Video games and cinema, it's a great love story... and sometimes, a game goes so far in the homage that it actually integrates a whole movie in its universe! Pretty cool, right? Whether it's to enhance the atmosphere, for immersion, or just to offer a nice bonus to players, some studios have decided to let us watch a full movie directly into their game. And as you will see, hidden movies in video games are not commonplace!
So what are these games that hide movies? Grab some popcorn and let's watch together!
Hidden movies in video games…
Destroy All Humans!: Chaos and B-Movies
Released in 2005 (and remastered in 2020) Destroy All Humans! is a game that puts you in the shoes of Crypto-137, an alien who came to harvest human DNA and sow panic on Earth.
By completing the game you unlock a drive-in where you can watch two people science fiction films 50 years :
- Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957) – Considered one of the worst films of all time, but which has achieved cult status for its kitsch and improbable mistakes.
- Teenagers From Outer Space (1959) – A movie where aliens land on Earth and turn humans into skeletons.
The Darkness: A cinema break with “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Released in 2007, The Darkness is a first-person action-adventure game where you play Jackie Estacado, a mafioso possessed by a demonic entity. It constitutes another example of films hidden in the video gamesIndeed, before everything degenerates, the game offers a moment of totally unexpected sweetness.
At the start of the game, you can sit next to Jenny, your girlfriend, and watch To Kill a Mockingbird ("To Kill a Mockingbird" released in 1962) in its entirety. A striking scene, because if you stay seated, Jenny ends up falling asleep on your shoulder, adding a rather offbeat emotional touch to a brutal FPS.
And that's not all! As you explore the game world, you may also come across TVs broadcasting Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) et Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940). A nice surprise for retro cinema lovers.
High on Life: Cult Horror Films
In High on Life, developed by Squanch Games and released in 2022, you play as a lost teenager who finds himself embarked on a completely crazy intergalactic adventure with alien weapons... that talk.
Full of absurd humor, the game hides a big surprise: you can watch several cult horror films in full ! Among them:
- Vampire Hookers (1978) – A horror film with an evocative title.
- Spookies (1986) – A B-movie classic.
- Blood Harvest (1987) – Starring Tiny Tim in a disturbing role.
- Tammy and the T-Rex (1994) – A flop in which a dinosaur takes the brain of its former human owner…
Even better, while exploring the game you can find a cinema and catch the full screening of Demon Wind (1990), a Cult movie for lovers of kitsch horror!
…and original creations: GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2…
Some games don't just broadcast existing films, but go further by creating their own creations to enrich their universe.
- GTA V offers short films to watch in its cinemas, often filled with satire and references to pop culture.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 recreates the atmosphere of early cinema with silent films screened at the Imperial Theater.
- Quantum Break, with its live-action episodes, flirts directly with the format interactive TV series.
- Narrative games like The Last of Us, The Walking Dead et Detroit: Become Human offer such cinematic staging that some players already consider them interactive films.
A new way to watch movies?
If you know where to look, some video games offer the ability to watch full-length movies. Is this the ideal viewing experience? That's debatable! But at least if you ever find yourself without access to streaming services or Blu-rays, these games can help you out with an impromptu movie session... or not 😀!
