During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, HBO Max delivered one of the boldest franchise reboots of all time with Mortal Kombat (2021). Confident in its vision, this film breaks conventions by reimagining classic characters, introducing new faces, skipping the iconic tournament, and showing no mercy in its character fatalities. While some fans expected a straightforward effects-heavy update to the 1995 classic, what they got instead was a fresh entry point into the deep lore of Mortal Kombat beyond just the fighting. Directed by Simon McQuoid, this reboot sets a high bar in franchise filmmaking and challenges expectations with its ambitious take.