The remake faced an uphill battle trying to live up to the quality of the 1962 film, and while it doesn’t quite reach that level, it manages to be reasonably good. Liev Schreiber portrays Gulf War veteran and current Congressman "Raymond Shaw," who is a serious contender for Vice-President, encouraged by his overly ambitious Senator mother (Meryl Streep). Simultaneously, his former captain, "Marco" (Denzel Washington), is recovering from an injury he received during an ambush, but he’s having difficulty aligning his recollections of that incident with the accounts given by "Shaw" and other soldiers. As he looks into things more closely, "Marco" uncovers a rather unusual plot that makes him doubt not only his own mental state but also the reality of events from both the past and present. The deeper he investigates, the more obstacles appear in his path, and it becomes clear to both him and the audience that there's a conspiracy reaching into the core of American democracy. Updating the story from the original helps it establish some independence. Washington delivers a strong performance, as does Schreiber as the narrative intensifies and the possibility of a disturbing form of psychological warfare emerges, revealing a tale of manipulation and ambition with a distinctly Machiavellian feel. Meryl Streep is adequate, but unfortunately, her character suffers most when compared to Angela Lansbury’s portrayal in the earlier version; while she's certainly a talented actress, she doesn't quite capture the same degree of subtly poisonous appeal. It does move slowly at first, but once it finds its rhythm, it provides an interesting, albeit lengthy, glimpse into how American politics might function and how vulnerable it could be to clever manipulation. Overall, it’s a worthwhile film and deserving of viewing, though the original remains significantly more unsettling and is preferable!

Source on TMDB