Remakes have become a little less constant over the past few years, but there was a period when nearly every film coming out was an attempt at relaunching existing media. The common conception is that almost none of those films are any good, but some even mannage to improve upon the original.
The original Fright Night came out in 1985, starring Chris Sarandon and directed by Tom Holland. Not to be confused with the actor behind the MCU's Spider-Man, Holland is best known as the director of a number of Stephen King adaptations, including Thinner. The remake, released in 2011 was directed by Craig Gillespie, who went on to helm Cruella.
What makes a remake good? If the original film is solid, simply recreating it with better effects of a higher budget will technically produce a competent film, but its inherent lack of originality will leave it soulless. Audiences will just watch the first film and the new one will be forgotten. Trying to modernize a previous film, updating story elements to better fit the current cultural zeitgeist might help make a remake worthwhile, but it won't carry a film on its own. Some remakes ditch almost all of the elements of their progenitors, and that could result in a good film, but will be unrecognizable, and should probably just declare itself an original film. A good remake must update outdated elements of a story and build upon its themes to create something special. Fright Night accomplishes that goal through some interesting methods.
Fright Night is the story of a young man named Charlie Brewster, who finds himself convinced that Jerry, his next-door neighbor is a vampire. Charley's best friend Evil Ed is captured and turned by Jerry, forcing Charley and his girlfriend Amy to look for aid in strange places. They reach out to entertainer and vampire expert Peter Vincent, who dismisses them at first, but is gradually forced to serve as a reluctant vampire hunter. Through conflict and chaos, Amy is captured and turned by Jerry. Vincent explains that if Jerry is slain before the change can take full effect, she can yet be saved, leaving the two of them to race against the clock to kill a monster and save a life.
This is the broad overview of the plot of both Fright Night films, but the devil is in the details. Many of the changes made are to account for the 26-year jump in time between the two. Peter Vincent, originally an Elvira-esque horror host, is recast as a Vegas stage magician, very comparable to the then-popular Criss Angel. Both concepts have somewhat faded by now, but this was certainly modern at the time. Recording equipment becomes part of the narrative, as video cameras had become more available in the intervening years. Easily the biggest update, however, has to do with the change in cultural cache experienced by vampires, and how it affected Jerry Dandrige.
The go-to vampire of 1985 would have been best defined by Elvira, or a few years later, The Lost Boys. Fright Night goes with a fairly classic take on vampirism. 1985's Jerry is a charismatic gentleman, liked by most, who only Charley identifies as a vampire. He exhibits mercy and reason, only resorting to violence when he must, whether that be to feed or to protect his secret. By 2011, vampire cinema diverged had in two new directions. The bestial monsters of 30 Days of Night and the brooding heartthrobs of Twilight. 2011's Jerry is a cocktail of primal violence and gothic seduction. Suspense is reduced in the remake, replaced with visceral action to create a vastly different feel.
The characters and the performances are often a very new direction in the remake. The late Anton Yelchin portrays Charlie, here recast as an immature teen, desperate to find acceptance in his peers and success with his new relationship. Christoper Mintz-Plasse as Evil Ed takes Charley's horror obsession from the original, portraying a bullied teen, left behind by his best friend and swiftly turned to the dark side. Charley's girlfriend Amy is portrayed by Imogen Poots, and the relationship has a better sense of chemistry than the original. David Tennant's take on Peter Vincent is essentially unrecognizable, a swaggering, womanizing lush who turns into a reluctant hero. Colin Farrell enjoyed the most praise for his performance as the new Jerry, perfectly embodying the immensely detestable character. They're all fun performances that really elevate the new material.
Numerous elements of 2011's Fright Night go vastly underrated but deserve some credit. The score and soundtrack were assembled by Ramin Djawadi, best known for composing the music of Game of Thrones, including the iconic theme song. The film's unique blend of horror and comedy manages to effortlessly weave between laughs and scares. The film's action, normal people facing off against superpowered vampires, really works. Action scenes in horror films often have to walk a fine line between keeping the antagonist scary and letting the audience feel that the heroes have a chance, and Fright Night successfully pulls off that balance. It really does do a lot of things well.
Remakes rarely justify themselves, but 2011's Fright Night is good on its own merits while remaining true to much of the spirit of the original. It accomplishes the rare feat of improving upon a classic in many ways.