Movies of video games. They’re not new. For decades, Hollywood has tried — and mostly failed — to adapt video games into movies that fans actually want to watch. Clunky scripts, wild deviations from game lore, and low-budget effects have haunted the movie genre, but that doesn’t mean they’re all duds. Thanks to evolving technology and a new generation of filmmakers who actually get the games they’re adapting, we do have a wave of video game movies that respect their source material. Of course, not all of them stick the landing.
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Here’s our ranking of the seven best and three worst video game movies.
7) Resident Evil (2002)
Capcom’s Resident Evil redefined horror gaming, and Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2002 film turned it into a cinematic franchise that lasted longer than The Walking Dead. While the film strays from the original storyline, introducing the now-iconic character Alice (Milla Jovovich), it carved its own lane with high-octane action, eerie visuals, and just enough bio-horror weirdness to stay true to the brand.
What made Resident Evil stand out was its confidence. It didn’t apologize for being a video game movie. It leaned into stylized action, mutated monsters, and corporate horror.
This franchise built an empire out of B-movie chaos, and for many fans, that chaos was exactly what they signed up for. It’s far from perfect, but it’s undeniably influential. And without it, we likely wouldn’t have the modern wave of video game adaptations we’re enjoying today.
6) Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Sonic the Hedgehog was on the verge of being a disaster. The initial trailer’s nightmare-fuel Sonic design sent fans into a panic and they made it their goal to fix it. In a landmark moment for pop culture, and fandoms worldwide, Paramount actually listened. The redesign of our spikey hero saved the movie, and the result was a smart, self-aware family blockbuster that thrilled kids and nostalgic Sega fans alike.
Ben Schwartz brings charm and chaos to the blue hedgehog, but it’s Jim Carrey’s full-tilt performance as Dr. Robotnik that steals the show. His return to rubber-faced, manic comedy felt like a throwback in the best way. What makes Sonic work is that it embraces its own absurdity without becoming a parody. The first movie found a way to blend action, humor, and heart while still respecting the blue blur’s gaming legacy, and that’s continued into its sequels.
5) Tomb Raider (2018)
There’s been a few attempts at Tomb Raider adaptations, but Alicia Vikander’s turn as Lara Croft has made this list. Her portrayal of the hero in 2018’s Tomb Raider reboot gave us a more grounded, vulnerable and realistic Lara. This was a Lara inspired by the 2013 Crystal Dynamics video game. She gets bruised, hungry, and remains determined. Gone is the dual-wielding, backflipping, hyper-stylized stunts of the Jolie era. In their place we have grit, heart, and actual tomb raiding.
The action sequences are intense, especially the waterfall set-piece straight out of the game. But what really works is the emotional weight behind Lara’s journey. Vikander makes you believe in this character’s pain and growth. It didn’t break box office records, but it did something more important; it respected the game and made Lara Croft feel like more than just a sex symbol. For longtime fans of the franchise, it was a return to form that gave the character new depth.
4) Warcraft (2016)
Warcraft is the most underrated video game adaptation on this list, as well as possibly being the most ambitious. Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), the film dives headfirst into Azeroth’s sprawling mythology without watering it down for casuals. Yes, the plot is dense. And yes, it may be overwhelming for newcomers. But for World of Warcraft players and fantasy fans, this movie is a treasure trove of lore, characters, and breathtaking CGI. The orcs, in particular, have been brought to life with emotion and nuance rarely seen in mocap performances.
While critics were lukewarm, the global box office told a different story. The film earned over $400 million worldwide, becoming a massive hit in China and a cult favorite among the die-hard WoW players. Its legacy proves that game movies can aim for epic spectacles if they dare to go big.
3) A Minecraft Movie (2025)
The idea of turning a sandbox game with no plot into a feature-length movie seemed like a creative trap. But A Minecraft Movie flips expectations like a Redstone contraption gone wild. Directed by Jared Hess of Napoleon Dynamite fame and starring both Jack Black and Jason Momoa, this animated adventure leans into the absurdity and imagination that define Mojang’s mega-hit.
Featuring a group of unlikely heroes on a quest to save their pixelated world, the film is packed with laughs, heartfelt moments, and clever nods to Minecraft mechanics. Many viewers have described it as “The Lego Movie meets How to Train Your Dragon — with creepers.” It’s funny, weird, and surprisingly touching.
2) Silent Hill (2006)
Silent Hill might be the scariest video game movie ever made, and it’s earned that title through its meticulous attention to tone and atmosphere. Director Christophe Gans translated Konami’s psychological horror classic into a visually stunning, deeply unsettling cinematic experience.
From the moment Radha Mitchell’s character enters the fog-drenched town, the film grips you with dread. The transitions to the “Otherworld” are masterful, with rusted metal, fire, and blood painting a nightmarish landscape. The creature designs — particularly Pyramid Head and the nurses — are lifted straight from the games, and they still haunt fans nearly two decades later.
While the plot gets murky in its second half, there’s no denying the film’s aesthetic and commitment to the source material. Silent Hill proved that horror games could be adapted with serious cinematic ambition, and it remains a high watermark for the genre to this day.
1) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
After the infamously bizarre 1993 live-action film (which we’ll get to shortly), Mario fans were understandably nervous about a new big-screen adaptation. But the 2023 The Super Mario Bros. Movie shattered those fears faster than a Goomba under Mario’s boot.
This animated spectacle from Illumination Studios delivered exactly what it needed to — fun. Vibrant visuals, kinetic pacing, and endless callbacks to decades of Nintendo lore made this movie a hit with both kids and nostalgic adults. It even had Mario voice actor Charles Andre Martinet cameo as Mario’s father, Guiseppe.
Chris Pratt’s Mario raised eyebrows at first, but he won many fans over when they sat down to see the movie in full. Pair that with Jack Black as Bowser and we got an instant classic. Black’s song “Peaches” became a summer sensation.
With over $1.3 billion earned globally, it’s now the most successful video game adaptation of all time. More importantly, it’s proof that when creators trust the source material, results can be pure gold coins.
THE WORST VIDEO GAME MOVIES
3) Borderlands (2024)
Borderlands should have been a slam dunk. The game is beloved for its chaotic energy, distinct cell-shaded art style, and outrageous characters. But despite the initial excitement, the outcome was a major disappointment. Even before release, the test screenings were disastrous, with tonal inconsistency and underwhelming humor cited as major issues. A mid-production director change for reshoots didn’t help, and fans were disappointed before the first trailer even dropped.
And if you think that it could perhaps redeem itself with an audience not knowledgeable of the game, you’d be wrong. Nothing really happens. The colors are bright, sure, and there’s some energy with some of the characters, but despite this it’s boring. You don’t root for anyone in it, and considering the caliber of actors involved, it makes that somehow worse. What’s most frustrating is the missed potential. A true Borderlands adaptation should feel like a wild, R-rated cartoon with guns. If this ends up dull and generic, that’s a bigger tragedy than Handsome Jack’s ego.
2) Tekken (2009)
The reason this ranks higher than the travesty that was Borderlands is because barely anyone even realized it was made. Let’s keep this short and not-so-sweet. Tekken (2009) is a masterclass in how not to adapt a fighting game. Loosely — and we mean loosely — based on Bandai Namco’s hit franchise, the movie somehow strips all the personality from a roster known for outlandish backstories and bone-crunching rivalries. Instead, it delivers a bland, straight-to-DVD vibe with forgettable performances and uninspired choreography.
The characters look nothing like their game counterparts. The martial arts choreography feels phoned in. And the plot of a dystopian tournament somehow manages to be both boring and nonsensical. It’s a movie based on a franchise known for laser-shooting devils and kangaroos wearing boxing gloves, and yet it plays everything weirdly bland.
Fans didn’t ask for a Tekken movie to be serious Oscar bait, but they did want a faithful, stylish martial arts showdown. This movie gave them a button-masher of bad decisions and was so bad it earned an anemic $1.6 million at the box office.
1) Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Here it is — the original game-movie catastrophe. Ah! The ‘90s! The era that took video games, threw everything about said video game out the window, and made a movie about that video game that had nothing remotely to do with the IP. There were many culprits back in the 1990s, but nothing compares to the absolute trainwreck that was the original Super Mario Bros. movie.
Everything about it feels like it was made by ChatGPT while it had some form offever dream and became HAL from 2001 Space Odyssey. Mario and Luigi are plumbers in a dystopian cyberpunk city ruled by Dennis Hopper’s Koopa — who, despite the name, is definitely not a turtle. Yoshi is a terrifying mini-raptor. Goombas are… not Goombas. It’s one of the strangest adaptations ever made, and while it’s gained a cult following over the years for its sheer weirdness, it’s the gold standard of what not to do. The fact that it took Nintendo 30 years to try again tells you everything.
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