If you love playing video games, we have gathered the best video game movies that take you through a gaming experience on film. You’ll love the combination of the two because of the characters, familiar game play, and unexpectedly fun plot twists. You may not even realize some of the movies we found are actually about video games. Keep reading to see which ones made our list.
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How many video game movies exist?
There aren’t as many video game movies as you think. In fact, a lot of movies are turned into video games as opposed to the other way around. But, we know lots of gamers would love to see more video games turned into fun films.
Highest-grossing video game films by year
The highest-grossing video game film is The Super Mario Bros Movie. This isn’t a surprise as it was just released in April of this year and did very well in theaters. The Super Mario game came out in 1985 and has always been super popular. The film was something everyone had been waiting for, especially for people who had Nintendo when they were kids and had all the different kinds of Super Mario games. All the characters like Peach, Luigi, and Bowser make an appearance, which is fun for viewers.
15 Best Video Game Movies
Without further ado, let’s get into the best video game movies we could find if you are interested in knowing what games have inspired movies in today’s world. Similar to The Super Mario Bros movie, you’ll love the action and game play feel while watching.
15. Gamer
Gamer is about convicts on death row who are forced to battle and have their minds controlled by someone else. Kable is a convict controlled by Simon, who is a teenage gamer. He must survive thirty rounds, and if he does, he will be set free. It’s a very high-stakes video game that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
14. Spy Kids 3: Game Over
Spy Kids 3: Game Over is the third Spy Kids movie ever made. This one is about Carmen when she gets caught in a virtual reality game. Juni, her brother, must go into the game to save her and the world from a new nemesis, the Toymaker that wants to take over. It has everything you love from Spy Kids plus a video game simulation.
13. Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is about a fast hedgehog that meets a small town police officer. They must work together to defeat an evil genius that wants to take Sonic and does experiments on him and figure out where he came from.
12. The Angry Birds Movie
The Angry Birds Movie is about flightless birds who are on an island get visited by weird green pigs. It is up to Red, Chuck, and Bomb to determine what is happening, making a movie plot out of the Angry Birds game. It is not surprising that this game became a movie because it has been super popular since it came out in 2009.
11. The Anger Birds Movie 2
The Angry Birds Movie 2 is about flightless birds and green pigs who have a feud with each other and end up taking it to the next level. If you liked the first one, you’ll love this sequel. This is the second movie to be made based on the Angry Birds game where you have to throw birds and hit the pigs.
10. Pixels
Pixels is about aliens getting the wrong idea about a video of classic games. They think it is a sign of war. They start attacking the earth by using video games as a strategy. Three best friends form a team to fight against these aliens. This movie is a super interesting concept that will blow your mind.
9. Wreck-it Ralph
Wreck-it Ralph is about a villain in a video game who wants to be a hero for once. He leaves the game to follow his dream, which only causes chaos in the game he lives in. Along the way, he meets Vanellope, who is struggling with a glitch, and they both go on a quest to figure out what to do with their problems.
8. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is about a computer programmer that questions what is real in life. He decides to alter a mad writer’s fantasy novel that gets turned into a video game. This changes everything, and he can’t separate the video game from reality.
7. Jumanji: The Next Level
Jumanji: The Next Level is about the gang returning to the game, but things aren’t how they remember them. They go into the game to rescue one of their own but must go through deserts and snowy mountains to escape what is considered the most dangerous game. It’s super suspenseful and full of amazing videography that will make you want to play the game, until the stakes are too high.
6. Ready Player One
Ready Player One is about a creator of a virtual reality game who dies, and he challenges players in Oasis. Whoever finds the easter egg will win his fortune and control of the world. They don’t know when they go into the game and even worse, there is no going out unless you win.
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5. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a sequel and one of the best video game movies about how Sonic must defeat the manic Dr. Robotnik again. Along the way, he meets a new friend named Tails, who helps him find ways to defeat Dr. Robotnik and his new sidekick, Knuckles.
4. Tron: Legacy
Tron: Legacy is about a boy looking for his missing father, a virtual world designer. He ends up in the world his father designed. The world comprises gladiatorial games, and he meets his father’s corrupted creation. He must figure out how to get his dad back and out of that world before they are stuck into there forever.
3. Free Guy
Free Guy is about an NPC in a video game who discovers that they’re more to his life than being a bank teller and doing the same thing every day. His eyes open to a whole new world of the game he never knew existed until he put on a pair of glasses he stole from a player.
2. Jumanji
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the original Jumanji movie made about the game. Four teenagers get in trouble and have to clean out the basement of their school, which doesn’t seem to be all that out of the ordinary. They end up getting sucked into a magical video game when they start playing, and the only way to escape the game is to win and finish it. They only have three lives, so they need to tread lightly so they don’t die in the game because they will never return home.
1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Lastly, our number one ranking of the best video game movies is The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has brought in over $520 million since its opening this year. The movie is about Mario and Luigi as they journey to another world they never knew existed. Mario adventures through the Mushroom Kingdom while Luigi goes through the Dark Lands. All of our favorite Super Mario characters make an appearance and it will make you want to play the game as soon as you get home.
Are video game movies getting better?
Video game movies haven’t always been the most popular. We see them improving in the future and they already have over time. This is because they have made the video experience more interactive on the movie screen. With tons of special effects nowadays, it is easy to forget that you’re not actually playing a video game yourself.
Are video games more popular than traditional films?
In this article from Things Have Changed, they explore the fact that the gaming industry has been more successful in the last few years than Hollywood. This shows us that people living in the 2020s seem to like video games more than traditional movies. What better way to combine two industry superpowers than to make movies about video games? The hope is that these movies will hit the same target audiences as video games, which are huge.
What Disney movies are based on video games?
A Disney movie that is based on a video game is Wreck-It Ralph. The film is about a video game villain who is tired of being the bad guy and wants to be a hero. It did very well when it was released in 2012 and it has a 7.7/10 rating on IMDb. It’s a great example of how Disney is getting into the video game space in order to maximize their audience.
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