resident Evil
Director: Zack Krieger
Mould: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reese, Paul Walter Hauser, and Jonno Wilson
Rating: ★★★★
Resident Evil may have got the best film in its franchise, and that too from the hands of a director who is unwilling to return to the series. If that doesn’t sum up the bittersweet tragedy of sports, then what does? Zach Krieger’s new Resident Evil film is scary, gory, innovative, and surprisingly a homage to the games the bestselling franchise inspired, but its story isn’t cut short. And it’s led by the delightful Austin Abrams, who is doing most of the heavy lifting himself.
Base
Brian (Austin Abrams), a medical courier, finds himself delivering a medical package to Raccoon City General Hospital in the middle of the night on snow-covered roads. As he encounters some strange infected, almost undead looking people along the way, he realizes that the city has fallen. Two Umbrella Corporation employees meet them and tell them that a substance has plagued the city, and the package they have is what scientists need for a cure. Now his job is to take this package to the top floor of the hospital, only if he can escape from the monsters and creatures that have taken over the city.
A video game brought to life
Resident Evil is the first true horror film in the franchise that builds on this genre. The Alice series, which starred Milla Jovovich, were creature features that were largely action films. But this Resident Evil brings the monsters to you, with some neatly placed jumpscares, fantastic creature designs and plenty of gore. Horror is the backbone of this film.
But it is much more than that. Resident Evil is a survival video game. At several junctures in the film, director Zach Krieger and DOP Darius Wolski choose to shoot over the shoulder of the protagonist, giving us a first-person shooter POV. The entire action sequences are shot from the protagonist’s point of view, giving the audience a game-like experience without ever feeling artificial. Resident Evil is inspired by the game series, but does not always follow its rules or plot. It borrows the setting of Raccoon City and introduces the Umbrella Corporation, but changes some aspects without disrespecting the original subject matter or reducing the intensity a bit. It’s a bold adaptation that keeps the essence of the games alive while creating an entirely new film. Krieger deserves credit for creating something new and fresh despite the limitations of working with an IP.
amazingly funny
The real triumph of Resident Evil lies in its irreverent tone, taking a dig at everything from the horror genre to video games in general, without ever making fun of them. First-person shooter games often feature intelligent protagonists, and Austin Abrams’ Brian is an extension of many of them, which again keeps the essence of the game alive. But what sets him apart is his sheer incompetence. He is just a medical courier. He gets guns, but doesn’t know how to use them. He arrives safely, but has to try something different, getting himself into trouble. And throughout it all, he mutters to himself, providing some of the film’s best comedic moments. The non-masculine protagonist not only elevates the stakes but also makes the film more relatable, almost like a messed-up life experience.
austin abrams show
To bring that relatability to the fore, Austin Abrams brings out his A-game. Almost 90% of the film is his. There is almost no scene in which he is not present. He takes a huge responsibility on his shoulders and carries it out brilliantly, with style, sensitivity and a lot of courage. The young actor rarely puts a foot wrong, delivering straightforward lines with impeccable comic timing, delivering physical action scenes, and even allowing the viewer to feel his fear and vulnerability. It’s that kind of performance that turns this horror from a fun watch into something not to be missed.
Decision
Resident Evil is, undoubtedly, the best film of the franchise. If it weren’t for the recent abundance of horror movies, this would be a contender for Best Horror Movie of the Year, but it’s definitely in the news. But ranking aside, Zack Krieger’s genre-bending film succeeds in doing something few movies can do – bring an oversaturated movie something new to the screen.