Video gamemovies are a hard sell. You have to squeeze anywhere between 10 and 100 hours of content into a bite-sized package. It’s a veritable Herculean task, and we know how that ended…he died.
However, through the years, there have been films that captured the spirit of the original games and others that do their own thing while squeezing enough nods and winks to keep you pointing at the screen like theLeonardo DiCapriomeme.
So, here are the best video game movies on streaming.
For more recommendations, check out our list of thebest movies streaming on NetflixandMax.
‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 59% | IMDb: 7.0/10
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Ever since the famed disaster that was the 1993Super Mario Brosfilm (which I think is great, but that’s neither here nor there), fans of the high-jumping, turtle-smashing plumbers thought they would never get another Mario movie on the big screen.The Super Mario Bros. Movieis the answer to three decades of gamers’ prayers to the gods of Nintendo, and any long-time fan of the franchise will love thesmorgasbord of Easter eggsthroughout. The movie starsChris Pratt(The Lego Movie) andCharlie Day(The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part) as Mario and Luigi as they journey into the Mushroom Kingdom and through the many worlds of the shared Nintendo universe to take down Bowser — who is perfectly cast, getting the fullJack Black(Kung Fu Panda 4) treatment.
Watch on Netflix
‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 32% | IMDb: 5.4/10
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Five Nights at Freddy’sis a film that almost took a decade to come to fruition, but finally, Blumhouse was able to take the reins to create a tense thriller that is just asweird and wacky as the game. In case you haven’t been down the rabbit hole that is all the hidden lore of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, the film followsJosh Hutcherson(The Hunger Games) as Mike Schmidt, the new nighttime security guard of an abandoned pizzeria with a dark secret surrounding the animatronic mascots. Though the story can be a bit jumbled in places, it’s generally an interesting film that makes some big swings, especially when it comes to the performances.
Watch on Prime Video
‘Resident Evil’ (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes: 36% | IMDb: 6.6/10
Resident Evil
Ever since directing thebest, campiestMortal Kombatfilm back in 1995, writer and directorPaul W. S. Anderson(Monster Hunter) seems to be on any studio’s speed dial when it comes to adapting a video game into live action — and he certainly delivers with this action-horror that captures the vibe of the original zombie shooter.Resident EvilstarsMilla Jovovich(The Fifth Element) as Alice, a mysterious woman who wakes up in an underground facility in Raccoon City and must battle through infected humans and a deadly security system to get to the surface. The film takes a lot from the second and third games and is just as bone-shakingly frightening with just as much fist-pumping action to keep fans of the game (or fans of horror in general) on the edge of their seats.
Watch on MGM+
‘Pokémon: Detective Pikachu’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% | IMDb: 6.5/10
Detective Pikachu
Loosely based on theDetective Pikachugame (but deeply steeped in thePokémonmedia that came before),Pokémon: Detective Pikachuis a love letter to the international phenomenon that has captured our hearts for almost 30 years. This buddy comedy mystery followsJustice Smith(Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as a young man who’s given up his dreams of becoming a Pokémon trainer — until his search for his missing father leads him to an odd, sleuthing Pikachu that only he can hear speak.Ryan Reynolds(Deadpool & Wolverine) lends his voice to the titular Detective Pikachu and injects his usual smarmy charm into the coffee-loving electric mouse.With Easter eggsand a few running gags from the long-running animation, this is a Pokémon film that the whole family can enjoy together.
‘Mortal Kombat’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 55% | IMDb: 6.0/10
Mortal Kombat 2021
Since I already mentioned the campy ’90s version of the franchise earlier, it’s time I gave the reboot some attention. The newMortal Kombatthrows away the cheesy, earnest one-liner deliveries and packs the movie full of brutal fights and a wholly original storyline — even creating a brand-new character to serve as the audience surrogate. The film followsLewis Tan(Into the Badlands) as Cole, an MMA fighter who’s being hunted by the warriors of Outworld to weaken the Earth’s forces before the next tournament. The story foregoes the 1-v-1 combat format of the game to create a tense chase that puts Earth’s fighters on the back foot from the start, which makes the search for the other warriors even more dire. The sequel is set to come out next year, so ensure to pop this one on and FINISH IT!
Watch on Max
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 64% | IMDb: 6.5/10
Sonic the Hedgehog
In a parallel universe, there is a film with the ugliest Sonic you’ve ever seen…luckily, that’s not the one we live in! When the fans banded together to get aSonic the Hedgehogmovie with a game-accurate hedgehog, it was a moment of triumph, but the awesomeness didn’t stop there.Ben Schwartz(Parks and Recreation) brings such whimsy and positive energy to the blue blur, perfectly bouncing off ofJames Marsden(Enchanted) in this buddy comedy that makes Sonic a fish out of water in the human world. But the biggest draw of the film isJim Carrey(The Mask) as Dr. Robotnik, who channels the rubber-faced madness of his ’90s characters to deliver a performance that feels like Carrey in his prime.
Watch on Paramount+
‘Uncharted’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 40% | IMDb: 6.3/10
UnchartedfeaturesTom Holland(Spider-Man: Far from Home) platforming into the shoes of famed treasure hunter Nathan Drake, who answers the question, “What if Indiana Jones was good at shooting while doing parkour?” The movie takes elements from each of the four main games while being set before the first one, using this opportunity to explore how Drake and Sully met while allowing the filmmakers to lay the tracks to create their own parallel stories separate from the narrative of the games. Holland’s boyish charisma is a pretty good fit for a young Drake, and he does a lot of his own stunts, which is awesome to see as he puts his spider-like agility to use.
Watch on Hulu
‘Werewolves Within’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 6.0/10
Werewolves Within
Of all the titles on this list,Werewolves Withinis the best stand-alone film based on a game that requires absolutely no knowledge of the source material to enjoy — it’s just an all-around hilarious mystery thriller. Starring an ensemble of great comedic talents, the film takes place in a small rural town where mysterious attacks have created an atmosphere of paranoia that has the townsfolk at each other’s throats. Enter the humble, optimistic forest ranger Finn Wheeler, played bySam Richardson(Veep), who is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. In addition to being wildly funny,there is a great commentary on corporate disregardfor small working-class towns that works really well with the setting. Also, the chemistry between Richardson and the local mail lady, played byMilana Vayntrub(This Is Us), will have shippers howling at the moon.
Watch on AMC
