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The Grudge and the 10 best foreign horror movie remakes

By Wesley Lara

LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 12: Actors Sarah Michelle Gellar (L) and Clea DuVall pose at the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "The Grudge" at the Village Theatre on October 12, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 12: Actors Sarah Michelle Gellar (L) and Clea DuVall pose at the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "The Grudge" at the Village Theatre on October 12, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) /
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4. The Last House on the Left (1972)

Unofficial remake of The Virgin Spring (1960) – Sweden

This is another horror movie some of you might argue does not count for this list. But if Nosferatu can count as an adaptation of Dracula despite not being an official “remake,” then I think we can let this one pass too. After all, the film it was inspired by is pretty similar in tone and story to this one.

Inspired by the 1960 rape-and-revenge film from Sweden, The Virgin Spring, The Last House on the Left takes a similar approach to the story of parents exacting revenge on a group of relentless thugs responsible for raping and murdering their young daughter.

Both movies follow similar structures, but unlike the heavy use of religious symbolism in The Virgin Spring, Wes Craven – fresh in his directorial debut – opted to go into more of an exploitative interpretation. Craven’s low-budget take on the story lacked the refinement of Ingmar Bergman’s direction, but made up for it with a gritty rawness to the film’s atmosphere. The film is dirty and grainy, reflecting the horrific events that are to follow later on the story.

Craven’s debut hasn’t aged well in terms of its pacing and acting, but the home video-like atmosphere brings an uncomfortable sense of realism to the proceedings. It also turns what is otherwise a rip-off of a Swedish movie and into its own significantly more grimy interpretation.

It’s messy, disturbing, and a wild ride from start to finish. It may not be as good as the Scream movies or New Nightmare, but Craven’s take on the Swedish film lives on in disturbing infamy.

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