Absolute best video game movie adaptations

Now that the Borderlands movie is officially released and is as disappointing as seemingly everyone knew it would be, it’s time to cleanse your palate. Thanks to streaming services like Tubi and Hulu and Netflix you can immediately check out some of the best video game movie adaptations out there.

You’ll have to be careful though, the fact of the matter is that while video game adaptations for TV are getting better all the time — Fallout and The Last of Us are legitimately two of the best adaptations of all time — it is for some reason, incredibly hard to find really great movie adaptations. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered.

1 Mortal Kombat

Tell me you don’t hear the music in your head right now

While the remake that was released during the COVID-19 pandemic was not bad in its own right, if we’re going to talk about a movie being a great adaptation of one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time, we have to go with the original.

Released back in 1995, the special effects of this flick are certainly dated, but its still great to see beloved characters like Johnny Cage, Kitana, Sonya Blade, Reptile, Raden, Sub-Zero and others on the screen fighting in that supernatural tournament that decides the fate of the world. It is important to note that while this is a very good adaptation, the movies that followed it were simply not up to snuff unless you absolutely have to watch a whole series once you start.

2 Sonic the Hedgehog

Gotta go fast

The thing about the Sonic the Hedgehog movie is that it’s certainly not a one-to-one adaptation of the video game. Of course, that would be a very boring, odd movie so of course, there needed to be a completely original story inserted with the backdrop of characters and ideas that fans of the video game series would recognize.

To that end, the movie did exactly what it set out to do. This is the kind of adaptation that makes the list because it’s eminently watchable and while it ventures far away from where the games went, it’s clear that it’s honoring its source material instead of largely ignoring it (looking at you Resident Evil movies). It helps that the movie got some really good and likeable actors and let them do their thing, including Jim Carrey as the iconic villain Dr. Robotnik. The added bonus here is that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a fun little follow up that has helped establish a legitimate franchise.

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3 Silent Hill

If you hear the siren, run

The original Silent Hill movie is really quite a bit better than it gets credit for and some of that is due to the fact that it wasn’t beloved when it was first released. It’s possible the film has benefited from so many other attempts at movie adaptations falling flat. People are starting to realize just how good this one is, especially because while the story isn’t straight from any of its game, it does a very good job of catching the vibe of the mining town turned horror-filled killing field.

The nurses and Pyramid Head are very, very faithful to the games and honestly, the latter really needs to get more love as one of the most iconic villains in video game and horror movie lore, because he’s absolutely an imposing force whenever he comes on screen. The movie also benefits from the fact that while the ending is mostly a positive, it’s not the traditional “happy” ending. It is a real bummer that every movie that came after the original Silent Hill has been so bad because it sure feels like this could have been a fun movie series.

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4 Detective Pikachu

5 A truly original movie world

While Detective Pikachu isn’t going to contend for Oscars, the thing that makes this movie so good is that it offers a peak into the world of Pokemon that does not disappoint for people who love the games. There’s something very magical about watching a real life person try and go out and trap their companion. Likewise seeing a city where no one bats an eye at people walking down the street trailed by a giant duck, or a dog walking on two legs is just plain fun.

There is also a pretty decent mystery that unfolds and while the payoff simply isn’t as good as one would hope, there’s a lot in Detective Pikachu that is just fun. The nice thing about a movie based on the Pokemon universe is that when the cast does a bit of overacting, it seems to fit in with what we’ve seen in the games. This is yet another movie that is good despite the fact that it doesn’t work copy its source material so much as pay homage.

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6 Rampage

Just fun destruction

This is the movie that is likely going to get me some serious guff, because as far as dialogue and acting goes, this is not a great film. However, I’m giving the filmmakers quite a few points for finding a way to actually put a movie out that centers around giant monsters destroying buildings over and over.

Honestly, one of my favorite scenes of any “disaster” movie, is when Lizzie is starting to surface in Chicago and she capsizes a tour boat simply by swimming under it. When she comes ashore it’s damn fun as well. And the battle between Georgie, Lizzie and Ralph is pretty fun CGI action. As long as you go in knowing that the camp is intended and actually pretty spot on with the original source material as far as vibes, you’ll enjoy Rampage.

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