TL;DR – Blood, Gore, Screams, Gunshots, and that is just the first ten minutes

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

Warning – Contains scenes with flashing lights.

Resident Evil Review Introduction

Today we are looking at a very interesting film, a grounded take on a surreal world. Growing up, even though we were not a PlayStation family, you knew of Resident Evil from sheer reputation alone. One of the pillars of horror gaming. I even liked the Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse films back in the day, though by the time of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter it was clearly shambling along to the finish line. That is a lot of baggage for a film, but add Zach Cregger fresh off Weapons into the mix, and suddenly you have the potential for something truly fascinating. 

So, to set the scene, it has been a very long day for Bryan (Austin Abrams), who is trying to make money as a medical courier. He thought he was done for the day, but then a last-minute package for Raccoon City General Hospital arrived, and that was a job he could not turn down. It is a hard drive as a blizzard rolls in; he was distracted so much so that he didn’t even see the figure on the road until his car hit it at speed. This would have been disastrous, but then why won’t the police pick up? Why does this house look like a fight has just happened? And why is that very dead lady now running at full speed towards me?  

Our Protagonist

Bless Austin Abrams, because he may have played the most relatable protagonist that I have ever seen in a horror film before. Watching him try to process all the disasters going on around him is simply a delight. We know he is in a horror film; he doesn’t, so we know it is a very bad idea to put a zombie in your car to take them to the hospital; he doesn’t. He is not water off a duck’s back. He feels like just a dude trying to survive in a world falling apart around him, and he gets freaked out in the right places that he should be getting freaked out. It creates a bond with the audience, because you start to feel like you are there with him.   

There be Horror out There

Resident Evil is a film that wears its horror bona fides on its sleeve. You will be jump-scared at least once, no matter how well prepared you think you will be going in. You will be creeped out. You will be grossed out. And you will be horrified by everything lurking in the background or the sound creaking in the dark. If you are a bit squeamish when it comes to body horror, this will not be the film for you, because goodness, there will be blood. This is amped up by the use of long tracking shots and some of the best lighting for a film set entirely in night. Now, after watching Weapons, I knew to expect some humour from Zach Cregger, but I was not prepared for how funny this film was. I would recommend seeing this in a full cinema, because getting to feel the audience rise and fall with everything happening on screen was a delight.

Video Games

There is a long history of video game adaptations being quite a letdown, even when the game they are based on is amazing. In today’s film, they are making an original narrative story, set in the world of the video games, if the video game were happening today. That is a difficult path to tread, and I would say for most of the journey (until the city) they make it work. Don’t go full-Doom; you never go full-Doom. Thankfully, there is real tension and drive, especially at the start when you are not quite sure what is going on.

Structurally, it feels like this film is designed to be several levels of a video game, with each section leading to a final confrontation. This choice helps bring you into the narrative because it is a reinforcing loop. This system works for the first two-thirds of the film, before it starts struggling to keep it contained. There are still some standout moments in that final act; however, the impact is just not there, and the pacing starts to drag. Also, whoever in the local council greenlit that floor plan should be fired.     

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Resident Evil? Look, if you don’t gel with body horror, this is not the film for you. There is blood, violence, cursing, and more blood. But if you get the vibe of the video games, then there will be a lot here for you, even if the story does not quite make it to the finish line.

Have you watched Resident Evil? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Resident Evil, we would recommend Backrooms to you because it also captures the unsettling feeling of a world that is falling apart around you.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Feel free to share this review on social media and check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Resident Evil
Directed by – Zach Cregger
Written by – Zach Cregger & Shay Hatten
Based on – Resident Evil by Capcom
Music by – Hays Holladay & Ryan Holladay
Cinematography by – Dariusz Wolski
Edited by – Joe Murphy
Production/Distribution Companies – Columbia Pictures, Constantin Film, Davis Films, Vertigo Entertainment, PlayStation Productions, & Sony Pictures.
Starring – Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, & Johnno Wilson
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 18A; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R