by Orry Sawyer
Every now and then, a movie producer gets hold of a game and a dream, and tries to revitalise a story in a new medium. Sometimes, this works out. The story at the heart of the game gets brought to a whole new audience, and lovers of the game can immerse themselves more fully in the world. Other times, what is made seems more of a parody than a movie with any real substance. The game is taken, morphed, and changed until the heart of it is gone, and all viewers are left with is an empty shell. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the worst game-to-movie adaptations of all time.
Number One: Runner Runner (2013)
Runner Runner set out to do something great. In 2013, it had a highly sleek and aesthetic look and starred both Ben Affleck and, perhaps surprisingly, Justin Timberlake. As a casino movie, this title could have revitalised the genre for a modern audience, as the story focused on online gambling platforms rather than traditional casinos. What ended up happening, however, was that the film presented the online gambling industry as some twisted, mafia-esque crime web instead of the highly regulated market that it actually is, and the plot focused far too heavily on over-the-top action sequences that became ridiculous in light of the calm reality of the online casino world.
People interested in what actual online casino gaming is like can explore the best Australian online casinos and other tried and tested platforms offering massive game libraries and innovative bonuses to both new and experienced players. Many of these casinos even allow players to wager with cryptocurrency, which might not be as exciting as the action scenes in Runner Runner, but with increased security and faster transaction speeds, it is still something new.
Number Two: A Minecraft Movie (2025)
When we heard there was going to be an adaptation of Minecraft, starring the incredible Jack Black, many of us couldn’t help but feel excited. Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world, appealing to people from all generations and backgrounds. What A Minecraft Movie did, however, was create a messy, over-stimulating world with an incoherent plot, full of cheap gags and excessive fan service.
If you’ve seen this film and never played Minecraft before, please don’t allow the chaos that unfolded on the big screen put you off the game. Minecraft is actually a highly engaging, creative, and peaceful game that has benefits not just for your creativity but can actually improve the mental health of its players by promoting a low-stress environment to explore and build with.
Number Three: Postal (2007)
The Postal movie was supposed to be a loyal re-imagining of the video game franchise of the same name. With the original Postal titles, players enjoy a simple but highly engaging series of violent, yet comedic, first-person shooter games. Postal shines because of the simple reason that it doesn’t lean heavily into plot, instead allowing players to engage in mindless fun. The movie, however, completely destroyed the beauty of this game. It is ridiculously bad, making comedy around the 9/11 terrorist attacks that are not only highly offensive but also objectively stupid.
Postal games are well worth a play, though, especially if you’re a fan of shooter games with unique art styles that give players a high amount of freedom in their in-game journey. You can still expect dark humour, controversy, and shock value, but in a way that actually makes sense. The violence in the games is there for a reason; in the movie, however, it just feels juvenile.
Number Four: Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)
Now, the problem with this movie doesn’t lie in the movie itself. In general, it is a passable horror movie that attempts to cut deep into the human psyche and pulls it off, to some degree. The problem, however, lies in the fact that this movie was supposed to be an adaptation of the Five Nights at Freddy’s video games. A genre of horror games known for providing players with scares, yes, but also fun.
The movie is far from fun. Instead, we are thrown into the traumatised mind of a young man struggling to come to terms with his brother’s kidnapping. The time we actually spend seeing the animatronics that make the Five Nights at Freddy’s games so popular is minuscule compared to the sad dream sequences we are taken on by our protagonist.
