The Best VR Movies (So Far) Ranked
So you finally took the dive into buying a VR headset. Whether it’s an Oculus (er uh Meta Quest), HTC Vive, PSVR, or another headset, here are some of the best VR movies you can find and where to watch them.
The VR frontier is still heavily focused on gaming content over traditional films. That said, there are some experiences from Hollywood talent and some solid real-time animated pieces.
What is VR Cinema?
VR cinema has a variety of shapes and forms and, most honestly, comes down to being best described as VR experiences. Not every VR movie is a sit-back and watch type of experience; some have integrated movements and choices to make as you progress through the experience.
Some early experimental pieces project 2D films in a VR environment or use the 3-screen projection that didn’t really seem to take off. Some of the most immersive VR films are 180 to 360-degree experiences that let viewers look around the environment or scene.
Where VR movies have genuinely excelled is in the animated stories that use real-time gaming engines to blend the backend of a video game with a cinematic experience and story.
How are VR Movies Made?
The technology for VR movies is still in its infancy. While becoming more stable, VR films, especially those with live-action talent, are still navigating the best viewing experience. There are still so few live-action VR movies and a great collection of real-time animated experiences. This is because producers and VR creators can leverage video game engines to create animated movies. At the same time, live-action capture still needs camera arrays and a wide variety of technical support on set to make things work.
For more on this, check out Is VR Filmmaking the Future of Storytelling? and Leading a Revolution: Studios Producing Virtual Reality Films (though many of those studios featured are now defunct or have shifted focus).
Where Can You Watch VR Experiences?
There are a few different marketplaces depending on the type of headset you own. Some experiences are cross-platform and can be watched on nearly any headset, while others might either be exclusive or limited to specific hardware.
Here are the stores where you can find the most popular VR Experiences:
The Best VR Movies (So Far)
Here are some of the best VR movies you can experience today, including both passive and active viewing. Because if you only wanted passive viewing you would’ve watched on a monitor anyways.
The Great C
The Great C is perhaps one of the most well-reviewed VR experiences that could be classified more as a movie than a game. The cinematic narrative is based on a sci-fi short from Philip K. Dick where a young woman named Clare must leave her village after her fiancé is called on a pilgrimage to visit a mysterious supercomputer known as Great C.
The overall experience is around 30-minutes long and was even an official selection at the Venice Film Festival.
Battlescar
Punk music fills your ears in this three-part animated VR movie starring Rosario Dawson. The VR film takes place in New York City in 1978 that takes you into the grungy world of two teenage runaways. The film was selected at Sundance, Tribeca, Venice International, and Annecy Film Festival.
Vader Immortal
Blending between a VR game and movie experience, Vader Immortal makes the cut as a VR “movie” you just have to experience. The VR series is a new Star Wars trilogy produced by ILM and directed by ILM VFX Supervisor Ben Snow. Each of the three chapters takes you through different encounters with Darth Vader making for a pretty epic experience.
Gloomy Eyes
Gloomy Eyes is one of the most well-reviewed VR movies across headsets. Check out the VR film where a zombie boy falls in love with a human girl. Narrated by Colin Farrell, the VR film is about when the sun got tired of the humans and decided to hide and never rise again. The darkness awoke the dead from their graves. A zombie kid named Gloomy and a mortal girl named Nena fall in love and immerse in a deep connection.
The Limit
The Limit is a VR360 film from the troublemaker director himself, Robert Rodriguez. It’s a 20-minute experience where you star as a rogue agent that enlists the help of super-assassin M-13, played by Michelle Rodriguez. Together the two of you fight back against Norman Reedus and the organization that created you.
Wolves in the Walls
Based on the work by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Wolves in the Walls is a VR film where you help 8-year-old Lucy discover what’s truly hiding inside the walls of her house.
Spheres
From producers Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel and director Eliza McNitt, Spheres is an astounding journey through the cosmos like never done before. The three chapters run the VR film to about 45 minutes long. Chapter 1: Chorus of the Cosmos is narrated by Millie Bobby Brown, Chapter 2: Songs of Spacetime is narrated by Jessica Chastain, and Chapter 3: Pale Blue Dot is narrated by Patti Smith.
Space Explorers: The ISS Experience
Space Explorers is the largest production ever filmed in space. The four-part immersive series invites you alongside eight astronauts on missions aboard the International Space Station. Shot over two years with exclusive access to the crew, The ISS Experience offers an intimate take on the joy, wonder, and dangers of life in orbit.
Dear Angelica
Dear Angelica is the story of Jessica (Mae Whitman), a teenage girl looking back on the stories her mom (Geena Davis) told her as a child. Jessica recreates these vivid landscapes in her mind as you are pulled into her dreamlike world of memories.
Arden’s Wake
Meena lives with her father in a lighthouse perched atop the ocean’s surface. When he goes missing, she must descend deep into the waters previously forbidden to her, embarking on a thrilling journey of family history and self-discovery. Arden’s Wake stars Alicia Vikander and Richard Armitage.
Madrid Noir
“Solving mysteries ain’t easy in a city lost to time.” With her uncle declared dead, a young woman must look into her memories to pick up his trail.
The Humanity Bureau
This is probably one of the more famous VR films, starring legendary thespian Nicholas Cage. The film experiments with both traditional 2D screenings as well as a unique 3-screen format. Is it a film? Yeah. Is it in VR? Kinda, yeah. Is it good? Well, it is a VR movie with Nicholas Cage.
Agent Emmerson
Agent Emmerson is a first-person VR360 film in which you star as a CIA Operative who has awakened from an experimental program that has put your body under the control of an imperious general. With the help of a rogue operative, you must fight your way through a secure facility and regain control of your own actions. The experience has a 15-minute runtime.
The Invisible Hours
The Invisible Hours is a VR murder mystery where players freely explore and observe each interwoven story. A group of strangers receives an invitation from Nikola Tesla, offering each of them a chance to make amends for their darkest wrongdoings. When the last guest arrives, they find Tesla dead – murdered. Invisible to the cast of characters, only you can follow and observe anyone at any time while exploring the mansion for hidden clues.
Cover Image by SofikoS
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