The 5 Best and 5 Worst Live-Action Video Game Adaptations

It’s only natural for gamers to want more of their favorite characters. From spin-offs to comics to action figures, there is always a new way to celebrate your favorite franchises.

Movies and TV shows based on video games seem like they’d be a natural fit. Here’s an open secret, though: just as video games based on movies tend to be awful, movies and TV shows based on games are often quite bad.

Fortunately, there are some diamonds in the rough (and we do mean “rough”). We’ve sifted through dozens of movies and TV shows to bring you the definitive list of the five best live-action game adaptations of all time… and five to avoid at all costs!

Best: The Witcher

“Toss a coin to your Witcher!” The 2019 Netflix adaptation of the video game series is downright captivating. Henry Cavill sizzles as Geralt, and the series manages to balance action, world-building, and humor in equal measure.

This isn’t just a good video game adaptation. It’s the kind of TV that anyone can enjoy, even if they normally sleep on “swords and sorcery” genre shows. And if your friends are still on the fence, just utter these magic words: “lots of shirtless Henry Cavill.”

Best: Resident Evil

The first Resident Evil movie is quite a surprise. While it includes a few familiar features (such as a mansion and a ton of zombies), it’s also missing familiar faces. For example, game protagonists Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield are nowhere to be found.

Director Paul W.S. Anderson took a real risk here. Instead of simply adapting the familiar Resident Evil story, he crafted new characters and new adventures within that universe. And while the later movies are really hit-or-miss, the 2002 film is captivating and original.