Summary

• Video game movies have improved significantly in the 2020s, with well-reviewed adaptations becoming more common.
• Some recent video game adaptations, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Gran Turismo, have been successful in capturing the essence of the source material.
• Despite the success, there are still challenges with adapting video games, such as finding the right casting and balancing faithful adaptation with creative storytelling.

Video game movies are finally something to look forward to, as the best adaptations released in the 2020s are proving year after year. For a long time, Hollywood was unsuccessful with video game adaptations. According to well-reviewed movies based on video games that scored even higher.

However, video game adaptations have been around since the disastrous live-action Super Mario Bros. in 1993. There have been more than 50 films based on video games since, and the genre appears to finally be hitting its stride with more popular offerings such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Gran Turismo, and Werewolves Within all receiving a far better critical response. As a result, there are now dozens of announced projects based on video game projects as studios begin to invest more time and energy in the genre. For the sake of the fans, hopefully, some of them are as good as the video game movies of the 2020s released so far.

10 Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City (2021)

Based on the '90s Capcom games Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil had been adapted into six films before this reboot, and it's a shame, but Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City removes much of what made the other films good and introduces more faithful elements that are not well-suited to the big screen. The casting feels off in this adaptation of the first and second games, which outlines the outbreak that creates a horde of bloodthirsty zombies. The story and script are poorly put together, with the assumption that viewers are familiar with the games. Odd visual choices also make this project more likely to bore its audience than create any real scares.

9 Monster Hunter (2020)

Based on the 2004 Capcom video game of the same name

Monster Hunter was released in late 2020 and, unfortunately, it carried forward the quality of video game movies from the previous decade. The film did suffer due to it being released during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was a total flop at the box office, failing to recover even the modest budget of $60 million for a film so reliant on CGI. Overall, the direction, editing, and lack of a coherent or meaningful story really drag the movie down despite a star-studded cast, including Milla Jovovich, and an interesting concept that already had a loyal fanbase thanks to the games.

8 Uncharted (2022)

Based on the Sony and Naughty Dog video game franchise of the same name

Before Uncharted ever hit theaters, the movie was fighting an uphill battle with fans of the video game franchise who were disappointed with the casting of Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor 'Sully' Sullivan. The actors both present a much younger duo than the characters who initially appeared in the games, and fans felt that it wouldn't be a faithful enough adaptation as a result. However, the cast did manage to draw an audience, and the film took in more than $400 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing video game adaptations of all time.

Despite the box office, the film is lacking in many areas. The stakes are non-existent and, aside from a decent performance from Holland and some impressive action scenes, it just isn't exciting. There are some fun moments, but overall the film doesn't come together and feels like a poor imitation of the source material. Thanks to the financial success of the film, it is possible that Sony will green-light a sequel, but independently, the Uncharted movie fails to hit the mark.

7 Mortal Kombat (2021)

Based on the '90s Midway Games video game franchise of the same name

The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie was the third attempt at adapting the video games for the big screen, and while it improves on previous entries, there are still elements that are lacking. The film follows Cole Young, a struggling mixed martial artist, as he comes face to face with forces of evil that expand his worldview. It is mainly an action film with exaggerated squirting blood emulating the game's extreme levels of gore and brutality, but it serves as a fun watch when the scripting, dialogue, and acting are judged separately. The games are focused on one-on-one fights, without greater depth in the story, and that's what this film delivers.

6 Five Nights At Freddy's (2023)

Based on the ScottGames video game franchise of the same name

Five Nights at Freddy's continued the current successful video game movie streak with its faithfulness to the material and how well it plays to its intended audience. When viewed as a standalone horror film or from an outsider's perspective, however, the adaptation gets a much harsher judgment. Five Nights at Freddy's has jump-scares, an odd story, and creepy animatronics, which is exactly how the original video game rose to such widespread popularity. It may not be high-cinema, but it's a decent video game adaptation.

5 Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)

Based on the Sega video game franchise of the same name

Before its release, Sonic the Hedgehog faced major backlash due to an early look at the design of the title character. However, the creative teams overhauled and changed the design late in the game to make a much more faithful representation. With that near-disaster averted, the result is a fun adaptation where the story makes sense and Jim Carrey's wacky performance as Dr. Robotnik adds to the film's personality. The adaptation, which broke Marvel's streak by becoming the top-performing superhero film of 2020, doesn't take itself too seriously, is aimed at a younger audience while including jokes for adults, and features graphics that are high-quality.

4 Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Based on the Sega video game franchise of the same name

As a result of the first film's success, Paramount Pictures began work on a sequel immediately and released it just two years after the original. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 comes into its own and builds on the success of the first film to establish its unique style and story. It isn't a perfectly faithful adaptation of the video games, but adapting requires changes to make it the best possible story in a very different medium. The actors deliver great performances, the story expands the world, more of the core game voice cast make an appearance, and it successfully sets up another sequel.

3 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Based on Nintendo's Mario video game franchise

Mario has been around for a long time, but the hold he has on modern audiences is the biggest it's ever been. The Super Mario Bros. Movie became the highest-grossing film based on a video game just one week after its release. As an animated feature starring A-list celebrities with a fun story aimed at the whole family, it nailed the marketing and drew in significant crowds, ultimately bringing in over $1.3 billion at the box office. While it adjusts the story significantly for the film format, it faithfully follows Mario learning to become a hero as he progresses through a platforming adventure.

2 Gran Turismo (2023)

Based on the PlayStation racing simulation video game franchise of the same name

In a unique take on a video game adaptation, Gran Turismo is also based on the true story of a young man who ed a special initiative where talented players of the racing simulator trained and performed as actual race drivers. The story is powerful, the acting is brilliant, and the direction by Neill Blomkamp is excellent.

There are two aspects of the movie that need addressing, however. Gran Turismo quickly stops being a video game movie, and its writing makes some tasteless choices in changing the timeline of events. Despite this, the movie manages to connect to and revolve around the game to such an extent that it does qualify for this genre. In fact, it further proves that video game movies work better as adaptations connected creatively in some manner to the source material rather than exact replicas played out on the big screen.

1 Werewolves Within (2021)

Based on the Red Storm Entertainment multiplayer VR game of the same name

With Werewolves Within, the comedy format proves to be incredibly successful when creating a video game adaptation. Paradoxically, this is the least financially successful of all the 2020s video game movies, as it failed to earn even $1 million at the global box office, but it manages to be the highest-rated video game adaptation of all time on review aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes. With its perfect mix of comedy, a mystery plot, and some horror elements, Werewolves Within totally deserves that latter distinction, as it is an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable movie with genuine thrills, surprising twists, and plenty of laughs.