This year has been great for horror, but as a horror lover, I find it hard to find horror films good enough to fulfil my satisfaction; they’re too jumpy, lack plot, too dull, makes zero sense. It is simply not enough to get a fright out of your audience by having someone, or something, jump out at the camera constantly — plot needs to move, suspense needs to build, hearts need to race. And protagonists certainly do not need to win. Because how realistic is that really?
‘Resident Evil’ follows organ courier Bryan working overtime to deliver an important package to Raccoon City. Unbeknownst to him, laboratory safeguarding has failed, and what sits in his bag could be the end to the chaos erupting in this city.
What I liked about this film is that it felt really well-rounded. Certifiably complete. We understand why Bryan went into Raccoon city, why it was a snowy setting, what happened to cause the outbreak, what the cure is, why the stakes were so high, and why the ending felt mean, yet justified. Because a normal person does not beat mutated monsters with bad aim and a dream.
I specifically enjoyed the normality of the protagonist in a world where we are so used to seeing seemingly ‘unskilled’ characters excel in an environment they should really be quickly perishing in, which made Resident Evil a fresh perspective. With the inclusion of incredible first person camera shots, difficulty in handling and using guns, universal adrenaline-pumped panic, Resident Evil excelled in creating game-to-film adaption that felt like the audience were playing it. Almost like a self-insert, in a way, as I am positive no one in real life would be moving like Leon if put in the same position. Let’s be real.
Resident Evil can stand as an independent film, not needing any kind of prequel or sequel. You don’t even need to be familiar with the games to watch this. That was something I was nervous for at first. My only familiarity with the game was seeing the gameplay of the YouTuber’s I consistently watch. I myself have never played the games, but I know enough to have a very, very basic understanding of the world. That being said, if there were any easter eggs, I did not catch them. I have to give grace to Zach Cregger, because the amount of pressure on him to create a perfect and faithful adaption from these very crazed and nit-picky Resident Evil fans must have weighed on him hard. Following the story through the perspective of an NPC was the best idea, less slack and a more original perspective.
I thought the pacing was great, it was quick enough to understand the danger of what was happening, and to show us how high the stakes were becoming. Though I think the reveal of the ‘villains’ was far too quick and sudden, they managed to flesh it out better towards the end, when Bryan was faced with the final challenge of the film. That was when the same suspense of the first half of the film came back, and I was a lot more interested.
A lot of people were pretty unhappy with the ending, and without giving anything away, I was personally quite pleased with it. Though I understand the hate towards it, there was an honest realness that a lot of directors don’t ever want to play into. People are too obsessed with the fan-service that every protagonist needs to be a spoon-fed hero with all the skills to magically win impossible odds, which Resident Evil humbly challenged. To me, that risk was completely worth it.
Obviously, the real outstanding feature of Resident Evil was Austin Abrams, playing Bryan himself. I remember watching the trailer and thinking, ‘Isn’t that Ethan?’. I was a real Euphoria fan (back when it was actually good) and instantly recognized him. The play has been engraved in my mind, and he singlehandedly made that episode the best in Euphoria history. But a role in horror is much different than a role in a drama, and I hadn’t watched anything else he had been in, so this performance came as a real surprise.
The standout aspect of his performance had to be the ease in which he could transition from being seriously panicked, to seriously funny. His comedic timing was excellent, he made the character feel all too real in the most absurd situation. His humorous mumbling, quick one-liners and chaotic screaming didn’t take away from the suspense and fear we feel from the film. His complete normality makes us really root for his character, and I also think it’s largely due to the charm he brings to Bryan. And I am charmed by him, so I will in fact be tuning into all his films and forming a dedicated hyper fixation on his work and interviews.
Overall, I thought Resident Evil really hit the mark, and what could have been a real catastrophe, turned out to be an absolute gold mine. This film also has incredible rewatch value, so this won’t be my last watch.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
