Dae-su because he is less likable. When the twist is revealed, no one cares. In truth, this movie did not need to be remade at all. The original is such a cult favorite that any director that takes on the remake is likely to fail.
1. Desu Nōto (2006)/ Death Note (2017)
Netflix is to blame for this remake, which was a car wreck. Death Note is a cult manga and anime, and already has a massive following. It also has a trilogy of live-action Japanese movies in the bank (even though the third one is a little rough). The premise is simple. A notebook linked to the Shinigami Ryuk is given to a high school student named Light. Any name he wrote down in the notebook would die in the exact manner he specified. Light’s aim was to use the book to create a crime-free society, but he essentially ended up killing anyone who disagreed with him. During the series, he was also pitted against people who try to discover his identity, the most popular of which was L, a tea-drinking, sweet-loving Sherlock Holmes type.
The reboot seemed to have no grasp of the source material. Nat Wollf came across as an off-the-rails frat boy, rather than a sociopathic genius with the ability to manipulate everyone around him. Mia (Margaret Qualley) seemed to be the instigator in this movie, rather than just another one of Light’s puppets. William Defoe was genuinely brilliant as Ryuk. However, his talents were wasted as he barely appeared in the movie. The rules of how Light could use Death Note were also changed, ripping up the lore. The fandom reacted badly, and it cost Netflix. Rotten Tomatoes currently has it at 37% with an audience score of just 23%.
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