As far as live-action Mortal Kombat movies go, the 2021 adaptation directed by Simon McQuoid is the best of the bunch in the eyes of both critics and fans. Starring Lewis Tan as Cole Young, the film follows his washed up martial arts character teaming with other fighters in the Earthrealm to stave off the Outworld’s complete domination of our universe. It’s jam packed with everything we love about the video games, including excessive blood and gore, but if you’ve somehow managed to miss it while it’s been on Netflix, you had better watch it soon because come December it’ll be game over.
Per What’s on Netflix, Mortal Kombat’s last day on the streaming service will be Dec. 16, and as of this writing, it has yet to find a new home. Hitting theaters on Apr. 23, 2021, Mortal Kombat managed to gross $84.4 million at the box office against a budget of $55 million, and serves as a reboot of the franchise following the 1995 original, and its 1997 sequel. One can argue that the film’s disappearance from streaming is just another reason to support physical media these days, so if that’s more your jam, you can pick up DVD and Blu-ray copies of Mortal Kombat on Amazon for under $10.
Related How Kill Bill Helped Shape the Mortal Kombat Movie and Its R-Rated Violence
Mortal Kombat 2 is coming out eventually, and its level of violence will hopefully continue to emulate Kill Bill.
While it didn’t necessarily manage to deliver a fatality at the box office, the 2021 flick is the best reviewed of the three live-action movies that have been released thus far. It currently holds a 55% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score sits much higher at 86%. Compared to the 1995 version, which has a 47% from critics and 58% from the audience, and 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (4% from critics and 24% from fans), it’s clear that McQuoid’s film is the superior one in this case, and for good reason.
It was obviously in service to the fans who have loved the franchise ever since the first video game was released in 1992, delivering the gore the series has become known for thanks to its awesome depiction of the characters’ famed fatalities. It helped that the faces of the saga, Sub-Zero and Scorpion, were also present, and portrayed as the badasses they’re meant to be. Sure, it wasn’t a perfect movie, but for what it was, Mortal Kombat managed to scratch that nostalgia itch in all the right places.
‘Mortal Kombat’ Returns in 2025
Though Mortal Kombat might be leaving Netflix on Dec. 16, you can still check out the original film streaming on Max, and while it’s still a long way off, you can also get hyped about Mortal Kombat 2’s release next October. Both Tan and Hiroyuki Sanada will reprise their roles of Cole and Scorpion, respectively, and perhaps the most exciting news is that Karl Urban will play Johnny Cage. Urban is, of course, a legend in the sci-fi action realm, known for his appearances in the Star Trek and MCU franchises, and for playing Billy Butcher in The Boys.
Plot details remain under wraps for Mortal Kombat 2, but the film did finally finish its principal photography in January of this year after a lengthy delay thanks to the SAG-AFTRA strikes of last year. Look for it to hit theaters on Oct. 24, 2025.
Release Date April 23, 2021
Runtime 1hr 50min
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