Until very recently, movies and TV shows based on video games were varying degrees of “extremely terrible” to “only slightly terrible.” This was largely due to filmmakers not understanding what made the games great. However, lately, the tide has turned. Here are the ten best movies or TV shows based on video games!
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic, the speedy blue mascot for Sega, has been around since the early 90s. In that time, he became an icon thanks to his witty banter and blistering speed. In 2020, the blue speedster graced the big screen with a surprisingly excellent movie, starring Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz.
Halo
While Halo purists might nitpick some of the finer plot details of the TV adaptation of the game series, it’s still a gripping sci-fi show. The show’s focus on interpersonal relationships, the ethics of creating supersoldiers, and bone-shattering action sequences all make it a wild ride.
Werewolves Within
You might have missed this 2021 horror comedy. You also might have missed the game it’s based on, a very obscure virtual reality game developed for the Oculus Rift. Don’t let those inauspicious origins distract you, though: Werewolves Within is a great movie with a tense narrative and playful energy that makes it a great homage to 80s slasher flicks.
Castlevania
Netflix’s Castlevania adaptation makes no sense. That’s not an insult, either: it’s an anime based on a long-running but long-dormant horror-platformer video game franchise. The anime loosely adapts the narrative from a few of the (many, many) Castlevania games and uses its labyrinthine lore to produce compelling vampire drama.
The Super Mario Bros Movie
The Super Mario Bros Movie isn’t Citizen Kane, but it’s not as bad as you’d expect for a movie based on a series with such a barebones narrative. Nintendo managed to take their usually-mute mascot and make him a leading man, complete with a compelling narrative arc and stunning visuals courtesy of Illumination.
Fallout
Fallout did the impossible: it took an open world video game franchise and distilled its composite parts down into a compelling piece of premium TV. Following in the footsteps of The Last of Us, Fallout is arguably more impressive in that its narrative is wholly new to the show, not adapted from the narrative of its game progenitor.
Detective Pikachu
While there have been plenty of Pokemon movies, Detective Pikachu marked the first time the franchise appeared in live action on the big screen. And what a vision it is! Seeing iconic monsters from the long-running RPG series realized in gorgeous CG alongside human actors is a genuine treat for longtime fans.
Arcane
Arcane is, inarguably, the best thing to ever come out of Riot Games’ League of Legends franchise. This gorgeous, compelling animated show introduces viewers to the world of Runeterra without subjecting them to the brutal 5v5 matches seen in the flagship competitive game. Given the rich depth of worldbuilding Riot put into its arena game, it’s honestly more surprising it took this long to get a compelling TV show based on the game.
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The Last of Us
The Last of Us is a high-water mark for video game narrative. As such, it’s not surprising that HBO managed to turn it into a compelling prestige TV series. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay are both impeccable in the lead roles, injecting their own unique twists on the characters of Joel Miller and Ellie Williams, respectively.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The only thing weirder than Sonic the Hedgehog being a genuinely enjoyable action-adventure movie is that its sequel was somehow even better received by critics. This outing, which adds Idris Elba as Knuckles, escalates things from the original film and introduces story elements that please long-time Sonic fans.
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