Adapting the most popular horror video games into movies is no easy feat, and only a handful have actually been worth watching. Though video game movies are in something of a golden era right now, that hasn’t always been the case. Despite their obvious crossover appeal, filmmakers struggled for years to translate video games to the big screen.
Many of the worst video game movies completely miss the point of the games, or simply fail to adapt the narrative into cinema. Horror video games are often heavily dependent on their narrative, and are therefore the most obvious choice for a movie adaptation. However, Hollywood has just barely dipped its toe into the horror video game genre.
There has yet to be a truly great horror video game movie, but some have come close. Even if they completely ignore their source material, the adaptations at least deliver a compelling experience for the viewer. The future looks bright for video game movies, and the horror genre seems especially primed for a renaissance.
9
Doom (2005)
As an adaptation of the classic first-person shooting horror game, Doom is an abysmal failure, but as a goofy action flick, it’s not so bad. The Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson vehicle concerns soldiers sent to Mars to fight mutated creatures at a research facility. Eschewing the game franchise’s supernatural elements was the death knell for the film.
However, the action is appropriately bombastic, and many familiar elements from the games (primarily the noteworthy weapons) are preserved. The cast gives it their all, and Doom even features a first-person segment that mimics the games themselves. Doom deserves a nod mostly because it’s better than many of the absolute worst horror video game movies.
8
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
After the smashing success of the first movie, Resident Evil: Apocalypse was rushed to cinemas two years later. After her ordeal in the underground facility, Alice arrives in Raccoon City and must fight her way through hordes of zombies. Loosely copying the events of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, the movie made a lot of changes.
Like the first film, Apocalypse makes frequent reference to the game franchise with characters and locations, but never commits fully to being a literal adaptation. Though its scale is bigger, Apocalypse is inferior to its predecessor. However, it’s still a fun action movie, and one of the highlights of the expansive movie franchise.
7
Five Nights At Freddy’s (2023)
Five Nights at Freddy’s was already a massive franchise by the time the film arrived, and it was a notable financial success based on that popularity. A security guard at an abandoned pizzeria is tormented by the animatronic figures that once entertained the restaurant’s clientele. The original point-and-click survival horror game serves as a perfect framework for the movie.
The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is able to surprise casual viewers and please fans of the games. However, the script is lackluster, and the characters often feel less animated than the robotic antagonists. What the movie does best is bring the figures to life, and the presentation of Freddy and his animatronic minions is downright harrowing.
6
Until Dawn (2025)
Narrative-intensive games like Until Dawn are a staple of modern horror gaming, but the 2025 film adaptation isn’t a literal translation. A group of friends finds themselves in a deadly time loop where they must try to survive the night. Borrowing elements of the original game, the movie tells a new story set within the narrative framework.
Though some critics lambasted the film for its unfaithful adaptation, it was a smart move to diverge from the source material. The Until Dawn game relied more on story than actual gameplay, so it was already quite familiar. Unfortunately, the movie’s additions are hit-or-miss, and it mostly falls into middling territory as a perfectly serviceable horror film.
5
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
After two movies that tried to tie back to the games, Resident Evil: Extinction threw everything out the window. A few years after the second film, Alice leads a group of survivors through the wasteland in search of a patch of civilization. The post-apocalyptic setting is a nice change of pace, and the action is even better than its predecessors.
Extinction is a terrible video game movie, but a pretty decent action romp. Unhindered by lore, the movie revels in its own goofiness. Though it ended the golden era of the film franchise, it was still an engaging experience. Extinction falls far below other horror video game movies because it can hardly be considered an adaptation at all.
4
Silent Hill (2006)
Besides Resident Evil, the Silent Hill series is the most famous horror video game franchise, and the movie seemed like a sure winner. When her adoptive daughter runs away to a mysterious town, a woman must delve into the city’s supernatural terror. The film effectively captures the surreal atmosphere of the games, without being too committed to literal translation.
It suffers from a lot of common video game movie problems, such as boring characters and terrible dialogue, but it succeeds as a balance between game and cinema. The familiar monsters are just as scary in the movie as they are in the games, and the new elements were written with obvious care for the gaming franchise’s overarching themes.
3
Werewolves Within (2021)
Video game movies typically adapt the most famous games around, but Werewolves Within went with something a bit more obscure. The horror comedy follows the denizens of a small town who are trapped in a cabin during a snowstorm and hunted by a deadly creature. The movie changes almost everything from the game, except for the central mystery element.
Though it has almost nothing to do with an actual video game, Werewolves Within is still an exciting horror comedy with a noteworthy cast. The movie’s small scale is unique among video game flicks, and it’s one of the only low-budget adaptations around. Freed from expectation, Werewolves Within is allowed to flourish.
2
Detention (2019)
There’s a thriving video game movie market outside the United States, and Taiwan’s Detention is still one of the best. Set during Taiwan’s White Terror era, the story follows students trapped in their school where they are hunted by monsters. Like the game itself, the movie is steeped in Taiwanese history and culture.
Game movies aren’t known for their complexity, but Detention has a lot to offer by way of deeper themes. The indie horror game’s surrealism and chills translate well to the big screen, but the film’s script doesn’t rely on the game alone. Most horror video game movies fail to capture the terror of their games, but Detention is unflinching in its frights.
1
Resident Evil (2002)
Long before video game movies entered their golden era, Resident Evil stood as one of the few examples of a decent gaming film. The film follows a group of survivors who are trapped in an Umbrella Corporation research facility during a zombie outbreak. Leaning heavily into the action, Resident Evil feels more like an homage than an adaptation.
With video game movies in their infancy, a literal adaptation wouldn’t have flown. Therefore, a lot of the changes made in Resident Evil are justified. It draws parallels to films like The Matrix, but spices things up with zombies and gore. While imperfect, it illustrates the balance between faithfulness and flair that most horror video game movies struggle against.
