From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (WEAPONS, BARBARIAN) comes a reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, the new RESIDENT EVIL has us following Bryan (played by Austin Abrams, who previously worked with Cregger on WEAPONS), a medical courier who is on the phone fighting with his pregnant girlfriend when he’s tasked with delivering a crucial package to a remote hospital in the nearby Raccoon City. The icy roads make his trip more perilous, but things really take a turn when he hits a woman on the road and tries to help her get medical attention, only to realize there is something very wrong with her. Things get progressively worse as Bryan realizes everyone and everything in the area seems to be infected, and trying to kill him. His attempted delivery has now turned into a fight for survival against incredible odds, and all for a young man who is clearly not equipped to handle it.

This take on the franchise is a definite departure from the sometimes overblown movies we’ve seen previously, which felt more like action vehicles for Milla Jovovich than sincere adaptations of the actual games. The idea of having the audience follow a regular guy who has no special skills, and having him do his best to navigate the increasingly disturbing obstacles between him and his goal, it’s actually quite brilliant. It also evokes the feeling you would get from playing the games for the first time, and trying to figure out how best to handle things. Director Zach Cregger does a great job of not getting cocky with the material, he let’s the action build and breathe, and finds new and interesting ways to catch you off guard. The jump scares work but aren’t overused, and there are several moments that are genuinely unnerving, and really feel more like nightmare fuel than tired horror tropes. This is a movie that feels low budget like an indie flick at times, but the money is spent smartly and the overall presentation feels really polished.

Austin Abrams as our unlikely hero Bryan is really solid in the lead, capturing a natural essence that feels honest and sincere in his performance. He was great in WEAPONS, but even better here, and it’s easy to see why Cregger chose him as our lead protagonist. Little moments like Bryan trying to figure out how to use a gun, or admitting how terrible he handles one, it all feels authentic and easy to relate to. And the characterization makes it easy to cheer for him when he occasionally succeeds, and feel bad for him when things don’t go well. There are brief appearances by Paul Walter Hauser and Zach Cherry, who mostly provide comic relief, but this isn’t a movie sporting handsome or sexy stars, almost everyone utilized here looks and feels like a normal, real archetype. This is also a movie that establishes over and over that no one is safe, even animals and kids, so get used to the shocking terror Bryan experiences repeatedly, which adds to the looming sense of dread.

RESIDENT EVIL is a pleasant new direction for the franchise, and sets up possibilities for future outings quite nicely. The movie is considerably more funny than I expected, but it’s a smart balance of humor and terror. It also feels very self-contained, meaning possible sequels could follow a completely different story and characters, and not feel like it’s betraying this inaugural effort. This is a smart take on the source material, to where you can really tell that Cregger respected the concept and games, and did his best to capture the spirit of what made them so popular. This is a slower burn than most video game adaptations, but really feels like a much-needed step in the right direction.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•