They should have never been remade. While bad Hollywood remakes are about as common as warts on frogs, truly well-done remakes are few and far between. Rare is the day when a good story gets better the second time you tell it, but exceptions do exist, and each of these 10 films qualifies.

From good movies made great through a fresh reinterpretation, to bad films turned into solid-gold blockbusters with a little TLC, these are 10 movie remakes that are better than the original. True Grit (Paramount Pictures) While the 1969 version of True Grit is hailed as a classic, the original John Wayne Western leaves something to be desired. Both films follow a young kid and their gruff surrogate father figure in a The Last of Us-style Odyssey across a morally grey world, but the Coen Brothers’ 2010 reinterpretation feels darker and more authentic than the rootin’-tootin’ original.

The story of Joel and Ethan Coen’s version is far closer to the original novel than the John Wayne film, and the decision to gender swap Rooster Cogburn’s gunslingin’ young ward adds a layer of complexity that older film lacked. And let’s be real, Haliee Steinfeld’s acting blows the original kid’s performance out of the water. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges is every bit the tenderhearted badass that John Wayne wished he could be. Combine that with gorgeous cinematography and high-octane action sequences, and you’ve got yourself an all-time great western.