It’s no exaggeration to say that video games are a massive part of our economy. As such, it makes sense that Hollywood would want to cash in on their popularity, although, historically, it hasn’t always been exactly successful. From the moment film studios first attempted to bring our beloved pixelated arcade heroes to the live-action silver screen, video game movies have mostly disappointed us (and the studios making them).
While many recent releases have finally cracked the code and become instant favorites, others have had fans taking to social media to share their less-than-positive feelings. For decades, it felt like there was a “curse” on video game-based films. Studios struggled to adapt interactive media into passive two-hour narratives, often stripping away things that made the games fun or unique and replacing them with generic action tropes. However, over the last decade, we’ve started to see some successful films inspired by video games pop up in theaters, both critically and financially.
Vote for the Worst Video Game Movie
Today, PixlParade wants to know what you think! Below is a list of every film based on a video game, ranked by its Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. We want to hear your opinion on which is the worst in this genre. Cast your vote below:
Vote for the Best Video Game Movie
We’re also curious to know what you think is the best video game film of all time. Please cast your vote below:
Most Likely Winners
While our readers may surprise us, judging by the Rotten Tomato scores, there are a few likely contenders for best film.
Sitting comfortably at the top with an 86% is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). When the first Sonic movie trailer dropped years ago, the internet famously revolted against the terrifying initial design of the titular character. The studio’s unprecedented decision to delay the film in order to listen to the fans’ demands to redesign the character very likely saved the franchise, spawning two sequels. And while many franchises start to sizzle after the second installment, Sonic 3 is widely considered to be the best, thanks to its delving into the deeper lore of the games.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3; image credit: Paramount Pictures
Tied for the top spot, also at 86%, is a film that flew under many people’s radar: Werewolves Within (2021). Based on the Ubisoft multiplayer VR social-deduction game, this horror-comedy did a remarkable job adapting the game’s feel and mechanics rather than its literal plot, which really only works in an interactive medium.
A step below but still firmly in the “good” range are films like The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019) with a 72%, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) at 68%. The former shouldn’t have worked, since it and its predecessor were based on a mobile game with barely a plotline, but the films had enough humor and a character-based storyline to carry them along. Pikachu is kind of an outlier, considering that, on paper, it’s a really weird premise. Ryan Reynolds voicing a crime-solving Pokémon somehow made for a really fun, lighthearted film.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu; image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
A little lower down, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story (2023) eked out a very respectable 65% by taking a clever approach: instead of adapting the racing simulator itself, it adapted the true, inspirational story of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won him a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
Even films hovering closer to the middle, like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), show signs of the progress video game adaptations have made in Hollywood. They may not be critical darlings, but they demonstrate a growing understanding among filmmakers of how to translate interactive experiences into something cinematic without losing their core appeal.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie; image credit: Nintendo and Universal Pictures
Most Likely Losers
Of course, for every step forward, there are plenty of reminders of how easily things can go wrong.
At the very bottom of the barrel, boasting a truly abysmal 1% on Rotten Tomatoes, is Alone in the Dark (2005). Directed by the infamous Uwe Boll, this film took a pioneering survival-horror franchise and stripped it of all the tension and atmosphere that made it great. Starring Christian Slater and Tara Reid, the film unfortunately fell victim to disjointed action sequences and a muddled screenplay.
Alone in the Dark; image credit: Lions Gate Films
Sadly, Uwe Boll often appears near the bottom of the list, thanks to his adaptations of the arcade shooter House of the Dead (2003) and the vampire action film BloodRayne (2005). Boll’s strategy of buying up the movie rights to popular games and churning out forgettable Hollywood sludge is undeniably part of the reason the “video game curse” became so deeply ingrained in the public consciousness in the early 2000s.
However, Boll isn’t the only director to blame for the genre’s darkest days. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009) also bottoms out at a miserable 3%. Similarly, Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997) earned a tragic 4% by attempting to cram nearly every character from the games into a sequel that lacked the budget and heart of its predecessor.
Mortal Kombat Annihilation; image credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment
Wild Cards
Now, Rotten Tomato scores aren’t everything, and while some films don’t get the best numbers, they still have a good enough following to potentially sneak their way into first place. For example, Super Mario Bros. (1993), with a sad 27% critical score for its cyberpunk take on the Mushroom Kingdom, still has a pretty sizable, unapologetic cult following.
Then you have Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023). Mainstream film critics almost universally hated the adaptation, resulting in a 33% score, citing its lack of genuine scares and uneven pacing. However, the film was an undeniable success with the core fanbase. The creators understood exactly who the movie was for, packing it with deep-cut lore and Easter eggs, and making excellent use of the animatronics crafted by the Jim Henson Creature Shop.
Five Nights at Freddy’s; image credit: Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures
We also have to mention the Resident Evil franchise. Spanning six core films starring Milla Jovovich, the series peaked at 38% for The Final Chapter (2016) and hit a low of 21% for Afterlife (2010). However, as you would expect with so many made, these films were actually really successful at the box office. While they may have alienated hardcore game purists, they were, at one time, the highest-grossing video game films ever made.
A Minecraft Movie (2025) is another prime example of the disconnect between critics and filmgoers. The movie has a pretty low 47% rating but pulled in a remarkable $960 million, making it one of the highest-grossing video game adaptations of all time. Starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, the movie really leaned into the humor of the game’s core audience, delivering the now infamous and heavily meme’d “lava chicken” song.
A Minecraft Movie; image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Finally, there’s Warcraft (2016), which sits at 29% and was largely considered a domestic flop in the United States despite being a resounding success at the international box office. The film did have some genuinely impressive motion-capture orc performances, and fans of the game are somewhat split on how to feel about it overall.
Warcraft; image credit: Legendary Entertainment and Universal Pictures
With any luck, we can say that the video game adaptation curse is, if not fully broken, starting to lift. However, let’s hope that with the few successes we’ve had, studios don’t try to make video game movies the new superhero movies, clogging up the box office for the next two decades.
If you haven’t yet, go ahead and cast your vote above for the best and worst video game movies, and then stick around for more polls and video game deep dives!
See more:
- POLL: What Was the Best Video Game of 2025?
- The Highest-Grossing Movies Based on Video Games of All Time
- Video Games You May Not Have Realized Are Inspired by Books
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
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