The horror genre is a massive one and a ton of movies and TV shows designed to scare viewers are released each year. Although a lot of them are completely original, there are also a large number of horror movies that are remakes of other movies. These are either remakes of older movies that came out decades ago or movies that were originally released in another language, like The Grudge, a remake of the Japanese horror series Ju-On: The Grudge, released two years before the first western remake of the film.
Although a ton of foreign horror movies are excellent and totally worth turning on the subtitles to enjoy in their original language, we can't deny that these movies being remade is also a good thing. These remakes can help the movies reach a wider audience and might even inspire viewers to go back and watch the original movie. While we've seen remakes of quite a few horror movies that were originally released in Asia, there are still quite a few that definitely deserve a western remake.
Hide And Seek
Hide and Seek is a movie that was released in South Korea in 2013. This movie saw a Chinese remake, but there's still no western adaptation or remake of it yet. The movie has a totally creepy atmosphere and plot and, despite being the first film that Huh Jung ever directed, is definitely a spooky experience.
This movie follows two different families who have one thing in common: they believe people are living in their homes. The movie primarily follows a man named Sung-soo who lives with his family in an upscale Korean apartment. When he learns that his brother has disappeared, Sung-soo goes to his house to find him, only to find that there are strange symbols carved all over the doors. When he returns back to his apartment, the symbols have been left there, too.
Audition
When it comes to Asian horror films, there are a few that just about every scary movie fan is familiar with. These movies are definitely worth watching in their original form, but that doesn't mean that we don't want to see a good quality remake made someday, too.
Audition is one of the most popular Asian horror films. It's a Japanese movie that was released in 1999 and was released at different film festivals and events around the world, but there's never been a western adaptation or remake of the film. Audition follows a widower who interviews several women to be his new wife in order to help him move on. When he meets Asami, the two of them hit it off... Until Asami's dark past creeps back in.
The Housemaid
The Housemaid is a Vietnamese horror film that was released in 2016. The movie is set in Vietnam in the 1950s and quickly became one of the highest-grossing horror movies ever produced in Vietnam. This movie had a screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2017, helping to bring attention to it from a wider audience.
This movie follows a woman named Linh who has no family and gets hired by a rubber plantation to be a housemaid. Despite the fact that the plantation is supposedly haunted, she takes the job. Soon after starting, she falls in love with the owner, something that awakens the spirit of his late wife.
Noroi: The Curse
Found footage horror films have become really popular in recent years, thanks to the popularity of movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. But other countries have definitely gotten in on this trend. Noroi: The Curse is a Japanese found footage horror film that was released in 2005.
This movie's near 2-hour runtime and large cast make it a lot different from other Japanese horror films, but that's something that works in this movie's favor. This movie is a lot different from other J-horror films or found footage films in a really good, unique way. The movie follows a paranormal expert named Masafumi Kobayashi who is working on a documentary about hauntings in Japan when he disappears.
Under The Shadow
Under the Shadow is a Persian horror movie that was released in 2016. The movie is a Persian-language film, but it has been released internationally and was even put on Netflix shortly after being released, so people that don't mind reading subtitles while they watch can enjoy it easily.
The movie is set in Tehran in the 1980s, set against the backdrop of the War of the Cities. The main character, a woman named Shideh, finds her life impacted by the war going on in her country that has stopped her from continuing on in medical school. As the international struggles in Tehran continue, Shideh and her daughter find that a mysterious and evil force has set its attention on the two of them.
A Tale Of Two Sisters
A Tale of Two Sisters is a Korean horror movie that was released in 2003. In 2009, an American remake called The Uninvited that was loosely based on this movie and the legend that it was based on was released, but considering that film strayed so far from the original, we think this movie definitely still deserves a more faithful adaptation.
The movie is based on an ancient Korean folktale called Janghwa Hongryeon jeon. The movie focuses on a family, including one teenage girl who was recently brought home after spending some time in a mental hospital and the way that her return to her sister and her stepmother seems to have awoken some dark spirits in their house.
Satan's Slaves
Satan's Slaves is an Indonesian horror film that was released in 2017 and is a remake of the 1980 film by the same name. The movie was released in several countries around the world, including in the US, and has become a popular recent Asian horror movie.
The movie follows a family that is struggling financially after their mother dies of a mysterious illness. Three years after her passing, strange things begin to happen to their house, leading their father to start asking questions about what was going on in his late wife's life prior to her passing.
Cure
Cure is a Japanese horror film that was released in 1997. Despite the fact that a remake has never been made, this movie has become a cult classic and a favorite with horror fans around the world.
This movie is a mysterious, crime-based film that follows a detective named Takabe who is tasked with investigating a series of eerie murders. All the murders that Detective Takabe investigates have something in common: each victim has a large "X" carved into their neck, but none of them were killed by the same person.
Thirst
Thirst is a South Korean horror movie that was released in 2009 and was screened at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. The movie is based loosely on a novel called Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola.
This terrifying supernatural film follows a priest named Sang-hyun who is in love with his friend's wife. His unrequited love leaves him feeling sad and he volunteers for an experiment at the hospital where he regularly volunteers with the hopes of helping them to find a vaccine for a virus. When the experimental treatment fails, Sang-hyun he begins to turn into a strange, bloodthirsty creature.
Reincarnation
Reincarnation is a Japanese horror film that was released in 2005. It was released as part of a six-part movie collection called J-Horror Theater in which six different directors came together and each produced a horror film.
The movie follows an actress who recently landed a role in a movie about a series of murders that took place in Tokyo in 1970. Shortly after learning she was cast in the movie, the lead actress begins seeing the murders happening around her over and over.