Brie Kind Rewind introduces video game horror🕹️, RIYL 'Five Nights at Freddy's' 🤖, & more!

What a great time it is to be a horror fan. Not only has the last few years introduced a variety of fresh icons to the scene, but horror gaming has broken through to the mainstream in a very big way. This break has brought with it a slew of major gaming IP getting big screen adaptations, including some beloved horror titles. 2023’s Five Nights at Freddy’s proved particularly successful, making an absolute killing at the box office, and becoming a personal favorite of mine. As a former games journalist and reviewer, this new era of horror game adaptations has me brimming with excitement. Stories old and new are headed to the big screen, and some of my all-time favorite games of the past and present are making a massive return in both mediums. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is due to release this December, and the newest gaming title, FNAF: Secret of the Mimic, just delivered one of the darkest and most lore-ridden experiences to date. Following last year’s successful release of Silent Hill 2 Remake, and this year’s reveal of one for the 1999 original, Return to Silent Hill, a direct adaptation of Silent Hill 2, will be hitting the big screen in January 2026. Fans have been clamoring for a more faithful adaptation of the material following the franchise’s prior two theatrical films, and it looks like we’re going to get just that, as a result of Hollywood's renewed interest in adapting horror game IP. Heck, Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 2025 is set to feature two gaming franchises as themes for their interactive haunts this year, Fallout and Five Nights at Freddy’s, all but punching my second ticket to Orlando this year (see you soon Dark Universe). Add to that A24 and Alex Garland’s recently announced an Elden Ring movie and Lionsgate’s Outlast adaptation, as well as in-development Bendy and the Ink Machine and Dead by Daylight projects, and you have what could be a very promising future for this intersection of horror mediums.

However, longtime fans of horror games can attest that the past is also rife with cult-classic game-to-film adaptations. No doubt many are aware of the long running Resident Evil film franchise and Hollywood’s previous Silent Hill adaptations, as well as all-time duds like Bloodrayne and House of the Dead. However, many missed out on some of the all time greats, as their availability has diminished in the digital age, or their international distribution never saw them make it West in the first place. Titles like Otogirisou, based on the Japanese Super Famicom title, Fatal Frame, Siren, Detention, and Parasite Eve ooze the influences of gaming’s 90’s-2000’s J-horror renaissance back onto the silver screen. Fans of campy straight-to-VHS/DVD style horror can also find hidden gems in Dead Rising: Endgame, DreadOut, and the animated Dead Space films.

As a lifelong fan, so much excites me about the future of horror game adaptations to the big screen. Whether playing the game or seeing the movie first, fans new and old are getting to experience some of gaming’s best original horror franchises like never before. If you're new to the subgenre, welcome. We’re happy to have you. If you’ve been playing these games all of your life and are dipping into the film adaptation space for the first time, you could not have picked a better time to do so. Things are looking up for horror-game adaptations in this new big-budget era, and I'm excited to be along for the ride with you!

Issue 050’s Letterboxd list can be found here

It's time to get sticky with ICK, the horror-comedy film that premieres in theaters for a limited time from July 27-29th, 2025. The killer soundtrack makes this film look even better!

Get ready for another Stream film as Stream 2 has been announced!