Movie Review: Resident Evil
BY: ETHAN CHAHINE / STAFF WRITER
This article contains major spoilers.
BROOKLYN, NY—Resident Evil was released in movie theaters nationwide on Sep. 18. It’s a day that I’ll never forget.
Zach Cregger—the director of some of the much-acclaimed horror films for the last few years—was brought on for this iteration of the Resident Evil franchise, and he did not disappoint.
The Resident Evil games have a distinct, campy style of horror that Cregger was able to capture flawlessly in this film. It began with the introduction of a main protagonist that audiences could resonate with: Bryan Hodukavich, played by Austin Abrams.
Bryan was led into Raccoon City as a medical courier, trying to make some extra money at the end of his shift. In my eyes, Bryan was a grounded character with goals that made sense in the context of the movie.
Oftentimes in horror films, one would find themselves disagreeing with the choices of a protagonist, saying that they would not keep going. But Bryan had reasons to continue, which added to the fear factor; it felt as though he was making the right decisions.
Throughout the film, he has a deep internal conflict because of his girlfriend’s sudden pregnancy. The thought of fathering a child out of wedlock, and making that decision, frightened him.
This underlying tension of the film skyrockets when Bryan accidentally hits a woman with his car in the icy Arklay Mountains. With no service, the protagonist is left to his own devices.
He tries to get her medical assistance until he gets pulled over by a police officer. As they travel together, the woman gets up, infected with the T-Virus, and kills the police officer by crashing his car. In a fit of adrenaline, Bryan shoots her with the officer's gun.
This series of events signified the shift from mild terror to chair-gripping anxiety for the rest of the film.
For the rest of the film, everything felt unexpected even if you knew something was going to happen. Cregger utilized a variety of techniques that increased immersion in the film as the film progressed, including POV shots that were present in games such as Resident Evil 7 and 8.
Cregger also avoided giving the audience more information than the protagonist Bryan had. It followed his and only his journey throughout. This allowed audiences to feel as though they were making progress, figuring things out, and getting frightened alongside Bryan.
I enjoyed this film as it was able to incorporate humor into such a tense and scary film in such a tasteful way so as to not distract from the overall direction. This kind of storytelling is what the Resident Evil franchise is all about. As a fan of the video game series it felt like I was getting exactly what I bargained for with a Resident Evil movie.
There were many elements of the games that had direct film comparisons. The monster that was chasing Bryan is not dissimilar to Nemesis chasing Jill Valentine relentlessly in Resident Evil 3. There was a dog creature with tendrils that is comparable to lickers from Resident Evil 2. While also having a decent amount of originality.
Bryan also is a very fun protagonist that has reactions to things that are very similar feelings you have playing the games. His reaction to not wanting to go into the dark and scary unknown. His unpreparedness and not being skilled with guns. It’s exactly how it feels playing the games even if the characters you’re playing as don’t have the same reactions.
All the creatures and characters felt like they could fit seamlessly into this pre-established universe. I was impressed with the direction that this film had and I would recommend it to all horror and Resident Evil fans alike. There is something to enjoy here for everyone.
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