5 Years Later, This Brutal Video Game Reboot Is Taking Over Streaming All Over Again.

One of the most brutal video game film adaptations made a streaming comeback over the weekend. As movies based on popular gaming franchises continue to thrive, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for sequels to these hit titles. With a new installment on the horizon, it’s no surprise audiences are revisiting its predecessor ahead of the upcoming release.

Warner Bros.’ recently released Mortal Kombat II has been met with a strong response from both fans and critics. At the time of writing, the sequel holds a 65% critics’ score and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has earned $63 million worldwide as of writing, though it’s still too early to judge its overall box office performance. With the sequel now in theaters, fans have started revisiting the film that launched the franchise revival.

2021’s Mortal Kombat made a streaming resurgence over the weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday, the film ranked #2 among HBO’s Top 10 Movies worldwide, and the film currently sits between Wuthering Heights and The Emoji Movie. The 2021 feature brought Mortal Kombat back into the live-action movie scene, following the 1997 release. Since its release, Mortal Kombat has generated over $84.4 million worldwide, and it was reported that 5.5 million households watched the film during its first 17 days on HBO Max, making it the “most-viewed Warner Bros theatrical day-and-date title on HBO Max,” according to Samba TV’s data.

Is ‘Mortal Kombat’ Worth Watching?

After Mortal Kombat premiered in theaters, it received mixed reviews. While critics gave it a 55% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave it a high 85%. However, over on Letterboxd, the 2021 action film earned a 2.5-star rating. CBR noted the attempt to balance the characters’ screen time due to its “many leads,” and complimented that it was able to showcase their fighting and fatality scenes, but claimed that it was the “beginning of something greater.” In contrast to CBR, some critics claimed that Mortal Kombat had too many leads and that they were not showcased enough in the feature. Others also noted that while Mortal Kombat didn’t give a “flawless victory,” it was still something Mortal Kombat fans would enjoy. Collider’s Matt Goldberg gave Mortal Kombat a “D-” rating in his review. He claimed it was hard to take Mortal Kombat seriously, but it provided “dumb fun” and mindless violence that people would have fun with.

Mortal Kombat is available to stream on HBO Max. Meanwhile, its sequel, Mortal Kombat II, is now showing in theaters. Follow Collider for more updates.