Borderlands’ big screen adaptation has established itself as one of the largest flops of 2024, with the film enduring substantial losses, earning only a small portion of its budget back.
While many video game enthusiasts cringe at the idea of their cherished franchises being adapted into films, some Borderlands fans held onto hope that the game’s vibrant style could successfully transition to the cinema.
However, any anticipation for a faithful adaptation quickly faded as Borderlands was labeled the “worst movie of the year,” with many audiences criticizing it for not aligning with the source material.
The situation worsened when it was disclosed that Borderlands garnered only $31 million during its theatrical release, making little impact against its $115 million budget.
Video game films often occupy a low tier in Hollywood, yet Borderlands was in a unique position, featuring a cast of characters that gamers have long cherished.
Set on the fictional planet of Pandora, players navigate a first-person shooter landscape filled with bandits, mercenaries, wild animals, and more.
In many respects, Borderlands shares similarities with Fallout, another dystopian video game franchise that has received a live-action adaptation through Amazon Prime Video.
However, the Fallout series exemplified why Borderlands was such a disappointment; unlike the older Fallout games, which gained popularity from its series, Borderlands failed to inspire theater-goers to revisit the game.
As a result, Borderlands becoming one of 2024’s biggest failures was not surprising, a sentiment mirrored in the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Despite being directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Eli Roth, the movie received a dismal 10% rating along with a slew of negative reviews.
“[Borderlands] is a colorful mess; a flurry of bullets and poor line readings that left me in a 100-minute brain fog,” remarked one critic.
Another critic described Borderlands as a “cacophonous crash-and-bang not-terribly-interesting CGI’d hyper-violent movie.”
A third viewer advised potential audience members to skip the cinematic experience altogether, suggesting they wait to stream it at home, stating, “If you do want to see Borderlands, wait until you can stream it at home. That way, if it annoys you too much, you can always pick up your controller and play the original games instead. You’ll have a much better time.”
For more insights, you can explore all the upcoming movies this month. Check out our guide to the best movies of 2024 so far.
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