Metacritic's Worst-Rated Video Game Movie Of All Time Was A Horrifying Flop

Thanks to big budgets and dedicated creative teams, today's gamers have it pretty good when it comes to video game adaptations on the big and small screens. It's almost easy to forget that there was a time when video game adaptations were universally derided. Worry not, we're here to help you remember the bad old days with 2005's "Alone in the Dark" — a legendarily bad adaptation that turned 20 years old this year. The "Alone in the Dark" games are a brooding horror series all about building suspense, but somehow the 2001 console title "Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare" inspired an action movie adaptation that boasts a whopping 9 out of 100 Metacritic score. 

The movie stars Christian Slater as protagonist Edward Carnby and Tara Reid as Aline Cedrac, expert archaeologist and Carnby's love interest. It was also directed by Uwe Boll, then famous for his laughably bad adaptation of "House of the Dead." There are countless problems with 2005's "Alone in the Dark," but Boll's involvement might be the root of all of it. Blair Erickson, one of the movie's first draft screenwriters, claimed in a lengthy blog post from February 2005 that Boll didn't really care about the source material's plot or tone. He wanted Carnby to have superhuman abilities like Blade, and he envisioned "Alone in the Dark" as an action joint full of monster fighting, epic chase scenes, and island lairs. The screenwriters tried to push back, but Boll stood his ground. With his "unique" vision, the magic of early-2000s low-budget CGI, and some all-time bad performances from the cast, "Alone in the Dark" became one of the most notable entries in the tragic history of video game movies.

In case you're worried that the Metacritic score for "Alone in the Dark" is skewed by gamers who just couldn't accept a terrible adaptation, Rotten Tomatoes is here to back it up. Critics gave the film a 1% approval rating, with the consensus stating, "Inept on almost every level, Alone in the Dark may not work as a thriller, but it's good for some head-slapping, incredulous laughter." A reviewer for The Hollywood Reporter also pointed out that "Alone in the Dark" is occasionally (and unintentionally) hilarious. That said, the reviewer pointed out that when it's not accidentally making you laugh, the movie is definitely putting you to sleep. "Even 'Pong: The Movie' would have a lot more personality," they wrote.

Reviewers across the board took issue with everything from the movie's pacing — it opens with a ridiculously long text crawl — to its special effects and even the dialogue. Reviewers were so bothered by how terrible the movie is that many of them started to personally call out some members of the production. Variety wrote, "'Alone in the Dark' offers ample evidence that ... Uwe Boll should put down his joystick – quickly, before anyone else gets hurt." A reviewer for Boston.com harshly echoed a sentiment expressed by other reviewers, writing, "Think of the lamest horror movie you've ever seen. Now think of Tara Reid in the lamest horror movie you've ever seen. See how much worse it could have been?"

If you aren't watching "Alone in the Dark" late at night, with a big group of friends, and after several large drinks, then you probably won't find any redeeming qualities in the endeavor. Yet somehow, despite all the disdain and heaps of negative reviews, the movie still ended up getting a sequel. Directed by Michael Roesch and Peter Scheerer and produced by Boll, "Alone in the Dark 2" came out just three years after the first film, and it brought back Edward Carnby for another supernatural adventure. This time, though, Slater and Reid decided to sit the film out. Edward is played by Korean martial artist and actor Rick Yune, and Aline doesn't appear in the story at all. The movie also tells a completely original story, for better or for worse. (It's for worse.)

This direct-to-video sequel doesn't even have a Metacritic page or a Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it an 11% approval rating, which is the exact same score they offered the first movie. Some viewers argue that the sequel isn't as accidentally funny as the first movie, and considering it's not based on a particular game's story, there's not much reason for anyone to give the film a chance.

The "Alone in the Dark" series has never quite reached its early heights, and not just because of the poor reception to the films. A star-studded reimagining of the original "Alone in the Dark" was released in 2024 to disappointing reception. As for Uwe Boll: He made several more video game adaptations that flopped, challenged several of his critics to an actual boxing match, retired from filmmaking, and then eventually announced his return to cinema. Now that's scary.