10 Hollywood Movies That Were Secret Remakes of Obscure Foreign Films

10. True Lies (1994) – La Totale! (1991, France)

James Cameron's action comedy with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis is a big budget remake of a small French spy farce by Claude Zidi. The original mixed everyday family comedy with espionage antics. The Hollywood version turns everything up with massive stunts and effects. Very few Americans know about the charming, low key French movie that started it all.

9. The Guilty (2021) – Den Skyldige (The Guilty, 2018, Denmark)

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this tense one location thriller, which is a remake of a tight Danish film about a demoted cop who takes a kidnapping call. The original movie was praised in Europe for its real time suspense and moral turns. The American version follows the same story pretty closely but adds bigger star power.

8. Wrath of Man (2021) – Le Convoyeur (Cash Truck, 2004, France)

Guy Ritchie's movie with Jason Statham is a stylish remake of a gritty French action thriller about an armored truck guard with a secret vendetta. The original film has a leaner and harder edged story about revenge and a heist. Outside of French cinema, it is still pretty unknown.

7. Scent of a Woman (1992) – Profumo di Donna (1974, Italy)

Al Pacino won an Oscar for playing a blind, larger than life lieutenant in this drama. It is a remake of Dino Risi's Italian movie starring Vittorio Gassman. The main story about mentorship and dignity is almost exactly the same, but the original Italian version is much less known around the world.

6. Dinner for Schmucks (2010) – Le Dîner de Cons (The Dinner Game, 1998, France)

Steve Carell plays an oddball character in this comedy remake of Francis Veber's sharp French farce. The original was about rich men who mock people they call idiots at a dinner party. It was a big hit in Europe because of its biting satire and perfect timing. The Hollywood version uses broader slapstick and tones down the edge.

5. The Upside (2017) – The Intouchables (2011, France)

Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart star in this remake of a hugely popular French buddy dramedy about a rich man in a wheelchair and the caregiver he hires. The original film was all about the heartfelt clash between different classes and cultures, and it really connected with audiences in Europe. The American version softens some of the rough edges to try and reach more people.

4. Quarantine (2008) – [REC] (2007, Spain)

This found footage horror hit is basically a shot for shot American version of an intense Spanish movie about a virus outbreak. Quarantine changes the location but keeps the same scary feeling inside a locked apartment building. The original film [REC] has a rawer energy and better pacing, which made it a cult favorite in Europe.

3. Let Me In (2010) – Let the Right One In (2008, Sweden)

Matt Reeves' vampire movie is a remake of Tomas Alfredson's chilling Swedish original about a bullied boy and his strange neighbor. The Hollywood version keeps the cold and haunting feel but adds more violence. The quieter, subtler Nordic original is still much less known outside of serious film circles.

2. The Departed (2006) – Infernal Affairs (2002, Hong Kong)

Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning crime movie takes the basic idea of an undercover cop and a mole in the police from Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's tense Hong Kong trilogy. The Departed adds Boston flavor and Hollywood bigwigs. But the original films are gritty and more stylish, with a lot to say about identity and loyalty in Hong Kong after the handover. That version often gets overlooked.

1. Vanilla Sky (2001) – Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes, 1997, Spain)

Tom Cruise starred in a mind-bending psychological thriller that was actually a near shot for shot remake of a Spanish film by Alejandro Amenábar. That original movie featured Penélope Cruz in the same role as the American version. The first film had all the familiar twists about dreams, reality and the big questions about existence. The Hollywood remake just added more money and bigger stars. Still, most people do not even know about the sleek and influential European original.