Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and The Wolf Man are only a small handful of classic monsters that have left their mark on the silver screen and horror history. Slashers and masked men will come and go with the decades, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned monster movie with all the trimmings, and Hollywood knows it.
While the stars of such classics in the Universal Monsters series might be scary icons, an old favorite never goes out of style, and many of these creepy characters have been remade and reimagined for new audiences. They might have a new coat of paint, but they're still the creeps and creatures fans know and love.
The Thing (The Thing From Another World)
It's surprising just how many people forget that the John Carpenter classic, The Thing, is actually a remake of a 1950s sci-fi horror movie. While 1982's version definitely terrified audiences with its scary practical effects and sense of suspicion and terror, the original was the film that coined the phrase, "Watch the skies."
Both versions are full of suspense, but where audiences in the '80s were more terrified of a shapeshifting monster, those of the '50s dreaded the effects of nuclear war, unknown experiments, and science gone haywire. Fans still have many questions about The Thing, but either way, it's easy to see which one has remained a classic.
The Invisible Man (The Invisible Man)
If fans are looking for a blatant reimagining of a classic monster, there are fewer films that hit the nail squarely on the head than that of 2020's The Invisible Man. What began life as a sci-fi horror story involving a scientist, a formula, and an unfortunate lab accident became a terrifying psychological thriller.
It's hard to fight what can't be seen, and Elizabeth Moss certainly had her work cut out for her when her abusive ex discovers a way to make himself invisible. Drawing more from films like Hollow Man than the H.G. Wells novel, the mad scientist motifs are exchanged for a story that borderlines on the slasher genre.
Edge Of Sanity (Jekyll And Hyde)
This movie might not be the most shining example of a reimagining, but it does give an original flavor to the Jekyll and Hyde mythos. The classic gothic horror story is given a dose of reality by exchanging Dr. Jekyll's potion with hard drugs and the persona of Edward Hyde with Jack the Ripper.
From scientist to psychopath, the film presents the battle between the two personalities as a fight for life and sanity rather than the duality of man. To call this tale twisted would be putting it delicately.
Depraved (Frankenstein)
Depraved is a near-perfect example of a horror movie classic brought to the modern era. An obvious take on the tale of Frankenstein, this reinterpretation of Shelley's iconic novel is more of a cautionary tale directed towards science than a monster-centric horror story.
While Adam is an excellent stand-in for Frankenstein's monster, the use of more medically-focused imagery and motifs definitely give the film an unexpectedly effective sense of reality. It's still the classic mad-scientist story, but with a more polished presentation.
The Horror Of Dracula (Dracula)
Francis Ford Coppola wasn't the first to reinvent the count with the 1992 movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula, nor was he the last. But if fingers are to be pointed at one of the most memorable Dracula reinventions, the honor goes to Hammer. The Horror of Dracula makes the list due to the fact that it takes more from the 1931 Universal film than it does the novel.
To call Christopher Lee's interpretation a remake of the Bela Lugosi version wouldn't be a stretch, but it certainly has a lot more gore and spectacle than its American cousin. Of course, if a studio is truly going to remake Dracula, it needs to go all out on the gore.
The Mummy (The Mummy)
Universal might have had Imhotep, but Hammer had Kharis. While it's true that Kharis originated in the sequels that followed the original mummy movie, Hammer's reimagining made him much more of a terrifying entity. Of course, Christopher Lee had a hand in that action, as well.
From his unstoppable nature to the way he walks and strangles his victims, it looks like Jason Voorhees might have taken a few lessons from this undead Egyptian. Gone were the poetic musings on gods, monsters, and romance, in walked a true mummified monster.
Phantom Of The Paradise (Phantom Of The Opera)
Horror movies don't get more '70s than Brian De Palma's hidden things they didn't know about the iconic opera ghost.
The music is eclectic and the design and direction absolutely drip with over-the-top rock-and-roll cheese, but the Phantom himself is the star. Trading in the reclusive musical genius for a vengeful tortured artist in a deal with the devil was certainly an interesting take, but not an unappreciated one.
Edward Scissorhands (Frankenstein)
It might not seem like it at first, but Tim Burton's gothic fairytale is directly influenced by the original Frankenstein, but with a decidedly softer and sweeter touch. It has its creepy castles, eccentric inventors, and a misunderstood creature, all tied together with a vision only Burton could deliver.
The original creature might not have Johnny Depp's fair complexion, but both are gentle souls who only want the companionship of another. Shelley herself would almost certainly enjoy it.
Sleepy Hollow (The Headless Horseman)
An honorable mention, but Sleepy Hollow earns it on two s, Tim Burton's adaptation of Washington Irving's original isn't just a reimagining of the classic story, but of another arguably more famous interpretation as well. Those familiar with both films will catch references to Disney's version of Ichabod Crane's fateful midnight ride.
The sequence where Crane is riding home across the bridge followed by his encounter with a false Headless Horseman uses several visual and sound cues pulled right from the Disney adaptation. It's enough to make one wonder what Burton would do with a by-the-book film adaptation. Nonetheless, Disney's Sleepy Hollow is arguably the most accurate telling of the story.
The Shape Of Water (Creature From The Black Lagoon)
Although the idea that Guillermo del Toro remade The Shape of Water is up for debate, there's no denying that the Amphibian Man pulled direct influence from the original river-dwelling monster.
Resemblance aside, they are both gill-bearing river monsters found in the Amazon, they're captured by a team of scientists, and someone gets bit after provoking them. Del Toro might have had a more romantic angle in mind with The Shape of Water, but the connection between the two is still painfully obvious.
