I related a lot to James, and when the twist came it was such a gut punch on both a "What? No, he (I) would never--" and "oh god but he (I), could, couldn't he (I)?" level.

Oh, wow, that sounds like an intense experience! And it's a revelation that makes a lot of sense. James could be any one of us; he's just an ordinary person who, when he felt cornered by an impossible situation, ended up doing something desperate and terrible.

Your aversion to the remake makes a lot of sense! I definitely had an instinctive 'no, wrong, not my James' when I first saw images. I honestly have no idea how it's going to hit me, but I'm compelled to give it a try.