Hi all!

Welcome back to a fun segment on my blog, where I pit an original horror film against its remake and discuss which one I personally believe is better. You can check out the dedicated category here. There will be a few factors to take into consideration: a.) Does the remake improve the original story, b.) Is the original already so superior, the remake is quite irrelevant and c.) Do both films exist side-by-side, complementing one another in horror cinematic history? Today I am tackling Rob Schmidt’s, Wrong Turn from 2003 and Mike P. Nelson’s reboot from 2021. If you didn’t know, these movies follow a group of friends that take a ‘wrong turn’ during a road trip, only to be confronted by barbaric cannibals. Remember, it’s okay if we don’t agree. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Round #1 – Improvement

Did the remake improve upon the original? No. I don’t like the direction (pun intended) it went in. It tried to give the story a deeper, more serious edge that was completely unnecessary, and truth be told, a little weird. The beauty of Wrong Turn lies in its simplicity. If the reboot had captured that same energy, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

Winner – Wrong Turn 2003

Round #2 – Relevance

Was the original already so superior, it didn’t require a remake? I honestly don’t believe it needed to be remade but if it had to be, at least stay true to the canon. Don’t give the cannibals their own legal system and an attractive leader. The 2003 barbarians were grotesque, deformed and downright scary. That was part of its charm; being a gritty, grungy early 2000’s horror movie.

Winner – Wrong Turn 2003

Round #3 – Cohesion 

Can these two movies exist cohesively, side by side? No, because they don’t feel like the same movie. The remake is attempting to polish a story that shines due to its rough edges. I don’t think younger audiences will appreciate it more for that reason. It had such potential but completely fell flat in its execution.

Winner – Wrong Turn 2003 

THE WINNER IS: Wrong Turn 2003

As you can see, I definitely prefer the original. I believe if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This remake committed the cardinal sin of trying to rework something that didn’t need reworking.

Thank you so much for reading! What are your thoughts? I’ll be back next time to tackle Speak No Evil.

Peace & Love xoxo