Making the best video game movie of all time is a lot like winning Eurovision: That success means a whole lot to a sizable group of people that I know relatively little about. Does the collective opinion of an international group of voters hold more sway than my piddly thoughts? Sure. That will not stop me from proudly proclaiming that the new Resident Evil is the best video game movie of all time! I fear that what I have ranked as second may betray any confidence folks have in that proclamation. Fine. It’s the Bob Hoskins Super Mario Brothers movie. See.
To be clear, writer Shay Hatten and writer/director Zach Cregger’s reboot does jump on and fully flatten the Koopa carcass of that maligned 90s Nintendo cult classic. At a brisk 97 minutes, the film borrows the breathlessness of Mad Max: Fury Road, albeit with much more humor and copious amounts more cosmic horror. Devotees of the PlayStation series are (reportedly) displeased at the decision to ignore many storytelling elements from the franchise. I can only say that my admiration of filmmakers that ignore fan service in favor of making, you know, an actual good movie continues to rise. Last Jedi gang, represent.
The plot of this Resident Evil reincarnation is little more than a very, very bad day at work. Bryan (Austin Abrams) is a medical courier who must make an incredibly important delivery that requires crossing a snowy expanse to get to Raccoon City. He (literally) runs into a very troubled woman, which then sets off a sequence of obstacles that include impossibly-limbed monstrosities, padlocks that are impervious to firearms, and undead terrors that plunge from buildings.
As mentioned, it is not adherent to the plot of either the previous movie franchise or the video games. It does, however, very much feel like one of the latter. First-person perspectives pop up as our reluctant and pitiable hero stumbles first from room to room and then from location to location in search of better weapons and tools in order to reach the top level of a hospital for victory. This is precisely what makes Resident Evil the best film of its kind. It has an authentic vibe that doesn’t feel like a commercialized variation of a misremembered theme.
It also has no real theme. And that is great! The title of my review is cheeky (as per usual). But in the same way those two terms in the headline aren’t actually opposites, the inverse of horror that is elevated horror isn’t “depressed” or “ground-level.” Cregger delivers a pure, nonstop riot punctuated with blissfully depraved set pieces and well-earned comedic beats. It has neither enlightened me nor hit a minor moment of profundity, but I would watch it again right this moment, which is (A) what it is going for and (B) a remarkably high compliment.
What I hope that other studios take from this likely massive hit and undeniable very good time is that slavish devotion to existing frameworks in fan-favorite franchises come with a very firm ceiling. The suggestion at the end of Resident Evil is that there is more to come. I will gleefully sign up for whatever is next. That has to be worth more than having someone recognize the name of a character they played once, right?
Grade = A
Other Critical Voices to Consider
Rebecca Sayce at FILMHOUNDS magazine says “Resident Evil brings a video game sensibility to the big screen without compromising Cregger’s flair seen in his previous big-hit horror features. He made the smartest decision possible not tackling any in-game characters or narratives, instead taking the film in his own direction and focusing on the franchise’s survival-horror heart and how that struck fear into generation after generation of gamers.”
Kelechi Ehenulo at Movie Marker says “Cregger knows exactly how to get the best out of the horror/comedy material without veering over the edge, relishing the pulsating linear momentum that always refuses to turn back and accepts whatever demented carnage awaits. It entertains in the best possible way, a confident level-up that stands out as the best in the franchise, and by getting the fundamentals right, Cregger’s Resident Evil serves up a glorious horror treat.”
Travis Hopson at Punch Drunk Critics says “It hits hard and gets out quick, and is one of those movies you can watch over and over again. It’s possible that a sequel will tie in more with the games; I kinda hope it doesn’t. Cregger has shown that you don’t need it. Make an awesome horror flick first, and worry about the franchise stuff later…or maybe never.”