Resident Evil Review – The Medium Is The Story

Sometimes, a movie is just a shot of adrenaline. Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is boastful in its goal to be pure adrenaline, a fright night that starts early and rarely ever lets up. That makes the film strikingly propulsive – the trade-off being the movie isn’t interested in much depth beyond its visceral scares. The story itself plays like a case file you’d see in an actual Resident Evil game – Bryan (Austin Abrams) is sent on a late night run to deliver a medical package. While doing so, he’s also in the midst of a relationship crisis with his girlfriend, who is pregnant and contemplating how to move forward together. Bryan feigns interest in empowering his partner’s decision surrounding the pregnancy, but is mostly noncommittal towards being a parent and building a life with her. However, before the discussion can progress, Bryan encounters a rather strange and sickly woman, which proves to be just the tip of the iceberg for the wildest night of his life.

Much to the chagrin of some diehard fans, Cregger’s film doesn’t take an interest in adapting narratives from the actual Resident Evil games. There is no Leon Kennedy here. The Umbrella Corporation, the lore-dense central antagonist of the games, is mere backdrop and exposition in the movie rather than the central focus. Instead of entertaining mythology, Cregger invests in his cinematic vision of a chase movie. As a result, while the film neglects deep lore, what Cregger does choose to adapt is the visual reference points of gameplay. Whether it is first person POV shots, encounters with zombie-fied rats in close spaces, or visual references to re-loading ammo, this Resident Evil stands as a celebration of gaming’s visual language, and arguably gamers themselves. At one point, this ventures into the cheesy and absurd – Bryan exclaims “Yay video games!” after using his experience with the medium to survive a deadly attack. It’s just a bad line that is blatantly pandering, when the movie is at its best when it’s showing full confidence in its vision.

While most of the praise directed at the movie has focused on Cregger’s direction, Abrams turns in a charismatic performance that anchors the film’s fantastical antics and breakneck pace. He fully embodies the “everyman” who is just living an ordinary life, and happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. His character may be a flawed person, but he isn’t a bad guy, is often self-deprecating, and seems to genuinely want to perform goodness in the face of impossible obstacles. He’s just a man with ordinary limitations, yet seeing the awkward fear and anguish on his face – as he realizes he can’t help an infected child – is one of the movie’s most memorable balancing acts of comedy and horror.

The highly decorated Weta Digital performed the visual effects for the movie, their biggest tasks being depicting a blobby creature that just adds bodies on to itself, as the zombie infection spreads. You can still tell you’re looking at CGI, but the creature is still a fascinating spectacle for how it combines various limbs and body parts, fusing into a monster that is like ‘The Thing from another world’ on steroids. The film also dabbles into a bit of metaphor in regards to this creature, staring back at our protagonist as it personifies the real fears of parenthood and pregnancy, a terror that highlights Bryan’s lack of growth.

Eventually, Bryan’s terrifying trek inspires him to look inward, and reconsider his feelings towards parenthood. However, while its nice that the movie isn’t just one prolonged chase sequence, its use of pathos in Bryan’s domestic predicament showcases the limitations of the script. We don’t spend much time with Bryan and his girlfriend Michelle (Sara Paxton), the latter of which is never present and only heard from by phone. There’s not much backstory given to their relationship, yet the film gives Bryan a pivotal moment to reflect on his loved one, but more time spent with these two together would make that moment hit harder. The film prioritizes fast-paced editing and keeping the audience on the edge of its seat. But in regards to the romantic subplot, the film wants to have its cake and eat it too, but the events move too quickly to justify the slower, more contemplative moments.

Cregger has pivoted to being one of the premier horror maestros in Hollywood. His other two films in the genre, Barbarian (2022) and Weapons (2025), are better movies with more on their minds from a psychological perspective. Resident Evil is interested in pure thrills, and it works as an extended chase scene you don’t have to think too much about. Whether or not a better version of a Resident Evil could exist – I don’t know, maybe. Video game to film is one of the trickier medium transitions there is, and Cregger clearly realizes this and has, in turn, made multiple concessions to make his adaptation work.

Does the finished product feel like a full movie? Kind of…. the movie is certainly striking, kinetic, and very entertaining. There’s essentially no barrier to entry for newer viewers that are unfamiliar with the games, and Abrams is a likable lead who turns in a funny, engaging, and at times empathetic performance. Also, the film’s central monster may be one of the most memorable uses of body horror this decade. Asking the movie of anything deeper than those elements is slim pickings, the film is very light on the narrative side. And there aren’t many worthwhile characters that can bounce off Abrams’ performance. But it’s fun, the movie personification of a sugar rush. This is like eating all your Halloween candy at once – not an event you want to repeat frequently, but its still a joyous indulgence.