Video Games: The Movie

Released Jul 18, 2014

1h 40m

Documentary

List

18%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

36%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Through interviews with developers, publishers and consumers, filmmaker Jeremy Snead examines video game history and culture and how the games are consumed.

Read More

Read Less

Prime Video

Rent Video Games: The Movie on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

"Video Games: The Movie" doesn't just preach to the choir, it puts that choir on a pedestal and costumes it in golden robes.

Rated: 2/4

Jul 18, 2014

Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

Unfocused and repetitive, this feature-length commercial by Jeremy Snead uses a muddled timeline and bargain basement graphics to produce a horn-tooting, "Aren't games awesome?" tone.

Jul 17, 2014

Full Review

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

It's a lovefest in which critics' voices and debate are simply absent, and the only talking space is wonder, nostalgia and excitement for the future.

Jul 17, 2014

Full Review

Sandie Angulo Chen

Common Sense Media

Homage to gaming pioneers is tween friendly but overlong.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 1, 2014

Full Review

Daniel Carlson

Movie Mezzanine

It takes a certain mix of hubris and willful ignorance to begin a documentary about video games with a quote from Gandhi.

Rated: F

Jul 18, 2014

Full Review

Brian Albert

IGN Movies

Despite some organizational issues, Video Games: The Movie is an informative and entertaining look at the birth of the medium we know and love.

Rated: 7/10

Jul 17, 2014

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

it was good. but video games taking 0 responsibility about the violence in today's world is stupid. games are way to violent, I play them, but playing 100 hrs of killing someone is not the same as watchi g a 2 HR movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/11/20

Full Review

Audience Member

too bad so many top critics don't get it: obviously they are not gamers. This feature length documentary is far from perfect and moving back and forth across the timeline for switching stories and perspective can be confusing at times, nonetheless it is a solid effort and recommended to understand a bit more about this fascinating world.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Whoa RT. This is our first disagreement. This movie is fucking amazing. WTF? I've seen it 20+ times.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

3 out of 5 stars. Cool look at the history of video games!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting but confusingly jumps back and forth between time periods with little clear theme.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Yes, this movie may come across to some as nothing but a commercial for the video game industry but even though it doesn't get into a lot of conflicts and deep into the subculture, it has something to offer. For the non-gamer or the average person who casually has played some games, it offers a glimpse into why gaming is so popular and shows how we got where we are. The interviews with the Godfathers of gaming make it feel personal and real. Sean Astin does a great job narrating. It's a fun even though simple look at gaming's history.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Jeremy Snead

Director

Sean Astin

Narrator

Jeremy Snead

Writer

J. Allard

Producer

Kimberly Much

Producer

Jeremy Snead

Producer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

100%

74%

Rewind This!

92%

68%

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World

TRAILER

for Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World

100%

90%

CinemAbility

45%

41%

All In: The Poker Movie

54%

64%

A LEGO Brickumentary

TRAILER

for A LEGO Brickumentary

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Planes: Fire And Rescue is a Dull Ride

Now Streaming: Noah, Out of the Furnace, and More

View more photos

Synopsis

Through interviews with developers, publishers and consumers, filmmaker Jeremy Snead examines video game history and culture and how the games are consumed.

Director: Jeremy Snead
Producer: Cliff Bleszinski, Zach Braff
Screenwriter: Jeremy Snead
Distributor: Variance Films
Production Co: Mediajuice Studios, The Creative Group PR
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.0K
Runtime: 1h 40m

Most Popular at Home Now