This review was made possible by Popped attending an advanced screening of Resident Evil.
Resident Evil has had a tumultuous cinematic history, to say the least, with the Milla Jovovich-led franchise making up the bulk of the offerings to fans. With only one other attempt that didn’t quite land either, the hope of the franchise now lies in the hands of Zach Cregger, who’s set out to put his own unique spin on this horror video game domain. Led by Austin Abrams‘ original character Bryan, the Weapons director drops fans into an original story set in the world of Resident Evil that aims to capture the experience of playing through that iconic world and atmosphere.
‘Resident Evil’ Wastes No Time
Cregger’s Resident Evil quickly introduces us to Bryan, a medical courier on the last route of his night, just before a gig with double pay comes his way. The job? Deliver a package to Raccoon City General Hospital with absolutely no stops. Easy enough, right? What ensues is a 90-minute, balls-to-the-wall journey that places the worst obstacles known to man in Bryan’s way. It’s gruesome, exhilarating, bursting with tension and, surprisingly, a lot of laughs.
Austin Abrams is fantastic as this vessel’s leading man and offers a grounded performance as a competent lead character. It feels necessary to dispel any hesitancy about giving Bryan and this story a chance when it comes to a franchise that has been notoriously plagued by original characters that struggle to form a connection with their audience.
Resident Evil is a non-stop thrill ride that is as intense as it is horrific. This survival-horror flick works so well because it never tries to handle too much and primarily puts the focus on our main character. The supporting cast is great; despite barely being in the film, they fit into the narrative very well. It’s a vicious point-A-to-point-B story that jumps from exhilarating set piece to set piece.
An Immersive, Accessible ‘Resident Evil’ Adaptation
The best thing about Cregger’s take on this world is the way he’s chosen to frame the story and the point of view he uses to tell it. Cregger has stated that his goal in making this film was to put audiences in the shoes of a player and bring to life the nauseating tension and anxiety that the franchise is known for. To give the audience a similar experience of worrying about your health or keeping track of your ammunition, he excels at all of that.
The good thing about telling an original story, as is done here, is that it makes this story much more accessible for those who may have never played the games or even heard of them, which may seem impossible but is far more likely than you think. This is a Resident Evil story that everyone will be able to enjoy, through the eyes of a fan or a casual audience member who liked the trailer they saw.
Resident Evil still manages to include a handful of nods and Easter eggs for the fans while being able to be its own thing; it doesn’t try to cannibalize the things that have come before and instead places itself neatly within the franchise.
Zach Cregger Brings The Guts And Glory
Watching Zach Cregger hone his craft over the past half-decade is becoming an increasingly satisfying career to watch unfold and expand. Resident Evil feels like he has taken the tension from Barbarian and the scale of Weapons and used those pieces to build this story. Not only that, but the technical skills on display are fantastic, with excellent cinematography and fantastic sound design.
What might shock many is just how funny Resident Evil is, brimming with witty humor that surprised even me after Cregger said he supposedly “took out all the jokes.” I’d be really interested to see the cut of this film with what was left on the cutting room floor. On the other hand, it isn’t hard to understand what he may have meant. One thing about the film’s humor is that it is used in a very disarming way, meant to put the audience at ease before scaring the absolute shit out of you. This balances really well throughout the film and matches well with the tension.
‘Resident Evil’ – Final Thoughts
Director Zach Cregger has yet another hit on his hands with Resident Evil, easily becoming the best film adaptation to come from the franchise. Austin Abrams totally rules in this exhilarating survival-horror flick, which manages to balance its humor and frights evenly throughout. Cregger’s craft continues to set him down the right path; it would be a damn shame if he walked away from franchise filmmaking, but they might need him more than he does them.
Resident Evil releases in theaters on September 18. Check out a trailer below:
