8 Video Game Fan Films That Deserve Mainstream Recognition

8. Mortal Kombat: Rebirth

A little more than simply a fan film, Kevin Tancharoen's Mortal Kombat: Rebirth was actually created to serve as a pitch to Warner Bros. for an R rated live-action Mortal Kombat reboot. He didn't intend for it to be publicly viewed, however, and its emergence was the result of him accidentally setting the film's publishing settings to public on YouTube.

Using the interrogation of Hanzo Hasashi by police captain Jackson Briggs as a framing device, the film sets up the origins of series mainstays Reptile and Baraka as serial killers in the perpetually chaotic Deacon City.

After the murder of actor-turned-undercover cop Johnny Cage, everyone's favourite ninja - Scorpion, not Sub-Zero, shut up - is tasked with infiltrating a mysterious tournament hosted by the enigmatic Shang Tsung, who may well be employing Reptile and Baraka.

While leaning a little too heavily on Zack Snyder's obnoxious visual style, Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is exceptionally well choreographed and appropriately gory. With big names such as Michael Jai White and Jeri Ryan featuring as Jax and Sonya Blade, the film feels much more grand than its $7,500 budget would suggest.

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth did garner some success for Tancharoen, as he then went on to direct the 2-season web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. He was subsequently attached to a fully-fledged Mortal Kombat reboot film, but dropped out in 2013. However, shooting has been completed on the reboot, set for release in 2021, and it's likely Rebirth's influence that spurred it on.