Road House's positive reviews are a miracle
Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT The critical consensus on the 2024 remake of Road House is that it’s a surprisingly great movie, which is especially astounding after last year’s failed remake of a different cult classic. The original Road House, released in 1989, stars Patrick Swayze as a bouncer at a newly refurbished roadside bar who defends a small Missouri town against a crooked business tycoon.
Why The Road House Remake's Reviews Are So Great Close The 2024 remake of Road House has an impressive “fresh” score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is nearly double the “rotten” score of the 1989 original, a dismal 41%. The reviews for the original Road House either appreciated the film in a so-bad-it’s-good way or denigrated the film in a so-bad-it’s-bad way.
Last year’s White Men Can’t Jump remake is a perfect example. The 1992 original succeeded because of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson’s unique on-screen chemistry, and because it brought clever storytelling and sharp characterization to the familiar genre of sports comedy. The 2023 remake was panned for smoothing down the edges of the original for a safe, formulaic sports movie.