10 Movies That Should Never Be Remade

Some movies should never be remade. While some might argue that no movies should ever be remade, that’s not necessarily true. Film history is littered with strong remakes that stand out against the original source material, either by updating the special effects (1982’s The Thing, 1986’s The Fly), breathing life into a story that was told flatly the first time around (2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, 2010’s True Grit), or by simply being so good that they argue for their own existence (1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 2018’s A Star is Born).

However, there are just as many reasons that a movie should never, ever, in a million years get the remake treatment. The 10 titles on this list are perfect examples of movies that simply must be left alone.

10. Groundhog Day (1993)

The fact that Harold Ramis’ comedy hit Groundhog Day hasn’t yet had a sequel or a Hollywood remake is a mini miracle. We should very much let the status quo stand here. Groundhog Day has inspired such a collection of superb time loop movies (Happy Death Day, Palm Springs, Edge of Tomorrow, and Source Code to name just a few) that simply making a movie with the exact same plot and the exact same characters would feel woefully redundant among such a vibrantly creative landscape.

9. The Exorcist (1973)

While mileage may vary on whether The Exorcist truly earns its designation as the scariest movie of all time, it is undeniable that the movie has power. Many of the movie’s scenes (up to and including Regan’s violation with a crucifix) are just as potently shocking as they were in 1973. A remake would probably feel the need to up the ante. And I ask you this: How much higher could the ante possibly be? Any attempt to answer that question would probably make the remake feel cartoonish and sophomoric more than terrifying.

8. Showgirls (1995)

While Paul Verhoeven’s rambunctious and campy movie Showgirls was a box office disappointment in 1995, it has since amassed an enormous cult following. Hollywood is often tempted to return to the well with cult classics, and it almost never ends well. There’s simply no recapturing the magic, even though Showgirls is far from perfect.

7. The Matrix (1999)

The phenomenon that was The Matrix is very much tied to the time when it came out and the filmmakers who brought it to life. In the 1990s, the world was ready for an action-packed vision of a dystopian future where the forces of mechanical evil were fought by martial artists with cool sunglasses and leather dusters. A movie this nakedly earnest probably wouldn’t get the same type of reception in the modern era. Also, let’s be frank: This movie could only have been made by the Wachowskis. And only once, as its sequels have ultimately proven.

6. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

Disney has almost run out of classic animated movies to transform into live-action remakes, but so far The Emperor’s New Groove has been able to dodge through the raindrops. In addition to the fact that a CGI version of Kuzco in his llama form would probably look heinous, a remake would be misguided because of Disney’s habit of adding to the runtimes of their classics by adding characterization and backstory. The wacky, postmodern rhythm of The Emperor’s New Groove benefits greatly from its fleet 78-minute runtime, and spending more time learning about Yzma’s backstory or whatever simply wouldn’t serve it.

5. Jaws (1975)

The thing that would rob a Jaws remake of its power is the fact that the Steven Spielberg movie was such a mega-hit in the first place. Literally hundreds of shark movies have been made since 1975, and none of them have managed to escape the shadow of Jaws. Straight-up remaking Jaws would be courting disaster to an even more severe degree.

4. The Godfather (1972)

While The Godfather is an adaptation of the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, so filmmakers could justify a remake by calling it a new adaptation of the book, it would still be obvious that they were trading on the cachet of the movie rather than the book. And there’s simply no recapturing the lightning in a bottle that is The Godfather. In addition to the movie being helmed by Francis Ford Coppola at the height of its powers, it came out at the perfect time to unite one of the most impressively star-studded casts in history, featuring everyone from Marlon Brando to Al Pacino to James Caan to Diane Keaton. A remake couldn’t possibly get that lucky a second time.

3. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

One of the magical things about the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life is that basically everything about its longevity is an accident. It was a flop in theaters and didn’t gain its reputation as a Christmastime favorite until it started running on television in the 1970s. A remake couldn’t replicate that process if it tried. Plus, because of how legendary the movie has become at this point, the remake would probably feel obligated to repeat all of the original movie’s most iconic moments, which is a recipe for being a bland failure.

2. Back to the Future (1985)

Look, if you made a remake of Back to the Future and set the flashback scenes in the 1980s, it would probably make a billion dollars. I get the temptation. But then you’d have to remake Back to the Future Part II and somehow present a vision of a bright future to a modern audience that has had their vision of the future shaped by The Last of Us as opposed to The Jetsons.

1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a spectacular motion picture both because it’s a hilarious mashup of cartoon logic and hard-boiled detective stories and because of the extreme precision with which its special effects sequences were crafted. Basically every scene of this movie combines live-action actors and cartoon characters, which was unheard of at the time. However, with the rise of CG animation, it would be all too easy to plop characters in wherever they needed to be. The craft would be completely missing from a Roger Rabbit remake, and that’s half the fun.

So what do you make of the titles on this list? Would you like to see remakes of any of these movies? And what other films do you think Hollywood needs to avoid remaking? Sound off in the comments below!