Borderlands is getting an early streaming release and that might be the best way to watch this videogame flop

A silhouetted image of the main cast members in Lionsgate's Borderlands movie adaptation

(Image credit: Lionsgate)

You've likely heard the less than complimentary reaction to Borderlands by now. At the time of writing, it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 10% and has only made back $21.3 million of its massive $110–120 million budget. Given its box office flop, it is now heading to a streaming service earlier than expected.

According to the Hollywood Handle, Borderlands will arrive on an as yet unspecified streaming service just 21 days after its cinema release on August 9. So viewers will be able to tune in at home from August 30.

While we don't know exactly where the videogame adaptation is streaming yet, there's been some speculation that it could be available for rent or purchase on Prime Video, due to the fact they already carry a number of Lionsgate titles such as the Saw movies.

‘BORDERLANDS’ releases on digital platforms on August 30 — less than one month after its theatrical release.Find out what other films are releasing on digital this month: https://t.co/QbKodJTpkg pic.twitter.com/rRYbjQS8pfAugust 18, 2024

While the audience score for Borderlands is slightly more favorable at 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's still considered rotten, and its early move to streaming suggests they are not expecting much of a box office success going forward.

With the streaming release only 10 days away, you should expect to find out more information about where to find the movie very soon. Until then, it's just speculation based on what we already know about the best streaming services.

Is Borderlands really that bad?

Claptrap: a yellow robot with a blue lens, one wheel and arms — (Image credit: Gearbox)

In short, yes. If the hundred or so rotten reviews don't put you off, we also left the cinema disappointed as you can see in our Borderlands review. I was pretty dramatic about it, probably because I was so angry, and I said it had officially killed the era of good videogame adaptations.

It's no Fallout or The Last of Us, both absolute gems that will be returning for season 2 over on Prime Video and HBO respectively. So honestly, this one is one to approach if you're morbidly curious or you want something to hate watch, because you're not going to get a good quality adaptation here.

Art is subjective and hey, maybe you'll think differently to me, and if that's the case I can only be thankful that some people might take something away from this mess of a movie.

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.