I went into Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil with one thing: excitement. I wasnβt sure exactly what I was going to get, but just minutes into the film, I was already on the edge of my seat. And it wasnβt just because of the jump scares.
For fans of Resident Evil, Creggerβs newest film feels like stepping into the video game itself. For everyone else, it is a fast-paced horror movie with zombies, chaos, and just enough comedic relief to keep you from completely losing it.Β
Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, is essentially an upscale delivery driver. Think Amazon Prime, except instead of dropping off your latest online shopping obsession, he is delivering human organs. In this case, he is tasked with transporting the final piece needed to create a cure for the zombie virus outbreak in and around Raccoon City.Β
The catch? Bryan doesn’t even know what he’s carrying for the majority of the film.
What makes Bryan so easy to root for is the fact that he’s not some superhuman, professionally trained zombie slayer. He’s just a guy who has found himself in an increasingly horrific situation and has to figure things out as he goes. He starts with a basic pistol and gradually scavenges for better resources, mirroring the progression of a Resident Evil game. When he eventually finds a shotgun, it feels less like a movie prop and more like the moment every player knows: finally, something that might actually keep me alive.Β
The movie is filled with these little details, from hidden items in the background like green herbs and a healing spray, to a quick shot of a typewriter referencing the known save feature. These easter eggs are for longtime players while still fitting naturally into the movie.Β
Even the cinematography feels pulled from the game. The camera shifts between third-person and first-person perspectives, particularly when Bryan cautiously scopes out corners with his gun drawn. These shots do more than look cool. They put the audience directly in Bryanβs position, creating the same nervous anticipation that accompanies playing a horror game and knowing something could be waiting around the next corner.
The film follows that same philosophy. Rather than feeling like one continuous sequence of chaos, the story progresses almost like chapters or checkpoints in a game. There is the opening hospital sequence, snowy woods, the isolated farmhouse, and, eventually, Raccoon City. Each setting introduces a new obstacle, resource, or piece of the larger story.Β
And then Bryan gets bitten fairly early, as if the audience needed another reason to panic.Β
Bryan does not know exactly how much time he has left, but he does know what he needs to accomplish. Despite every possible obstacle being thrown at him, he keeps moving forward. His survival is messy, clumsy, and occasionally hilarious, but that is exactly what makes it feel human.Β
Resident Evil does not simply recreate the video game. Instead, it borrows the elements that make the games so addictive. From exploration to resource scavenging to progression to suspense,Β and the constant feeling that something is waiting around the corner, it builds an original story around them.Β
For longtime fans, the easter eggs make the experience even more rewarding. For newcomers, Bryan provides an easy way into the chaos. Maybe you do not need to be Leon S. Kennedy to survive Raccoon City. Sometimes all you need is a weapon, a questionable amount of courage, and absolutely no idea what youβre doing.