Resident Evil, the iconic franchise developed by Capcom, is a series of survival horror games where you play as an unlikely protagonist and ration supplies as you battle the terrifying creatures and machinations created by the sinister Umbrella Cooperation. Whether you assumed the role of a military operative (Chris Redfield), a cop (Leon Kennedy), or a seemingly regular dude (Ethan Winters), nobody in this world was safe. The director (Zach Cregger, the same director behind horror hits such as Barbarian and Weapons) decided to take a different approach with this particular adaptation of the franchise compared to the Resident Evil live-action films from the early 2000s. In this film, we follow a completely new character, a hospital courier by the name of Bryan who is tasked with taking a mysterious package to the infamous Raccoon City (the center point of the T-virus outbreak from the games). Not only does following a character that is completely unrelated to franchise favorites provide the opportunity to witness the world of Resident Evil from a unique perspective, but it also makes the horror elements that much more tense. Austin Abrams did a fantastic job playing the lead role, giving the audience an underdog protagonist who was easy to root for as he embarked on this perilous journey and provided some well-timed comedic relief throughout the movie, being a perfect catalyst for filmmaker Zack Cregger’s unique brand of blending horror with comedy. (I laughed out loud at many moments throughout the film.) The film’s horror elements were superb, packing the film with legitimate scares, nail biting tension, and the type of creature designs and shocking set pieces that the Resident Evil franchise is known for. The film was also impeccably paced given its shorter runtime and the cinematography was wildly creative, whether the scene called for a comedic moment or a horror set piece. Along with blending horror, action, and comedy, there were also many Easter eggs to the games throughout the film, making this feel like a genuine love letter to the franchise despite not featuring any prominent or well-known Resident Evil players. Without spoiling anything, the movie ends on a relatively open-ended note, implying that more from this particular world of Resident Evil could possibly be in the works if the director so chooses. Even if not though, this was not only a great Resident Evil movie, but just a great horror movie in general. This is coming from someone who is quite the scaredy cat when it comes to horror, but I must give my props. Zach Cregger is definitely a name in horror filmmaking that we must continue to watch closely. Like I said in my review for Obsession, the pipeline from comedian to horror director needs to be studied. Score: 9/10
