These are the 13 best video game movies ever made; from Gran Turismo to Mortal Kombat, from Silent Hill to Street Fighter, and more.

The digital frontier has enjoyed a rampant, terrifying evolution; over the previous two many years, we’ve seen higher graphics, more immersive gameplay, and a dedication to cinematic values in video games.

Yet, all that stuff doesn’t really matter in gaming. Fun and escapism are extra necessary, and it’s been a continuous stumbling block for the studios that attempt to adapt them into films; if you're taking away the company of the participant, you might want to make them care about what they’re seeing. Fortunately, it looks as if we’ve entered a brand new age of prestige adaptations: The Last of Us is probably the most acclaimed shows of 2023, The Witcher is one among Netflix’s greatest exhibits, and there’s also the likes of Arcane, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Castlevania.

For the purpose of this record, we’re going to neglect about the many flops and deal with the cream of the crop - so, to mark the release of Gran Turismo, these are best video recreation motion pictures of all time.

Best video game motion pictures of all time

Below, you’ll discover our rating of the 11 greatest video recreation films and the place to look at and stream them.

13. Tomb Raider

What’s it about: Lara Croft units off on a perilous journey in the hunt for father’s final-known location: a fabled tomb on a legendary island.

What we expect: The rose-tinted nostalgia factor around Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider films wasn’t sturdy sufficient to place us off Alicia Vikander’s debut, clearly modelled on the gritty, mud-and-blood attraction of the modern Survivor trilogy. It bogs itself down a bit, but it is a strong, typically exhilarating outing for gaming’s nice heroine.

Where to stream: On-demand

12. Mortal Kombat (1995)

What’s it about: Lord Rayden chooses three martial artists - Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, and Johnny Cage - to fight in Mortal Kombat, an interdimensional tournament where they most face off towards Shang Tsung’s champions and save the Earth.

What we predict: MORTAL KOMBAAAAAT!

Where to stream: Max and on-demand

11. Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie

What’s it about: While M. Bison, the leader of terrorist group Shadowlaw, kidnaps gifted fighters to brainwash them and have them below him, Ryu travels across Asia to perfect his combating skills. Bison desires Ryu, so he approaches his rival Ken, and it’ll be up to Interpol agent Chun-li and Guile to find Ryu and stop Shadowlaw from taking over the world.

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What we think: Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie isn’t simply one of the crucial under-appreciated, beneath-seen video sport movies, it’s additionally a gateway anime; this is the most effective-looking adaptations you will discover, celebrating the game’s extraordinary, distinctive visuals while also delivering a terrific story. Hadouken!

Where to stream: Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and on-demand

10. Silent Hill

What’s it about: In a desperate resort to cure her daughter’s sleepwalking, Rose travels to Silent Hill. After getting right into a car crash, she awakens surrounded by fog and its horrifying residents, and soon uncovers the reality of the city that occupies restless desires.

What we think: That is one of the vital underrated video game motion pictures ever made. The eerie ambiance is all-consuming, envisioned with sick, slick aptitude by director Christophe Gans; the CGI is fairly gnarly, and that ending - chills.

Where to stream: Sling and on-demand

9. Mortal Kombat (2021)

What’s it about: Cole Young, an MMA fighter with a mysterious dragon birthmark, brawls with destiny when he’s recruited to guard Earthrealm from Sub-Zero and the villains of Outworld, led by Shang-Tsung.

What we think: Mortal Kombat is a glorious love letter to the fans, equipped with gloopy, uppercutting flawless victories, fatalities and brutalities galore, and a likeable roster of iconic fighters - simply be sure to give us the actual tournament in the sequel.

Where to stream: Hulu, Max, and on-demand

8. Tetris

What’s it about: Tetris follows the true story of Henk Rogers, a video sport salesman and designer who finds himself enchanted by the sport and tries to safe the rights for Nintendo. This takes him to the Soviet Union, the place he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov to bring the game to the masses.

What we predict: Tetris is a propulsive, highly watchable piece of mass leisure; it won’t change the world as a lot as its house-shifting bricks, however you’ll have a very good time glued to your display screen.

Where to stream: Apple Tv

7. Detective Pikachu

What’s it about: Tim Goodman’s father, a police detective in Ryme City, is seemingly killed - but he thinks he’s nonetheless alive, so he teams up with his old associate to seek out him… who occurs to be a wisecracking Pikachu only he can understand.

What we expect: Detective Pikachu washes away the unhealthy taste of Pokémon’s earlier movie outings with a hilarious, immersive, fan-service-loaded journey.

Where to stream: Tubi and on-demand

6. The Super Mario Bros Movie

What’s it about: Mario and Luigi, two Brooklyn brothers and plumbers, are sucked into green pipes that take them to totally different worlds. Luigi finds himself held captive by Bowser, while Mario ends up within the Mushroom Kingdom, where he teams up with Princess Peach and Captain Todd to save lots of the galaxy.

What we expect: As a pure adaptation of the look, sound, and feel of the game, you can’t do a lot better than The Super Mario Bros Movie; there’s numerous finger-waggling nods to the multi-generational iconography of the franchise, and it may be too fast, however it’s enjoyable.

Where to stream: Peacock and on-demand

5. Resident Evil (2002)

What’s it about: Alice groups up with Umbrella Corporation troops to include the T-virus in the "hive", a secret underground laboratory where the personnel have been killed and resurrected as flesh-consuming monsters.

What we predict: In 2002, Paul W.S. Anderson shook up the Resident Evil canon with a gruesome, laser-slicing, thrilling B-movie that’s certainly one of the key texts of the genre; for all the cheese and of-its-time writing, this paved the best way for every other put up-millennium video sport movie, for higher or worse.

4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

What’s it about: After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is desirous to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His check comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a brand new companion, Knuckles, www.filmink.com.au/the-best-movies-about-gaming/ in search for an emerald that has the ability to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up along with his personal sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the improper hands.

What we expect: After emerging on the other facet of fan backlash, the first Sonic movie was a pleasing shock, and the sequel ups the ante in every way; the laughs are greater, the motion is extra inventive, and it wholeheartedly - and cleverly - embraces the video games. It will get further factors for its lengthy-awaited submit-credit scene, too.

Where to stream: Prime Video and on-demand

3. Gran Turismo

What’s it about: Based on the true story of an impossible dream, Gran Turismo follows Jann Mardenborough, a gamer whose unimaginable abilities on the (digital) monitor land him a spot in the GT Academy, the place he competes for a spot in Team Nissan.

What we think: Superman made audiences consider he might fly; Gran Turismo will make you imagine you'll be able to drive. This can be a video game movie within the spirit of all of the abysmal adaptations of yesteryear, but one that effectively communicates the immersion and enjoyable of its source, and overcomes woeful writing with a rollicking, rousing big-display screen expertise.

Where to stream: Exclusively in cinemas

2. Werewolves Within

What’s it about: Finn Wheeler is the brand new forest ranger at Beaverfield, a town divided by plans to put in a pipeline that’d lower via the wilderness. On a stormy night, a bunch of residents end up locked in the local inn… and amid grisly attacks, they begin to suspect someone, somewhere, is actually a werewolf.

What we think: While based mostly on a reasonably unknown title, Werewolves Within is a exceptional film. It performs like a Shaun of the Dead-esque caper, carrying a charming wit not simply in its dialogue, however in all of its path. It’d be a perfect pairing with Knives Out or Glass Onion… or both.

Where to stream: Netflix and on-demand

1. Tron: Legacy

What’s it about: Sam, the son of vanished video sport designer Kevin Flynn, enters "the grid", a harmful virtual world with disc wars, gentle cycle racing, a megalomaniac clone of his dad that wishes to invade the true world.

What we predict: Tron: Legacy is one of the staggeringly underrated movies of the 2010s. While not strictly primarily based on one video game (the unique movie spawned the arcade tie-in, so it nonetheless counts), the artistic funding right here is dazzling; it’s a state-of-the-art spectacular with one of the best rating of the 21st century, composed by the inimitable Daft Punk.

Where to stream: Disney+ and on-demand

Gran Turismo is in cinemas now. You'll be able to try our different coverage below:

Gran Turismo reviewGran Turismo forged & charactersGran Turismo true story: How accurate is the movie?How to observe Gran Turismo - is it streaming?

You can too take a look at our hubs for upcoming video game adaptations below:

Borderlands film | Sonic the Hedgehog three | Return to Silent Hill | Gran Turismo film | Metal Gear Solid film | Bioshock movie | Five Nights at Freddy’s | Sonic Prime Season 3

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In regards to the Author

Cameron is Deputy Tv and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He's an motion movie aficionado, '80s obsessive, Oscars enthusiast, and a staunch Scot. He earned a first-Class Honours Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University, accredited by the NCTJ and BJTC. He began his career at UNILAD, starting as a Junior Journalist and turning into Entertainment Editor prior to joining Dexerto. You can contact him at cameron.frew@dexerto.com.