By: Jamie Steinberg
Zach Cregger brings the fear in his latest film Resident Evil. While not directly based on the hit video games, it still brings one of the best iterations of one to the big screen.
In Resident Evil we meet Bryan (Austin Abrams), who is a medical courier now put in charge of taking an unknown package from a hospital to a medical facility in Raccoon City (think John Doe in “Twisted Metal”). While on his way up an icy mountain road, Bryan hits his car into a woman that has been walking along the freezing streets. Taking in the injured woman, he attempts to traverse the icy roads until he crashes his car into a cop. The officer offers to get them all to safety but things begin to go awry when Bryan starts being hunted by something that seems…unkillable.
Viewers will appreciate that the film is broken into chapters – or missions – much like in the horror survival video game franchise. There are even shoutouts to the game version such as when Bryan is exploring a remote house and locates an old typewriter in one room and locating a green plant within an abandoned car – harkening back to a save spot in the game and a way to restore health. These little winks from Cregger help make the film even greater.
Cregger does a terrific job at keeping viewers invested in the film from start to finish as the action begins even before the title card pops up on the screen. With his guidance, the plot becomes one of the longest and most gruesome nights of Bryan’s life. His approach is fascinating as he leans into more unpredictable surprises, though, than gore. It’s clearly a testament to his skill set and how dedicated he was to giving audiences a thrill start to finish.
Viewers will definitely find Resident Evil a must see film as director Zach Cregger delivers on the dark, intense horror that they have come to love from this beloved video game franchise. Have a seat and be prepared from the moment the movie starts to roll for an absolute heartracing thriller.