E.J. Moreno looks at adapting horror video games into movies…
last year, five nights at freddy's It joins a small list of horror video games that have hit the big screen. Its fate was similar to that of many works. Although it dominated the box office, it left a bad taste in the mouths of critics.
For the most part, the entire video game-to-movie experience is rough around the edges, with only a few examples of compelling outings. As games improve, they become tougher for horror video game enthusiasts, but movies rarely reflect that.
with five nights at freddy's A sequel is set for production in 2025, and producers are inevitably looking for the next spooky game to adapt. Take a look at our collection of video game movies for horror fans and rank them from worst to best…
alone in the dark
Get familiar with the name Uwe Boll as a filmmaker who specializes in distributing horror video games for a while, albeit with varying quality. alone in the dark It was in the really bad range of his “bad or worse” scale.
alone in the dark is a moderately successful survival horror game that was all the rage for a while. I can see why they would want to go this route with a movie, but very few entries captured the game's goodness. Uwe Boll's 2005 film has little trouble making it a watchable experience, let alone a solid adaptation of something.
You might expect the trio of Christian Slater, Tara Reid, and Stephen Dorff to give a “terribly good” performance, but it's hard to sit through for 20 minutes.
Dead Rising: Watchtower
I didn't know about this movie until I researched it for this article.Nothing noteworthy Dead Rising: Watchtowerbut it's surprisingly decent for a movie that was released with whatever Crackle is.
of dead rising The video game series is a romp that's easy to like, and the movie tried to capture that madness, but ended up with a below-average zombie movie. What this movie wisely does is explore the madness, the zombie killings, and the typical military madness you'd expect from this kind of horror subgenre.
Nothing on this list is better than the top 5, but if you're an avid fan of the game. dead rising: watchtower It gives you a slight hope that someone might have played a video game.
house of the dead
Say hello again to Uwe Boll. This time, he's here with one of the most outlandish entries in the lineup, and that's saying something. house of the dead It's ridiculous, and at least the madness is fun to watch.
This falls into the “incredibly bad” category, with so many terrible decisions happening every second of the movie. From randomly splicing together footage from video games to ridiculous Matrix-esque filmmaking, it's a pain to sit through, but there's so much stuff drilled into your head that it's hard to process what you see. is difficult.
2003 house of the dead There aren't any great performances or memorable scenes in “,'' but if you're looking for a horror video game adaptation, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes.
doom
What you get from the big screen doom As an adaptation, the film attempts to provide some alien demon ass-kicking action. Heck, it even tries to pay homage to the game. Sadly, this movie lacks any charm.
The Rock is one of the film's main characters, appearing ten years later, but he had not yet established himself as a leading man. The rest of the cast also struggles with the material. Karl Urban and Rosamund Pike usually understand camp, but this bland action actor is baffling. But a real attempt is shown here, and there are some shining moments.
All in all, we can see that there is potential inside, but Doom”'' star Dwayne Johnson said the film is a cautionary tale about “what not to do.'' No one was expecting Oscar gold, but they could have gotten something better.
blood rain
Uwe Boll's top entry, which doesn't say much yet. blood rain I adopted what worked for a project like blade or underworld and tried to apply it here. It's not great, but it feels like it's worth noting for Bol.
By 2005, audiences knew what to expect from this type of horror-inspired action movie, and the films mentioned above had gotten fans used to this formula. And what value is it? blood rain was a reasonably popular cult video game, so it didn't have to do much to wow its fans. The minimal promise of a beautiful woman defeating vampires was fulfilled.
Bol is here for the last time, but it's wild to think he's the grandfather of video game adaptations, leading us to a place where we can get useful options.
five nights at freddy's
Speaking of maintainability, five nights at freddy's ” sits in the middle of the list, demonstrating the mediocre nature of Blumhouse's adaptation of a jump-scare-filled video game.
The biggest sin this 2023 box office blockbuster commits is that it feels like it tries to do too much at once. There are so many conflicting ideas going on, with a legend that die-hard fans crave and a studio that wants an easy franchise jump-starter. You can see them cramming in all the ideas that came up in the writers' room and trying to somehow appease the entire audience.
However, on the opening weekend, five nights at freddy's It beat out the competition, becoming one of the biggest video game adaptations and the perfect Halloween movie.
werewolf inside
The mystery comedy-horror of 2021 almost made it into the top three, but most people know little about it. Still, this film is a solid effort from everyone involved.
The filmmakers and cast knew what they wanted to do tonally; werewolf insideThe mysterious world of is very life-like. Games are about immersing players in their experiences, and movies do a great job of fully immersing players in their worlds. For such a small production, there are many great moments and it feels true to the source material.
If you like it clue Or if you enjoy a good mystery, it's easy to fall in love with this frolic in the snow. Despite its many twists and turns, it remains a wonderful work no matter how many times I watch it.
Resident Evil Apocalypse
what to choose resident evil This series is complex to encapsulate, and sadly has never been properly adapted outside of animation. Apocalypse Great balance between games and movies.
Resident Evil Apocalypse brings to life very video game-like set pieces with the franchise's signature flair.Let's be honest, this is Paul WS Anderson's baby, but the entry he left was the one that got us closest to the game, other than a lackluster 2021. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Nemesis is such an important part of the game that it was great to bring him to life, even if it was a little weird to fight Alice.
detention
Looking at Japanese movies, Asian movies seem to have the best established video game-to-movie pipeline. fatal frame And this Taiwanese supernatural horror movie. detention It's a surprising hit, even if it's not the most famous.
Adapting a 2D atmospheric horror side-scrolling game is no easy task, but we see John Hsu blend the game's style with a cinematic lens very well. While some have complained that the film simplifies the game's political commentary, it still packs a punch and gives you a lot to think about while delivering some big scares.
It was also one of the few films to win in its category, sweeping the 56th Golden Horse Awards and causing controversy for its shocking nature and frank discussion. Of all the movies included, this one is truly a must-see.
silent hill
silent hill If you're looking for a movie that captures the soul of the game, works as a solid horror movie, and has aged well with its madness, this is what you're looking for. No one is saying this is perfect, but it feels like it came straight out of the game.
Initially, reviews for the film were harsh, but as time went on, fans and critics alike came to realize that; silent hill has accomplished the rare feat of bringing to life what fans love about games and adding a cinematic flair to it all. No scene on this list feels more straight out of a game than the skinning pyramid of her head.
Although the sequel didn't recreate the fun and style we loved, we hope to see director Christophe Gans' different take on the haunted city in the next film. Return to Silent Hill.
What is your favorite horror movie based on a video game? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…