For years studios have been making video game movies ever since they figured out they could. Through that time there have been many, some good, some bad, some…weird. This list consists of 5 adaptations that may span all of those categories (depending on what you think of them) that video game and film nerds alike can come together over.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
How many movies do you know where the first words you hear are a man yelling the title of the film. Well, this is Mortal Kombat, one of the more famous video games adapted to the big screen, so popular in fact it spawned a sequel and a remake in 2018 which also spawned a sequel totaling 4 Mortal Kombat films. But this is the one that started it all. The original Mortal Kombat released in 1995, three years after the game was introduced and boy this is indeed a video game movie through and through. This is one of the cheesiest movies of the 90’s and that is saying quite a lot.
The acting is held together by the performances from Christopher Lambert who plays the thunder god Raiden and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who plays Shang Sun who are both bringing exactly what is needed for a Mortal Kombat movie. The other performances from Robin Shou, Lindon Ashby, and Bridgette Wilson are not quite up to that par, they are actually noticeably terrible. However that does not mean they are bad in the movie. The cheesy dialogue and hilarious deliveries work well in this martial arts movie about fighting in an outer dimensional fighting tournament. This is exactly what you sign up for when you press play. You know you are going into a no holds barred martial arts movie, you aren’t there looking for oscar worthy performances, you came to see some kick ass fights and that is exactly what this movie gives you.
In terms of looks this isn’t the worst shot movie in the world. There are actually some very impressive matte paintings used that look so good and give it that video game-esq feel and all the fights are shot and edited decently as well. The biggest downfall of the film though is the rough 90’s CGI. It looks terrible every time it is shown, especially when they try to blend it with real people. Again, however this works for what the movie is which is a video game movie not a in which the poor CGI quality gives you that video game aesthetic.
I do think the film would’ve benefitted from an “R” rating which would allow for more brutal violence and gore which is what the games are really known for (Mortal Kombat 2018 took note of this) because this movie is virtually bloodless which is a bit of a let down because it definitely could’ve benefited from some good practical gore and by the looks of the Gorro puppet it probably would’ve looked pretty good.
Overall, this movie is a hell of a good time and is exactly what a video game movie should be…Cheesy, violent and relatively short. There is a scene where a character cuts another character that has a skull head with a flaming shield who then bleeds fire and completely explodes…that alone should be a reason to give this forgotten gem a watch.
Street fighter (1994)
This one is so bad it’s kind of good. The dialogue is insane and it in no way should be taken seriously. It kind of feels like an Austin Powers movie the way jokes are, and the entire premise is just bonkers. It is legitimately funny and entertaining which is really all you can ask for especially for an adaptation such as this. I am very curious to see what route the new one takes, the self-serious or the parody feel. I feel like this is definitely a property that should go the comedic way, but we will see what Kitao Sakuri does with it.
All the actors know exactly what they are in and act accordingly. I also have definitely used some more “street fighting” there is a surprising lack of it, but it is fun, nonetheless.
I could write pages on all the things “wrong” with this movie, but my advice is just to pop that VHS in and have a good time. Make no mistake this movie is terrible but it sure is fun. Pair it with Mortal Kombat and you’re having yourself a good night on the couch.
Tron (1982)
Before you say it, yes, I know this is not technically a video game adaptation because the game was released alongside the movie in 1982. But when talking about video game movies Tron (1982) is the must. It would be a crime not to include it.
This is just an awesome motion picture. You have the legendary Jeff Bridges, light motorcycles, and such an array of special effects that just look so damn cool. What more could you ask for? Starting with the way this movie looks, it’s just great. It literally feels like you were sucked right into an 80’s arcade game which is literally exactly what the film is trying to do. Speaking of the 80’s, this movie feels like an absolute time machine back to them.
The effects are not only impressive for the time, but they are impressive for the current day. Everything about this just feels so genuine and you can feel the passion and craft put into this film. Also being from the 80’s the message is also extremely relevant to the world we are living in now with AI and other forms of smart technology being such a big part in our everyday life and the question of will it become smarter than its “user”.
If we are looking for flaws in this movie you can find them if you look for them. The story gets a little soggy in the middle and tries to cram a little bit too much world building in there. Fortunately, all that world building is then used in Tron: Legacy (2012) to allow for a more plot driven movie there. It can be a little confusing the first time through, but it doesn’t subtract from the movie, if anything it allows for a more enjoyable experience the second time through. But these are just little things that are overshadowed by the visual awe of this film.
There is just so much to say about this movie, the acting, the colors, the production design, but instead of telling you all that I will just say go watch it for yourself. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it. If you have seen it, it may be time to go back for a rewatch.
Until Dawn (2025)
Now this is one that many may forget was a video game. I for one did, but this on-screen adaptation of the 2015 video game released by PlayStation is the most recent of the films on this list being released in 2025. The film has some major pros and some major cons.
The pros are that this is a smorgasbord of monsters and creatures which is nice compared to most recent horror films focusing on just one main antagonist. This film is also goopy, bloody, and chunky which is exactly what you want in this half part slasher half part haunted house movie. It also does a really good job at creating tension in parts that you really feel as the viewer.
Now for the cons. The biggest problem with this film is that there are zero consequences. The idea of the film is that our characters are stuck in a time loop situation with the good in that being we get to see them die many different ways. The problem with that is that means you are never actually worried about the characters surviving. They all make it until the end of the movie which is a huge problem in my opinion. Also, even if there was the threat of the characters dying you probably wouldn’t care because they are some of the most unlikeable people to be put on screen.
The acting is ok enough but some of the lines the script tells them to say are quite rough. There is one line that really had me laughing, a character says with complete sincerity in response to someone saying, “I’m scared of dying” they say, “Me too…but living without my friends scares me even more”. I love my friends endlessly, but I mean…come on.
This for me is a split right down the middle, if you want to watch a fun bloody movie go for it, you will probably have a pretty good time. If that is not the kind of stuff you are into, I suggest you skip this one.
Silent Hill (2006)
Adapted from the 1999 video game of the same name, Silent hill is a psychological horror movie directed by Christoper Gans. The film was released in 2006, and I will admit I was a little bit skeptical going into this one. I had never played the game, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I kind of thought it was just going to be a pretty basic haunted town horror movie and at 125 minutes I was extremely hesitant. But honestly the movie does a pretty good job getting straight to what you want to see. Once you get past the continuity errors and some minor production detail slip ups, it turns into a very watchable and dare I say enjoyable movie.
The cinematography plays with a bunch of different angles and cuts to give it more of that video game feel and it works pretty well. Along with that all the exterior shots look good with all the ash coming down it gives it a nice eerie feel. You get to see all sorts of monsters and ghosts which I am always a sucker for and the majority of them don’t look too bad even with the sketchy early 2000’s CGI.
The film has a certain structure that works well with the video game concept. It is structured in a way so that it seems like different levels of a game. There is a different monster or creature at each different location as our main character moves around the town which is nice because the movie never gets stuck on one single monster or one single place for too long.
Surprisingly this film does get really dark in tone at points, there are some difficult topics that are dealt with and honestly did make me a little uneasy at points which is what you want from a horror movie. My specialty is horror and I think it just caught me by surprise how serious this movie gets at times. Although with that seriousness there is no shortage of some good, fun, bloody kills which I will not spoil here.
This is by no means a “feel good movie” or a “fun” movie but it is enjoyable enough to be worth watching especially for fans of the games. A solid recommend.
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