Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Austin Abrams, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, and Zach Cherry
1h 30m
A few months ago, I asked a fellow movie critic friend, "Did you see the new Resident Evil trailer?" The response was quick: "Don't we have enough of those already?" Fair enough. However, writer-director Zach Cregger, a self-proclaimed lifelong gamer, isn't just recycling old zombie lore with this updated Resident Evil; he's tapping into the cultural impact of a thirty-year franchise and viewing it through the lens of a fan of the iconic survival horror game. Cregger coordinates the material less like a traditional screenplay and more like an interactive campaign found in the game, with level transitions, power-ups, and boss encounters. The result is a bold, unique film rendition that showcases why these games are so fiercely addictive.
The film's narrative development resembles a controller-style progression but not in an obvious way. It opens with an atmospheric, slow-burn exploration, forcing the viewer to lean into and absorb the creepy atmosphere and shadows moving in the distance, before naturally scaring its way into gruesome monster encounters. As a nod to experienced gamer fans, it also delivers a satisfying achievement progression that scales authentically from a standard, low-ammo handgun to heavy-duty, fully automatic firepower. While the narrative occasionally collapses under the weight of its own video game logic, Creeger skillfully sidesteps franchise fatigue by ditching the overused zombies of the past. Instead, he introduces a far more visceral, genuinely grotesque new breed of monster that fits the franchise's eerie, unpredictable vibes.
Progression dictates the rhythm of the scenes throughout the film. The movie moves forward like a series of levels, introducing harder environments with numerous dead ends and padlocked gates, escalating monster fights, and evolving threats that grow more unhinged and dangerous with every turn. It inevitably culminates in a massive showdown that leans hard into the outlandish, gory, zany spectacle. Creeger layers these structural beats with precision, perfectly capturing the video game setups and enhancing them with visual flair.
Through the sprawling chaos and gory mayhem, the human element anchors the carnage through our protagonist, Bryan (Austin Abrams), a dedicated medical courier hauling a classified bag to Raccoon City while trying to stay connected by phone with his girlfriend back home. As the world quite literally falls apart around him, Creeger contrasts the fragile domestic stakes with the relentless, blood-pounding pursuit, keeping the character grounded and empathetic. Austin Abrams manages the tricky tightrope walk between genuine terror and humor with keen comedic timing, injecting a necessary levity that keeps the relentless dread from becoming exhausting.
The narrative struggles to break free from its visual structure, and the mystery is lost as minor characters drop in for a quick burst of exposition or serve as inevitable monster bait to raise the stakes. But as a cinematic adventure of interactive horror, Resident Evil is a high creative achievement. It delivers a thrilling, chaotic ride that easily satisfies horror and gaming fans while finally injecting the aging franchise with a fresh, pulsing, joystick-inspired heartbeat.
Monte's Rating
3.50 out of 5.00
