Forget ‘Street Fighter,’ This Underrated Video Game Reboot Is a Streaming Sensation

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Cody Rhodes as Guille in 'Street Fighter'

Published Oct 22, 2026, 12:55 AM EDT

Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's tackled a wide variety of articles.

Last week, another video game reboot madea splash, with Street Fighter taking the number one spot at the box office. It's a surprising outcome, given that Street Fighter received mostly mixed reviews. Most critics, including Collider's Aidan Kelley, noted that while Street Fighter captures the over-the-top fights and signature moves that make the original video games so iconic, it stumbles with certain casting choices and the story. But while Street Fighter may have punched its way to a box-office victory, another video game adaptation is currently capturing audience attention on Netflix.

The movie is Tomb Raider,released in 2018. While the first Tomb Raider movie featured Angelina Jolie as the legendary treasure hunter Lara Croft, this new version cast Alicia Vikander in the role. It also draws more inspiration from the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, with Lara setting out on a journey to find her missing father (Dominic West) and running afoul of Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins). As of this writing, Tomb Raider has cracked Netflix's Top 10 movies list, according to FlixPatrol. It's no surprise, as this is one of the more underrated video game movies out there.

‘Tomb Raider’ Serves as a Solid Origin Story for Lara Croft

The fun of watching Tomb Raider is seeing how Lara Croft grows into the daring treasure hunter fans know and love. When she's first introduced in the movie, Lara throws herself into danger: a high-octane bike chase leads to her arrest, and she enters kickboxing matches where she takes down opponents twice her size. That experience lends itself well to some incredible action sequences, which director Roar Uthaug stages with expert precision. Lara leaps from the wreckage of a ship as it plummets down a waterfall and takes down heavily armored opponents with arrows.

It also doesn't hurt that Alicia Vikander turns in a great performance as Lara. She holds her own against Goggins, who threatens to steal the show, and has a great rapport with Daniel Wu, who portrays the sailor who takes her to the island where her father is held hostage. She also shows plenty of emotion beyond being an action heroine, particularly in a scene where Lara is emotionally shaken after having to kill one of Vogel's men. Vikander's gift for emotional depth served her well in her breakout role in Ex Machina, and it serves her particularly well in Tomb Raider.

A 'Tomb Raider' Sequel Never Came To Pass

Tomb Raider was a modest box-office hit, leading to plans for a sequel. Ben Wheatley (Free Fire) and later Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) were tapped to direct, with Alicia Vikander returning as Lara Croft. But the sequel never came to pass because the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted production and MGM lost the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise in 2022. Vikander eventually stepped away from the role of Lara, leading to yet another reboot. This time, Prime Video will launch a new Tomb Raider series, with Sophie Turner picking up Lara's twin pistols.

Ironically, Netflix delivered its own take on Lara Croft with the animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. Like the Tomb Raider movie, it draws on the 2013 games and takes place directly after the events of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This time, Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning) voices Lara, who is struggling to deal with the death of her mentor Roth (Nolan North). Showrunner Tasha Huo said part of the draw of The Legend of Lara Croft is how Lara uses her globe-trotting exploits to cope with her feelings, a similar themeexplored in 2018's Tomb Raider.

"I’m a big proponent of therapy and self-analysis as a way to just grow as a human being. It’s fantastic. And I’m glad Lara can do it. She hates therapy! So using adventure as therapy is a really great way for Lara to learn how to be better."

Whether you're looking for a new video game movie to watch after Street Fighter or were disappointed by it, Tomb Raider is the perfect remedy. Hopefully, Prime Video's version will tap into the same energy that fueled this movie.