The Resident Evil gaming franchise has spawned a multimedia empire that includes a series of hit films released in the 2000s. However, since the heyday of Milla Jovovich’s Alice shooting up T-Virus monsters, Resident Evil has struggled to make another successful live-action film. The 2021 reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City wasn’t the franchise-starter some hoped it would be, so now acclaimed horror director Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) is taking a swing at it, with his own unique reboot concept.
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There’s been a lot of early controversy about Cregger’s approach to Resident Evil – especially from the gamer community. That’s because Cregger is telling an original story set in the Resident Evil universe, centered around an original character who has never appeared in the games (“Bryan,” played by Weapons star Austin Abrams).
So is Cregger’s version of Resident Evil a worthy adaptation of the games? And does it stand alongside the impressive films that have earned him so much respect in the horror genre? According to those who have seen it: Yes!
Resident Evil Official Review (ComicBook.com)
“Without spoiling, the final moments of Resident Evil might be unsatisfactory for some, but there’s something to it that makes it feel perfect when thinking about the franchise as a whole. There may well be plenty who don’t see this side and are miffed by the finale, but it’s actually one of the story decisions that works the best. That’s the most frustrating thing. Resident Evil is so, so close to being an almost perfect movie, and even if it’s not quite as good as Weapons or Barbarian, it’s mere percentage points that bring it down, and it’s still a total blast to watch in a full movie theater where you can scream and laugh with everyone.”
Read Spencer Perry’s Full Review BELOW.
Resident Evil First Reactions Say Zach Cregger Has Done It Again
“Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is filled with horrid surprises and grounded dissociative humor. I really enjoyed it,” New Rockstars‘ Erik Voss said in his reaction post. He also noted that “The first two-thirds is masterfully shot and perfectly edited survival horror. The final third is madcap Cabin in the Woods fun.”
That’s an eyebrow-raising reference: Drew Goddard’s 2011 cult-hit horror film starts off as a typical Evil Dead/Friday the 13th scenario, with a group of college kids staying in a creepy cabin in the woods, but by the end it’s revealed that the entire scenario is a staged ritual sacrifice, run by an organization of feckless bureaucrats. It was meta-humor aimed at the horror genre and the Hollywood machine that had lined up behind it, and made Cabin in the Woods a witty surprise for viewers. Although Voss could be referring to the third act of Cabin in the Woods, where all the various horror monsters used by the organization break loose and run amok in the facility. We could easily see an Umbrella Corporation lab getting swarmed by T-Virus creatures as a Cregger-style finale (see: Weapons).
Voss also cautioned viewers to be open-minded: “Like Weapons and Barbarian, Cregger’s flavor of fear forces you through some tonal swings and choices that you just have to go with. But the guy really knows what he’s doing.”
Global Box Office isn’t mincing words, stating that “Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL is not only the best and most gigantic ‘Resident Evil’ movie yet, it’s also Cregger’s best film, the best horror film of the year.”
Kellvin Chavez of The Splash Report added to the hype, saying, “HOLY SH*T!!! #ResidentEvil has its foot on the gas from the opening scene and NEVER hits the brakes. Zach Cregger delivers relentless suspense, gloriously gory action, and some seriously twisted, Thing-esque creature designs.
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff wants it understood that Cregger infused just as much comedy as horror into his film: “Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL is outstanding. Far and away one of the best video game adaptations I’ve ever seen, and also one of the best horror comedies I’ve ever seen. Cannot believe how many hilarious beats this movie has without ever diminishing the stakes or sheer terror of the situation.”
All in all, the consensus seems to be that Cregger delivers as promised: one long chase scene featuring a woefully unqualified protagonist that plunges viewers into the experience and atmosphere of a Resident Evil game. Some are calling it “a near PERFECT Resident Evil experience.”
This now sets the stage for an interesting discourse. Resident Evil game fans will have to reconcile the film being a fun cinematic version of the gaming experience with their claims that a direct adaptation was needed to do it.There’s also the question of whether or not Cregger still wants to pursue his sequel plans, after all the backlash he got for this film, before anyone saw a frame of it.
Resident Evil will be in theaters and IMAX on Friday.
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Forum Conversation: RESIDENT EVIL MOVIE – Reactions & Thoughts
Go to ForumI really dug it. I think it captured what it’s like to play the game really well – even if the tone and some of the details don’t line up exactly with what game fans might have wanted. I think it’s a better movie for it.
This is a safe space to discuss Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil before, during, or after seeing the film!
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS (Eventually)