This article will tell you about the top 10 best video game movies of all time.
Something has happened in video game adaptations in recent years. There have been very few good entries in the genre (in a critical sense) in the three decades since the debut of the first game-to-screen movie, 1993’s Super Mario Bros.
However, things began to change in 2020 with the release of Sega and Paramount’s beloved live-action Sonic the Hedgehog.
It eked out a positive critical consensus and even reintroduced Jim Carrey’s unique physical comedic stylings after a long Serious Film absence.
In the years since its release, Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider has developed a devoted following, and 2021’s Werewolves Within has proven to be a true gem.
We should celebrate the promising growth that is taking place in the game-movie space! Can 2023, however, keep up with some of this year’s successful adaptations? Will Five Nights at Freddy’s feel like four too many?
While the paradigm may be altering slightly, B-movie status has typically been the upper limit for these types of items.
Because judging video-game movies in the same way we rate other movies is pointless, Vulture has opted to weigh them solely against their peers.
Street Fighter will always pale in contrast to, say, Die Hard, but when viewed in the context of similar content, things begin to appear a little more remarkable. And, hey, at least it’s something!
Below is the landing page for Neill Blomkamp’s new racing film (which is also based on a true story in addition to being a video-game film), as well as some theatrically released animated video-game adaptations, though international-only releases and films that are not directly based on games themselves, such as the Pokémon anime movies, are still not counted.
The first version of this list was entirely live-action, but how could a list of video-game anything continue to exclude Mario, cartoon or not?
10. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
The first Tomb Raider wasn’t terrific, but it was one of the few times a big-budget video game film actually worked.
Con Air, The General’s Daughter, and The Expendables 2 have all been directed by Simon West, and this film is on par with the others.
Tomb Raider succeeds, however, because of Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig’s performances before they were old enough to be self-conscious about filming a video-game movie.
Despite being afflicted with those ridiculously huge video-game-style breasts, Jolie managed to be completely captivating — oozing with all her sexy Jolie charm — in one of these flicks.
9. Street Fighter (1994)
The goofy, campy Street Fighter didn’t pretend to be anything other than what it was: a movie based on a game in which you just battled people, with a final confrontation between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia in his final theatrical film role.
It also featured stars from the time, such as Kylie Minogue and Damian Chapa. When video game movies try to achieve too much, they fail, whereas Street Fighter did just enough as a peak JCVD martial arts film.
8. Doom (2005)
Doom is one of those great video-game movies that wears its roots proudly, shifting into full fist-person-shooter mode at one point.
It also features space marines who believe they are investigating odd happenings at a dull old Mars research facility but end up fighting swarms of genetically modified human monsters (a common video-game villain).
The major selling point of Doom is its two male leads, The Rock and Karl Urban. Urban exudes get-it-done swagger, and the Rock is, well, the goddamn Rock, playing an amplified supervillain for the first time.
Also, Rosamund Pike is one of the space scientists. It’s so much fun when awful movies happen to good actors.
7. Detective Pikachu (2019)
Detective Pikachu has a certain charm about him. Maybe it’s Ryan Reynolds’ curiously perfect suit as a small sleuth Pikachu. Perhaps it’s the lovely earnestness of his partner, Justice Smith.
Whatever the solution is, the silliness of this mystery-solving adventure makes it a fun diversion that generally avoids the cynicism of a huge IP cash grab.
It’s easy for video-game blockbusters to bomb because they frequently feel hollow and bloated, but the thoroughly delightful ensemble — which includes King Ken Watanabe — makes the case for live-action Pokémon in our lives.
6. Gran Turismo (2023)
The video-game film canon now has a feel-good dudes-rock entry. B-list Ford v Ferrari brings joy to fathers everywhere! Everyone, including moms, can want accessible hot adult David Harbour!
Some millennials remember their crushes on Legolas and Will Turner and think, “I’m glad Orlando Bloom is still doing it!”
Turismo is diner steak and potatoes at its finest. It’s a regular on TBS. It doesn’t have to be more than two hours, but it has to be exciting.
The film is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, who went from GT fanatic to sponsored racer for Nissan, and it incorporates game-play elements from the simulator into the film, making for a genuinely moving sports film that will have you fist-pumping and possibly even crying.
Turismo is full of sincere performances and spectacular racing effects that make it a great time. Excellent work.
5. Super Mario Bros. (1993)
The original video-game film, starring possibly the most known video-game characters of all time, Super Mario Bros., benefited from being shamelessly strange.
This is the video game movie that Terry Gilliam would have directed. Alan Silvestri composed the score for the film, which stars Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Fisher Stevens, and Fiona Shaw, as well as Samantha Mathis as Princess Daisy. It’s more of a big-screen video game performance art than a film.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Sonic the Hedgehog turns out to be a movie that has exactly the right amount of everything excellent. It’s got the proper mix of topical humor, silliness, heart, over-the-top Jim Carrey, and the right amount of James Marsden, which means James Marsden is in practically every scene.
After the embarrassment of the first trailer, which had Sonic appearing like a young human child afflicted by a witch, the fun police sought to pour water on this one, but this iconic Sega property turned out to be a lovely little adventure for the whole family.
It looks wonderful (thanks to the updated CGI), is funnier than it needs to be, has a happy cast that embraces the craziness of it all, and turns out to be a fairly emotional little story of friendship and chosen family.
In terms of monetizing previous IP, Sonic makes a “Sure, we can keep doing this!” case for game-to-screen money grabs — and that’s fine!
3. Resident Evil: Welcome To Racoon City (2021)
With all due respect to Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson’s work on the Resident Evil adaptations over the years, Welcome to Raccoon City is the best Res film to date.
Whereas the previous franchise had a sci-fi action approach, Racoon City captured the missing blend of action and horror.
The casting was also excellent, with Kaya Scodelario succeeding Queen Mila and Robbie Amell co-anchoring the film as her estranged brother. The zombies look fantastic. The film is filled with a sense of peril.
The fight scenes are a lot of fun, especially the ones in the mansion’s dark corridors, and Neal McDonough is back as the top-tier mad scientist baddie, as usual. Bonus points for using Donal Logue as the helpless head of police.
Raccoon City appears to be the five-bagger-with-a-large-soda idea of how to do cheap video game thrills well. This is mid-budget game adaptation brilliance, a happy medium between the good-enough game movies of yesteryear and the legitimate action extravaganza that has become mainstream art in the present.
It’s an elite-level B-movie, which a lot more of these films would do well to embrace and relish in because we all know how drab things can get when large money is squandered on movies that are only supposed to look good and be fun, man.
It would be a helluva pity if we ended up with six previous Res Evil series films and only one of these in the reboot attempt. This is the ultimate in game-to-screen escapism. Don’t let the haters (or critics!) convince you differently.
2. Mortal Kombat (1995)
Mortal Kombat may not be the first video-game film, but it is the pinnacle of the fight tournament genre because the premise is very impossible to screw up if you just go all in a group of fighters gathered in an otherworldly setting to battle for their fate of the world. It doesn’t have to be any more difficult than that.
If you grew up kicking ass or simply button bashing your way through Mortal Kombat on the Super Nintendo, seeing Scorpion and Sub-Zero come to life onscreen was amazing, and it turns out that Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was born to utter “Flawless victory.”
Besides, when we witness that completely ridiculous yet admirably practical live-action Goro, our nostalgia receptors still fire!
1. Werewolves Within (2021)
The filmmakers finally developed an extremely good video game film! Werewolves Within is the rarest of all: a game-to-film adaptation that you could suggest to anyone without remarking, “Well, if you like the source material…” It just feels like a fun little genre comedy that would premiere at SXSW and be enjoyed by all.
It has a high critical rating and an amazing ensemble cast that does their tasks flawlessly. Michaela Watkins, Harvey Guillen, Milana Vayntrub, and Cheyenne Jackson are all here to perform, but the entire cast is held together by the superb Sam Richardson.
He portrays a park ranger who is fresh to this little rural community and is overwhelmed by the prospect of werewolf attacks on his first day on the job.
It finally happened, you guys — a straight-up-good video game adaptation that you can confidently recommend to anyone.
