Movie adaptations of video games have historically been disappointing. Often, studios would change the things players loved about the games, or they’d adapt games that didn’t have compelling stories to begin with. While the success of movies like Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokémon Detective Pikachu suggests things are improving, video game adaptations actually seem to be working better on TV. This is likely because the rich stories and detailed worlds of many games are better suited for a longer format than a feature film allows.
Even with recent successes like the Emmy-winning shows The Last of Us and Fallout, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie making over a billion dollars, it’s still hard to make a good movie based on a video game. This is being proven again this Friday with the release of The Mortuary Assistant, a live-action adaptation of the popular 2022 horror game. The game gained a following on Twitch due to its many different endings, which depended on the player’s choices. While fans of the game will likely enjoy seeing familiar elements in the movie, others may not understand what all the excitement is about.
Rating: 2 out of 5
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Decent atmosphere | Zero narrative patience |
| Good make-up effects | Lackluster performances |
| Sloppy editing |
The Mortuary Assistant Completely Lacks Patience
The film The Mortuary Assistant jumps right into the story, introducing us to Rebecca Owens (Willa Holland) and her mentor, Raymond Delver (Paul Sparks), during a final supervised procedure. It starts strong with realistic special effects showing corpses, but quickly reveals too much of its plot. Before any suspense can build, one of the film’s monsters appears, and the core concept – that demons use bodies to target living people, and a specific process is needed to stop them – is explained far too early. This concept is actually much better developed in the game the film is based on.
The film The Mortuary Assistant awkwardly jumps between details of Rebecca’s past – including struggles with addiction and personal loss – and her dedication to her job, even when working late. While fans of the game will appreciate the familiar details (the film’s creator, Brian Clarke, helped write the script), these elements feel disorganized and are delivered through underwhelming performances by Holland and Sparks, making them only partially engaging. Like the game it’s based on, the film is strongest when it focuses on Rebecca’s work shift, letting unsettling events unfold subtly and building tension naturally.
As a critic, I found that while this film hints at a fascinating larger story, it unfortunately gets bogged down trying to explain everything, rather than show it. The scares felt disconnected, more like isolated incidents than truly frightening moments. There’s a sequence with Rebecca trapped in a flooding bathroom that honestly felt ripped from a completely different movie – it just didn’t fit. The biggest issue, though, is that the film’s backstory is so rich and complex, it couldn’t simply adapt the game’s structure. What we ended up with was a scare every eight minutes or so, and honestly, those moments ranged from mildly unsettling to just… not very scary.
The Mortuary Assistant Delivers Decent but Repetitive Scares
As a huge fan of the game, what really blew me away about The Mortuary Assistant movie wasn’t how it changed the story, but how incredibly similar it looked to the game itself. Seriously, the mortuary layout is almost identical, and the creepy creatures? I recognized them instantly! They used the Shadow Man really well, making each appearance genuinely scary, and The Mimic is definitely the main monster. It’s terrifying at first, but honestly, it started showing up too much, and the scares lost their punch after a while, especially since some of them started to feel repetitive.
One of the most striking things about The Mortuary Assistant from an editing standpoint is how disjointed it feels. Scenes don’t really build on each other; they just happen, often with no clear connection. Sometimes important information is revealed after a big scene, when it would have made more sense earlier. The film frequently relies on characters simply explaining things, which feels awkward and unnatural – it’s almost a running joke!
Viewers familiar with the video game The Mortuary Assistant will appreciate how much of the game’s story and atmosphere made it into the film. However, the movie suffers from choppy editing and lackluster performances from its main actors, making it a difficult watch. While some of the scares are effective and the creature effects are well-done, this adaptation unfortunately falls into the pattern of disappointing video game movies. It might only appeal to fans of the game, and even they might find replaying the game itself more enjoyable.
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2026-02-10 23:40