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15 Best Video Game Movies Of All Time, Ranked
Video game movies are in vogue, with new titles released every year, but it takes a special movie to stand out and earn a place in the top 10. Video game movies have had a pretty rough track record for most of their history, with many movies failing to capture the spirit of their games, disappointing fans and critics alike, but in the last 10 years, there has been a shift. A great video game adaptation needs to stay true to the source material while effectively making it fit the big screen in terms of the scale, story, and characters.
However, adapting video games is incredibly challenging. Video games can be vast and in-depth, often featuring anywhere between 10 and 100 hours of gameplay. In addition, gamers have a deep connection to the story because they have had the opportunity to play in that world, controlling the central characters and becoming deeply immersed in the action. Changes are often criticized more harshly, while it can also be incredibly difficult to fully dig in and understand the story with main quests, side quests, and other microscopic details that players enjoyed.
15
Warcraft (2016)
Based On Blizzard’s Warcraft
4/10
- Release Date
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June 10, 2016
- Runtime
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123 minutes
- Director
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Duncan Jones
- Writers
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Duncan Jones, Charles Leavitt, Chris Metzen, Jesse Wigutow
Warcraft received a mixed response when it was released in 2016. Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), the movie follows two rivals in a growing war who realize that someone else is pulling the strings. Anduin Lothar of Stormwind and Durotan of the Frostwolf clan have to work for the same goal – stopping the true evil behind the war. The movie is based on the video game series of the same name, which launched in 1994 with Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and soon morphed into World of Warcraft.
Despite the challenge of adapting such an expansive game, Warcraft did many things right. From the epic CGI and vast world-building to the acting and rich story, there was much to enjoy and praise about the movie. It could have been aided by fewer central characters, or if the source had a more focused story to tell and thus translated to film better, but Warcraft made the best of the situation and earned a fair amount of praise along with its criticisms.
14
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Based On The Long-Running Mortal Kombat Games
7/10
- Release Date
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April 23, 2021
- Runtime
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110 minutes
- Director
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Simon McQuoid
- Writers
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Dave Callaham, Greg Russo
Mortal Kombat originally started as a relatively straightforward and simplistic game with very little in the way of a story. However, over time, the background of the fighters was slowly expanded, and in 1995, a movie was created by Paul W.S. Anderson to tie the narrative together. That movie remains a cult classic with an instantly recognizable soundtrack. After that, a sequel came in 1997 to lesser acclaim. However, in 2021, a rebooted movie was released, also called Mortal Kombat.
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The movie was true to form, with comic and graphic violence and a story that didn’t feel too serious. It was a well-balanced film that delivered a great adapted story. It wasn’t made to win big awards, but it connected with franchise fans. While it might never be as beloved as the 1995 version, its higher budget and better-shot fight scenes make it the superior of the two movies in terms of quality.
13
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
Based On Mojang Studio’s Minecraft
4/10
- Release Date
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April 4, 2025
- Runtime
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101 minutes
- Director
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Jared Hess
- Writers
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Chris Galletta, Gavin James, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Allison Schroeder, Chris Bowman
- Producers
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Jason Momoa, Jill Messick, Mary Parent, Roy Lee, Todd Hallowell, Cale Boyter, Jon Berg, Jon Spaihts, Brian Andrew Mendoza, Vu Bui, Lydia Winters
While it seems almost ridiculous to consider, the block-building game Minecraft got its own movie in 2025. A Minecraft Movie stars Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers, and Danielle Brooks as four misfits sucked into the Overworld. It is here that they meet the expert crafter from Minecraft, Steve (played here by Jack Black). They then have to master the strange world, with all the Easter egg goodness pulled from the game, to find their way back home.
Early reviews of the movie make it sound exactly like something that Minecraft fans would love but regular movie fans and critics would hate. It has a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. As expected, critics pointed out the film’s ridiculousness, but that might be the point. Critic Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky wrote, “It isn’t made for me. My Minecraft loving kids had the best time, which is what the studio set out to do.“
12
Rampage (2018)
Based On The Midway Games Rampage Series
5/10
- Release Date
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April 13, 2018
- Runtime
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1h 47m
- Director
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Brad Peyton
- Writers
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Carlton Cuse, Ryan Condal
In 2018, the classic arcade game Rampage was turned into a movie. However, as with many movies like this, Rampage was less about a video game adaptation and more about a platform for the movie star in the lead. In this case, Dwayne Johnson stars as a primatologist named Davis who works for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and is close to a rare lowland gorilla named George. When some pathogen canisters crash to Earth, they infect the animals who come into contact with them, turning them into giant monsters.
This was at the height of Johnson’s popularity, and the movie made $428 million on a $120 million budget…
The video games are all about watching animals fight each other while destroying the cities they battle in. That is what the movie presented, with a giant George helping Davis beat the mutated crocodile and wolf, all while the U.S. military is completely helpless in stopping the monsters. This was at the height of Johnson’s popularity, and the movie made $428 million on a $120 million budget and received mixed to positive ratings for delivering a fun action movie, if light on plot.
11
Uncharted (2022)
Based On The Naughty Dog Uncharted Series
4/10
- Release Date
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February 18, 2022
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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Ruben Fleischer
- Writers
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Art Marcum, Rafe Judkins, Matt Holloway
Fans of the Uncharted video game series complained a lot about the casting of the movie based on the franchise. However, the truth is that the film (directed by Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer) cast two popular stars and a great actor as the villain, resulting in a great success story following the pandemic shutdowns. Tom Holland stars as Nate Drake, while Mark Wahlberg stars as Sully Sullivan, the man who teams up with Drake to find the treasure.
Antonio Banderas stars as the villain in a great heel turn. The result is a fun action movie that made $407 million on a $120 million budget and gained an even bigger audience when it hit streaming. Critics were not as impressed, giving the movie a low 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise going to the cast but criticism for the story. However, as the box office showed, the audience didn’t agree, giving it an 89% Certified Hot Popcornmeter score.
10
Werewolves Within (2021)
Based On Red Storm Entertainment’s Werewolves Within
- Release Date
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June 25, 2021
- Runtime
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97 minutes
- Director
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Josh Ruben
- Writers
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Mishna Wolff
Werewolves Within was released as a far more comedy-driven mystery horror movie. The film is based on the 2016 VR video game of the same name. In the story, a group of people in a small Vermont town end up trapped in a snowstorm where they believe that one of them might be a werewolf. The movie had a much smaller release, and thus, the box office reflected that, but it did climb the ranks on streaming sites and even earned some of the best video game movie ratings from critics (via Rotten Tomatoes).
The movie is hilarious, thrilling, and packed with great comedy talent, making it a fun film based on the game that closely resembles the original story. Critics praised the film for balancing comedy and horror equally, proving it to be masterful with both genres. The cast, led by Sam Richardson, was also praised for its funny performances. While it remains a high-rated film, others have proven more successful in other ways.
9
Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023)
Based On Scott Cawthon’s Five Nights At Freddy’s Franchise
5/10
- Release Date
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October 27, 2023
- Runtime
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109 Minutes
- Director
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Emma Tammi
- Writers
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Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, Emma Tammi
After years of making faith-based video games, Scott Cawthon created Five Nights at Freddy’s. What resulted was something very different: animatronics at a pizza place possessed by the spirits of dead children who come to life and kill. However, the movie was changed to create a more horror movie theme than a video game adaptation. Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike Schmidt, a security guard hired to work overnights at the pizzeria, only to find that the robots are all coming to life.
It was also successful enough to warrant a sequel, which is in the works.
The film received negative reviews from critics, but audiences seemed to love it. Five Nights at Freddy’s was a rare video game film in which fans of the game seemed to be all on board despite the drastic changes made to the story. It was a huge success, making $297 million on a low $20 million budget. The audience score was a high 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the 32% from critics. It was also successful enough to warrant a sequel, which is in the works.
8
Tomb Raider (2018)
Based On The Square Enix Tomb Raider Series
5/10
- Release Date
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March 16, 2018
- Runtime
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118 minutes
- Director
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Roar Uthaug
- Writers
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Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Alastair Siddons, Evan Daugherty
Tomb Raider was released when video game movies were still struggling to find their footing in the cinematic landscape, with Angelina Jolie in the lead role. However, that movie ended up as a cult classic with a lesser sequel following. However, the video game franchise was rebooted in 2013, and this 2018 movie was based on that rebooted game rather than the original series that Jolie’s films were based on. This provided a more grounded story with Alicia Vikander playing Lara Croft.
While the plot and story were not the strongest, the action was enjoyable, and the film felt true to the games and was designed for a more modern audience. This also marked a shift from movies with obvious video game adaptations to something that felt like a real action movie from Hollywood. It was a box office success, making $275 million on a $106 million budget, while also receiving mixed to positive reviews, with honors at the Teen Choice Awards.
7
Resident Evil (2002)
Based On The Capcom Resident Evil Games
8/10
- Release Date
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March 15, 2002
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Paul W. S. Anderson
- Writers
-
Paul W.S. Anderson
Paul W.S. Anderson made his name with video game movies, directing Mortal Kombat as his breakout. In 2002, he directed a movie based on the most successful horror video game in the world, Resident Evil. However, the film is only based around the idea of Resident Evil, bringing in a new character (Alice) and placing her in a mansion overrun by an AI called the Red Queen to stop a virus from leaking to the outside world. This became a franchise that saw more from the games, ending up with five sequels.
The original movie was a great horror film, with Milla Jovovich proving to be a perfect lead hero and Michelle Rodriguez delivering a strong performance. Resident Evil received mostly poor reviews, but that was par for the course for horror movies in 2002. The film did receive nominations at the Saturn Awards, where it was nominated for Best Horror Film and Best Actress for Jovovich. The sequels remain guilty pleasures, but the first installment was a great horror movie in its own right.
6
Gran Turismo (2023)
Based On PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Games
- Release Date
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August 25, 2023
- Runtime
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135 Minutes
- Director
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Neill Blomkamp
- Writers
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Jason Hall, Zach Baylin
Gran Turismo brought together a video game and a story inspired by actual events to create something generally well-favored by the public and many critics. The movie is not based on the video game. Instead, it is based on the life of Jann Mardenborough, a young man who wants to be a professional racer and gets the chance when he is signed to GT Academy, where his expertise on the world’s most challenging courses from the video game leads him to become a champion in the real world.
The movie takes several liberties with the true story, but it can be forgiven as it shares its source material with a video game. Between the emotional and uplifting narrative and the thrilling racing scenes, Gran Turismo is a stand-out racing movie based on a video game of the same title. While not based on the actual game, it is based on people using the game in the real world, and it was nominated for Best Adaptation at The Games Awards 2023.
5
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
The Sequel Based On The Sega Sonic Games
6/10
- Release Date
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April 8, 2022
- Runtime
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122 minutes
- Director
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Jeff Fowler
- Writers
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Josh Miller, John Whittington, Pat Casey
Sonic is one of the most well-known characters in video games, and when a live-action Hollywood-produced movie was announced, there was no guarantee it would be done right. However, the success of the first movie encouraged studios to continue investing in and expanding the story. When Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released, it recaptured a lot of the magic from the first movie. This time around, Sonic and his new friend Tails have to battle powerhouse Knuckles, who is working with Dr. Robotnik.
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The story is not quite as impactful as the 2020 movie, but the action is great. Sonic’s (Ben Schwartz) and Tom’s (James Marsden) relationship has grown, and Robotnik (Jim Carrey) is back. A third movie arrived that was also a great release, featuring Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as they teamed up to battle Robotnik, his grandfather, and the mighty new Achidna warrior Shadow, who had a very personal grudge against the United States military.
4
The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019)
Based On The Rovio Angry Birds Franchise
6/10
- Release Date
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August 14, 2019
- Runtime
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96minutes
- Director
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Thurop Van Orman
- Writers
-
Thurop Van Orman
The Angry Birds Movie 2 actually managed to exceed the earlier entry with plenty of comedy and fun throughout. The first movie introduced the birds as they had to survive the pigs who wanted nothing more than to steal and eat all their eggs. The first film was a fun time, but the second movie increased the laughs and had a better story. A new bird named Zeta wants revenge for a slight from her past and sets out to destroy Bird Island as a result.
This film is one of the few animated video game films that is widely loved and has reached a level of success that few video game films have ever had. The movie is aimed at a younger audience and does not attempt to take itself too seriously, which helps it come off as self-aware and fun for the whole family. It had a $152.8 million box office on a $65 million budget and a surprising 72% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score.
3
Detective Pikachu (2019)
Based On The Nintendo Video Game Series
7/10
- Release Date
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May 10, 2019
- Runtime
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104 minutes
- Director
-
Rob Letterman
- Writers
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Rob Letterman, Nicole Perlman
One of the best live-action feature-length films based on a video game is based on one of the single largest IPs in the world, Pokémon. Detective Pikachu took the world by storm in 2019, with Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu and some of the most haunting and endearing renders of real-life Pokémon. The movie had an incredible mystery at the heart of the story, due to its source material being the spin-off games of the same title, and the world that was created to tell the story was incredible to explore, with each scene revealing something new.
The movie did well at the box office, earning $433 million on a $150 million budget. It also earned several award nominations from ceremonies like the Teen Choice Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and Annie Awards. It received mostly mixed reviews, though, with only a 68% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, but the positive reviews call it one of the best video game adaptations ever made, thanks to taking the video game characters and creating a great sci-fi fantasy movie out of it.
2
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Based On The Nintendo Mario Bros. Series
6/10
- Release Date
-
April 5, 2023
- Runtime
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93 minutes
- Director
-
Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath
- Writers
-
Matthew Fogel
- Producers
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Chris Meledandri, Shigeru Miyamoto
With Chris Pratt leading a talented array of voice actors, The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved to be a massive hit in theaters across the US and around the world. The film slightly changed the storyline, with Luigi getting lost in the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario meeting Princess Peach and setting out to help stop Bowser, who wants to conquer every kingdom in the land.
Super Mario Bros. became the highest-earning video game adaptation of all time after a single week (via Variety). It ended up with a shocking $1.36 billion at the box office, surprising most experts regarding the film’s legs. Again, an animated feature for the whole family, this film proved how popular Mario is as an IP, with dozens of games released around the character and his friends since 1981. The story was entertaining and beautifully animated, featuring an incredibly talented cast.
1
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)
Based On The Sega Sonic Games
6/10
- Release Date
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February 12, 2020
- Runtime
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99 minutes
- Director
-
Jeff Fowler
- Writers
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Worm Miller, Patrick Casey, Oren Uziel, Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, Hirokazu Yasuhara
Sonic the Hedgehog finally convinced Hollywood that video game movies could do well. After initially having a significant issue surrounding Sonic’s design before release, the studio listened. Despite most of the movie being completed, they quickly adjusted the designs and won a lot of favor with audiences. That favor continued when people watched the film, which created a beautiful and emotional story based on very little Sonic lore.
The story introduces Sonic as a young hedgehog hiding out on Earth after an echidna tribe attacked him on his homeworld to steal his power. He then meets a local sheriff (James Marsden) and has to defend his new home from an evil scientist named Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). With incredible talent, especially Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey, Sonic exceeded expectations and continues to be one of the best video game movies ever made.
