Video games are a weird thing to adapt into films; they’re participatory and rely upon active intervention. They don’t just have an audience — they have players. Perhaps this is why so many cinematic adaptations of games have failed with audiences and critics alike. Thegenre was seen as cursed for a long time, with terrible adaptations ofDoomandWarcraftdisappointing fans of the games and failing to catch on with critics or general audiences.
Yet there has been a sea change recently, and it’s a far cry from the first live-action video game adaptation, 1988’sMirai Ninja. Kicked off byPokémon: Detective Pikachuand followed bySonic the HedgehogandThe Super Mario Bros. Movie,video game movies have rivaled superhero filmsas the dominant box office juggernaut. So how did we get here? What have been the best video game movies of all time? These are the best in the subgenre.
15Silent Hill (2006)
Silent Hill
Turning a horror video game series into a film is no easy feat. ButSilent Hill’sdimly-lit corridors and skin-crawling creatures set the atmosphere of an immersive experience. Released in 2006,Silent Hillis a movie that follows Rose and her daughter Sharon, who on their way to the titular abandoned town in West Virginia, get into a tragic accident. When Rose wakes up, she finds that Sharon is missing. With the town shrouded in fog and the local cult turning sinister, Rose must find the truth about Sharon’s past.
Redefined Horror Game Adaptations
Silent Hill is a Japanese, psychological horror game released in 1999. Regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made for its innovation toward the horror genre in video games, it naturally received a film in 2006 directed by Christophe Gans. Gans was eager to get his hands on the rights to the series because of his passion for the games. Although there was an attempt to stay close to the source material with its monsters and locations,Silent Hillwas not well received by critics for its convoluted plot, however, the film was praised for being visually appealing and including good scares.
14Assassin’s Creed (2016)
Assassin’s Creed
Cal Lynch travels back in time to 15th-century Spain through a revolutionary technology that unlocks the genetic memories contained in his DNA. There, he lives out the experiences of Aguilar de Nerha, a distant relative who’s also a member of the Assassins, a secret society that fights to protect free will from the power-hungry Templar Order. Transformed by the past, Cal begins to gain the knowledge and physical skills necessary to battle the oppressive organization in the present.
Before he discovers his true purpose, Callum Lynch is a death row inmate in a modern day prison. Through experimentation and with the help of technology, he is able to learn about his glorious past and relive the genetic memories of his ancestor, Aguilar, an assassin from 15th-century Spain. Cal travels back in time to not only learn about his heritage but also become skilled enough to take down the evil Templars.
Worth Giving Another Shot
AfterWarcraftpanned at the box office, there were hopes forAssassin’s Creedto finally deliver something that would succeed in transferring the core essence of the video game franchise to the big screen. However, the critics thought the film “could be more exciting.” In hindsight, director Justin Kurzel did one thing right by casting Michael Fassbender as the lead, because it was his compelling performance as both Callum and Aguilar that make the film watchable. Moreover, the production value, attention to period detail, and visual thrills stayed quite close to the source material and the moviehas since gained a devoted following.
13Monster Hunter (2020)
Monster Hunter
Another video game adaptation directed by Paul W. S. Anderson,Monster Hunterwas released in 2020 after years of development and then delays due to COVID-19. The film tells the story of two different universes, the Earth and the New World. In the latter, a Hunter gets separated from his team after being attacked by a monster named Diablos and how he must fend for himself in a world co-inhabited by monsters. Somewhere else, Captain Natalie Artemis and her team get pulled into a portal and land in the New World, where they team up with the Hunter and attempt to defeat Diablos.
Features Genuinely Great Action
Monster Hunteris a Japanese role-playing-game first released in 2004 on the Playstation 2, and is currently Capcom’s best selling franchise next toResident Evil. This video game adaptation by Anderson showed just how to bring monsters to life on the big screen by using exceptional practical effects and creature design. The film received help from Capcom, the game’s producer, and Kaname Fujioka, the game’s director, when it came to perfecting the monsters’ magnetic presence. It was a box office disappointment that received criticism for its direction and editing, but for the most part, it impressed fans with the action.
12Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Directed by Mike Newell,Prince of Persia: The Sands of Timeis an exhilarating video game adaptation that follows Dastan, a young street urchin and adopted son of Persia’s King, who discovers a mystical dagger that can manipulate time. When the evil Nizam plots to use the dagger to wage a catastrophic war, Dastan teams up with princess Tamina to prevent it and protect the Sands of Time.
Riveting Adventure About Turning Back Time
Adapted from the popular video game series by Ubisoft, the movie captures the spirit of the source material withits impressive set designs, dynamic action sequences, and daring stunts. The innovative use of time-manipulation as well as the portrayal of ancient Persia is also impressive. And it’s all due to the big production budget of nearly $200 million. The movie grossed $336.4 million worldwide and managed to just break even, but it’s still a fan-favorite.
11Gran Turismo (2023)
Gran Turismo
Gran Turismotells the inspiring true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage gamer who goes from playing a popular racing video game from the comfort of his living room to becoming a professional race car driver navigating the high-stakes world of professional motorsports. He is faced with turning his digital skills into real ones, and he gets help from his mentor Jack and racing executive Danny.
Must-Watch For Car Racing Enthusiasts
In a world where virtual racing dreams become reality, a young gamer’s passion for the iconic Gran Turismo video game leads him on an unexpected journey from the comfort of his living room to the high-stakes world of professional motorsports. Faced with the daunting challenge of transforming his digital prowess into tangible driving skills, he must navigate the competitive landscape of real-world racing, overcome his own self-doubt, and prove that his virtual mastery can translate to the physical track.
10Resident Evil (2002)
Resident Evil
James Cameron’s guilty pleasure film,according to his Reddit page.Resident Evilis important for being able to produce six live-action films based on a video game. The films spanned almost two decades, the first entry released in 2002 and the most recent in 2016 (not counting the reboot filmWelcome to Raccoon City, released in 2021). Based on popular horror survival games,Resident Evilborrows ideas from the first two games. Following a massive virus outbreak that turns people into zombies, our protagonist, Alice, and a band of Umbrella Corporation commandos work together to contain its spread.
Related:What Movies Could Learn From Video Games
An Entertaining Watch
The film was directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, who previously worked on Mortal Kombat, another video game film adaptation and who would direct many more films in the franchise. Because the zombie genre is such a hit with the audience,Resident Evilmanaged to strike a chord with its claustrophobic tension and heart-pounding action. While it might not have been entirely faithful to the games, it was an early example of how a video game movie could become a hit with audiences.Rent on Apple TV
9Tomb Raider (2018)
Tomb Raider
While the originalLara Croftfilms starring Angelina Jolie were defining movies for her career and an example of early 2000s action filmmaking, the reboot in 2018 brought the franchise into the modern age. Directed by Roar Uthaug,Tomb Raiderstars Alicia Vikander as the iconic Lara Croft. As a young adventurer, she has always wanted to be more than a shadow of her father’s disappearance. When Croft sets out on her first lethal adventure – which is to uncover hidden secrets related to her father’s past – she is pushed to her physical and emotional limits. Soom, she transforms into a formidable and ferocious fighter and accepts her destiny as the Tomb Raider.
Perfect Pacing and Thrilling Scenes
Based on the famous action-adventure games developed by Square Enix, this film is based on the 2013 reboot of the series that explains the origin of Lara Croft. Alicia Vikander delivered a phenomenal performance as the iconic Lara Croft that was able to stand apart from the one Jolie had delivered. In many ways, Tomb Raider gives the franchise a Batman Begins-style treatment in both an origin story and grounding the more fantastical elements of the franchise. A sequel was in development, but the rights expired, and now a new movie is being developed by Prime Video with a new continuity thatwill not see Vikander return in the role.Stream on DirecTV
8Uncharted (2022)
Nathan Drake is recruited by treasure hunter Victor Sullivan to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan, and lost 500 years ago. Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg and Antonio Banderas.
Unchartedis a popular series of video games that fans have been waiting to see get the big-screen treatment for years. The first time a movie was talked about was in 2008, and it would take fourteen years for the movie to hit the big screen. The film adaptation that arrived in theater acted as an origin story for the games that sees Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) working as a bartender in New York City when he is recruited by Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg), a fortune hunter who believes he has finally found the clue to uncover the lost fortune of Ferdinand Magellan. What starts as a heist for a great treasure, however, becomes a globe-trotting adventure because Victor and Nate must race against two competitors – a corrupt billionaire named Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) and Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), a formidable mercenary leader.
Captures The Feel of the Games
Unchartedwas a box office hit, a much-needed one following the COVID-19 pandemic, and coming out so closely afterSpider-Man: No Way Homecemented Tom Holland as one of the biggest movie stars of the moment.It captured everything fans love in popcorn entertainment – mystery, treasure hunt, action, and humor. Some fans might have found that it lacked a lot of charm that made theUnchartedgames visually and emotionally entertaining.A sequel is currently being developed.Stream on Hulu.
7Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a legendary film for all the wrong reasons. The 2001 film took a staff of more than 200 people four years to complete, and cost a whopping $137 million to make (more than $200 million adjusted for inflation). It was a notorious box office bomb that ruined Squaresoft’s film company, Square Pictures. That’s not because it was bad though; it was simply ahead of its time.
A landmark in CGI animation,Final Fantasy: The Spirits Withinused top-of-the-line technology to tell a gripping story of epic proportions. Every element was first class, from the great score to the excellent voice acting (including the American dub), and the world-building is excellent.
6Mortal Kombat (2021)
Mortal Kombat 2021
Acting as an adaptation of the video games and also as a reboot to the earlier films,Mortal KombatisHBO’s most successful film launch to date. Based on the fighting games of the same name, the film centers on a fighter who learns of his lineage. Cole Young is accustomed to showing up in underground MMA fights and taking a beating to earn some money. What he doesn’t know of, however, is his true heritage and why Shang Tsung, the emperor of the Outworld, has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero to hunt him down. Hiding out at Sonya’s, Cole soon discovers his power and trains to stand with the other champions.
Brings the Games to Insane Life
The film was directed by Simon McQuoid in his feature-film directorial debut and received mixed reviews from critics. McQuoid made sure to include as many adrenaline-inducing martial arts sequences and visceral bloodshed to remind the audience of just what makes the video game franchise so much fun. Lewis Tan, who embodies Cole Young, does an outstanding job at bridging the gap between longtime players and newcomers with his dedicated work. The film did do it’s job and delivered some incredible fight scenes and set the stage for a sequel, withMortal Kombat 2recently having wrapped filming.Stream on Max
