15 Best Direct-To-Video Movies Ever Made, Ranked

Long before streaming services made film distribution as easy as clicking a button on your remote, new movies had differing means of reaching audiences. The most common was a theatrical release, while far cheaper options were also available, such as releasing a movie directly to television or video. The latter market was popular, though the movies put out under this strategy were often poorly made, low-budget slop that would have failed in theatrically.

Sequels nobody asked for filled up $1 bins at Blockbuster at a rapid pace. However, while many of these films were terrible, including several awful direct-to-video movies that starred surprisngly good actors, there were exceptions. Animated movies had a decent run in direct-to-video sales, including several Disney sequels.

The rare great direct-to-video movie was fairly hard to come by, but several exist. These 15 direct-to-video films are all exceptional examples, and are ranked based on their average aggregate scores from IMDb, Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and other rating sites.

"Final Fantasy VII" was a transformative role-playing game released on the PlayStation in 1997. The game is widely regarded as one of the best ever made, and it spawned a multitude of media, including the 2005 direct-to-video film "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children."

Set two years after the events of the gam, the film focuses on a group of kids infected with Geostigma. Cloud (Takahiro Sakurai) is also afflicted with the disease, so he teams up with his buddies from the game to thwart a plan to resurrect Sephiroth (Toshiyuki Morikawa), the villain from "Final Fantasy VII." When it was released, "Advent Children" met some critical backlash, as anyone unfamiliar with the game couldn't follow the film's narrative and character development.

Of course, anyone who did play the game didn't have this problem. As a result, "Advent Children" became a cult classic beloved by Final Fantasy fans. It was re-released in theaters in February 2024 and remains popular among franchise fans.

If there's one thing that Disney did well in the 1990s and 2000s, it was releasing excellent animated films direct-to-video. This resulted in numerous Disney movie sequels that many fans never knew existed since they didn't receive huge theatrical releases. One of the best was "An Extremely Goofy Movie," which is a sequel to 1995's "A Goofy Movie."

The sequel arrived in 2000 as a conclusion to "Goof Troop," which left the airwaves in 1992 as part of The Disney Afternoon. The film sees Max Goof (James Marsden) depart for college, leaving Goofy (Bill Farmer) an empty nester. After getting fired from his factory job, Goofy learns that he needs a college degree to get a position elsewhere. What school do you think he decides to attend?

It's a Disney take on "Back to School," replacing Rodney Dangerfield's character with none other than Goofy. While "An Extremely Goofy Movie" isn't the best sequel Disney churned out, it's beloved by fans of "Goof Troop" and "The Goofy Movie," reaching cult classic status.

"The Lion King" was a massive success for Disney, which led the company to expand the property into several areas, including the release of two direct-to-video sequels. Instead of further following Simba (Matthew Broderick), "The Lion King 1 ½" focused entirely on Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella).

While "The Lion King" is a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," its 2004 midquel follows the narrative structure of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," telling the "Hamlet" story but from a different point of view; in this case, Timon and Pumbaa's.

While "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" isn't a bad film my any measure, "The Lion King 1 ½" is the better regarded of the two. Upon release, critics and audiences loved the movie, which did gangbusters for Disney, moving over 1.5 million copies on the day it was released in 2004.

Back in the 1980s, anime wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today in the United States. In 1985, "Angel's Egg," one of the most bizarre Japanese anime films ever made was released direct-to-video, encouraging many to become anime enthusiasts. To this day, "Angel's Egg" is hailed as one of the strangest yet most beautiful anime films.

The movie lacks a proper narrative, instead focusing on two unnamed characters, a boy (Jinpachi Nezu) and a girl (Mako Hyōdō). It's set in a submerged city, where the girl holds an egg, believing that an angel will hatch from it. She meets the boy in search of a bird he saw in a dream.

"Angel Egg" is full of symbolism and very little dialogue, while its animation is beautiful yet  abstract. Even 40+ years after its release, "Angel Egg" is easily one of the most creative anime movies ever made that anyone who enjoys the art form should watch.

Horror movies are often released direct-to-video. While most aren't worth watching, "Trick 'r Treat" is a different beast. The comedy horror film should have had a theatrical release, but that didn't happen, which is somewhat strange given "Trick 'r Treat" features an all-star cast.

The film is structured into four vignettes related to a single element: Sam (Quinn Lord), a demon in orange PJs with a burlap sack over his head. A stickler for the rules with a penchant for violence, he comes out of the shadows whenever someone breaks a Halloween tradition.

While "Trick 'r Treat" didn't receive a theatrical release, it screened at several film festivals before coming out direct-to-video in October 2009. It's unclear why the movie didn't arrive in theaters, as it's a genre-defining classic that built up a significant cult following. As of this writing, it sports an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes with a Popcornmeter of 99%.

Action movies are another oft-seen genre in the direct-to-video pile, and some are surprisingly well made. "Ninja: Shadow of a Tear" is a 2013 sequel to the 2009 film "Ninja," and it's loaded with exceptional action sequences. The film is about Ninjitsu master Casey Bowman (Scott Adkins) seeking revenge for his pregnant wife's murder.

Bowman is an American raised in a Japanese dojo, where he gains deadly skills and a nemesis in "Ninja." As his hunt for her killers begins, Bowman teams up with his old friend, Nakabara (Kane Kosugi), to hone his skills and gain vengeance for his wife.

"Ninja: Shadow of a Tear" holds opposing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, where it sits at 100% with a Popcornmeter of only 45%. Nevertheless, it is an engrossing action flick that, while not groundbreaking, is still worth a watch. A year after its release, the film premiered in theaters in the Philippines, earning only $544,853. 

"The Debt Collector" is another film featuring Scott Adkins that was released direct-to-video in 2018. In it, Adkins plays "Frenchy" French, a collector for the mob who also happens to be a martial artist. Adkins filmed numerous direct-to-video films, using his knowledge of taekwondo, ninjutsu, kung fu, judo, and several other martial arts.

The movie sees Frenchy take to the mob's playbook, but after a client drags him into a situation he's not expecting, his whole world flips upside down. The film throws in a buddy-crime aspect, playing for humor in an otherwise action-packed movie that feels tailor-made for the actor.

"The Debt Collector" holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though that's from only five reviews. Conversely, its Popcornmeter of 55% from significantly more people isn't fantastic. Regardless, "The Debt Collector" did well enough to earn a 2020 sequel, "Debt Collectors," making for an entertaining if short action film duology.

While DC Comics' live-action films haven't been all that well-received in the 21st century, animated adaptations of the company's comics have flourished in the direct-to-video market. There are several notable examples, and one of the best is 2011's "All-Star Superman." The movie adapts the 12-issue miniseries by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely.

Like many of these adaptations, "All-Star Superman" excludes some elements from the comics, focusing primarily on the main storyline and characters. Some comic book purists might not appreciate the deviation, but the film is otherwise an excellent depiction of the series' events, showing Superman's (James Denton) final days battling Solaris (Robin Atkin Downes) and Lex Luthor (Anthony LaPaglia).

With an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, Superman's last adventure is exciting, emotional, and deep, making for an exceptional film many comics fans will enjoy. "All-Star Superman" isn't the best DC animated film, but it's definitely one of the most entertaining and introspective of the Man of Steel and his place in the world. 

"The Matrix" was a groundbreaking sci-fi action movie that established a great deal of lore surrounding the aftermath of humanity's war against artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, it left a lot out, leaving fans with questions, many of which were answered in the 2003 animated direct-to-video anthology film "The Animatrix."

Given its importance to the lore, "The Animatrix" is essential to any "Matrix" movie watching order. It's divided into nine shorts covering the franchise's backstory, showing how the machines were first introduced, their fight for recognition, and finally, the war that destroyed human civilization.

"The Animatrix" is beautifully animated using several methods, making for a diverse appreciation of Japanese art. The Wachowskis wrote much of "The Animatrix," but left each segment's directing duties to seven people, each exploring the lore in their own way. Fans loved the film, as did critics, helping it reach an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. produced numerous direct-to-video animated movies throughout the 1980s, and one of their best is 1982's "The Flight of Dragons." Based on Peter Dickinson's 1979 book of the same name, it sports an exceptional voice cast that includes James Earl Jones, John Ritter, and Harry Morgan.

The movie mixes fantasy and reality, mashing the two into a single narrative surrounding the disappearance of magic as science takes over humanity's way of thinking. Through some accidental magic, Peter Dickinson (Ritter), who is the film's lead character, has his consciousness thrust into the body of a friendly dragon.

"The Flight of Dragons" is a dragon movie everyone needs to see unlike anything else. Not only is it beautifully animated in Rankin and Bass' style, but it also features an amazing opening song by Don McLean. The film holds a Popcornmeter rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

There are numerous Scooby-Doo movies to enjoy, but the film that always lands at the top is "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island." The movie's animation is unlike any of its successors, which pale in comparison.

The 1998 movie launched the series of direct-to-video Scooby-Doo animated features, reviving the brand for a new generation. It begins with the gang having disbanded for a year, only to come back together to take on a new threat. The Mystery, Inc. crew investigates the bayou for the ghost of pirate Morgan Moonscar (Jim Cummings), which is made somewhat difficult thanks to zombie pirates.

Critics and audiences praised "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island," helping it reach a score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many direct-to-video movies followed, but none have risen to the same level of quality as "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island," which remains highly regarded decades later.

"Battle Royale" was released in theaters in Japan in 2000, where it met immediate controversy over its violent subject matter. This resulted in the movie being banned in multiple countries. It also made a theatrical release untenable in the States. The film wasn't made available until 2010, when it was finally released via direct-to-video.

"Battle Royale" centers on a government program that sees a junior high school class being thrown in an arena to fight one another to the death. If that sounds familiar, it's because "The Hunger Games" follows a similar central plot, although "Battle Royale" came out nearly a decade before Suzanne Collins' 2008 novel.

Despite the similarities, the brutality of "Battle Royale" is turned up to 11. The movie's controversy elevated it to cult classic status, holding a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and even being one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite films, which isn't surprising given the extreme violence. 

The Caped Crusader was featured in many hit animated series throughout the 1990s, including "Batman Beyond," which introduced an all-new Dark Knight for a new generation. The series premiered in 1999, and its success led to the release of the direct-to-video tie-in film "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker."

This was only the third animated feature released for the DC Animated Universe, and to many, it's one of the best. It covers several plot points from "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures," with a primary focus on the fate of the Joker (Mark Hamill).

Initially, the movie was released with a PG-13 rating, showing the death of the Joker. This is the preferred version, as the edited cut removes a key scene. "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" was a hit, garnering a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and helping grow the expansive DC Animated Universe into the massive library it is today. 

Frank Miller's 1986 miniseries "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" is one of the most influential stories in the history of the Dark Knight. Along with inspiring "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," the story was finally adapted into animation under the DC Animated Universe.

The movie was split into two parts, released in 2012 and 2013. "The Dark Knight Returns" is one of Batman's darkest stories, showing what happens to Gotham after the Bat retires. The city devolves into a crime-filled hellscape, run by gangs and an ineffectual police force.

After Batman (Peter Weller) takes on a new Robin in the form of Carrie Kelley (Ariel Winter)the two work together to clean up Gotham and restore law and order. It's a brilliant story that was perfectly adapted into animation. The first part holds a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second sits at 94% on the Popcornmeter.

Despite being one of the best science fiction animated series of all time, "Futurama" was canceled multiple times. After leaving the airwaves, strong DVD sales got it going again, but not on TV. Instead, the return came in the form of four direct-to-video films that were later broken up into Season 5.

The best "Futurama" movie, according to fans, is "Bender's Big Score," which is also the first to be released. It focuses on Bender (John DiMaggio) using a time code to travel into the past and loot as much historical booty as possible. This results in a fracturing of the spacetime continuum that leads into the next movie.

Fans loved the new content, which easily broke down into four episodes per movie. "Bender's Big Score" holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With a huge fanbase and tons of praise for its brilliant execution, it easily takes the top spot as the best direct-to-video movie ever released.