When I read that Zach Cregger was going to follow up his triumphant Weapons by taking a stab at the Resident Evil franchise, I had some trepidation.
The first couple of RE films with Milla Jovovich were OK, but the franchise lost steam somewhere around the third film, Resident Evil: Extinction (2007). They’ve been trying to pump some life into this deal via more sequels and a TV series for nearly 20 years.
As for Cregger … well, a man’s got to make some money, so signing on for a new Resident Evil movie initially struck me as a cash grab. Sorry, Mr. Cregger … you freaking rock, and I will stop doubting your career decisions.
The new Resident Evil is a full-blown, horrific, hilarious kick in the pants—a lean, mean horror machine. With plenty of nods to the games—it feels like it was made by somebody who truly loves playing those games—the movie is far and away the best video game movie yet. It’s also a great horror movie, so anybody who doesn’t know the games still might have a great time.
Austin Abrams, who had an important role in Weapons, re-teams with Cregger as Bryan, a struggling courier who, regrettably, takes one last job on a snowy night. He needs to deliver a medical parcel to some place called Raccoon City, and fans of the franchise know that could never be a good thing.
On the road to his destination in a vehicle clearly not made for the snow, Bryan experiences some severe trouble with a pedestrian. That pedestrian, after being struck by his car, is bloody but otherwise, strangely, awake. A cop shows up to assist; some further troubles occur; and Bryan is officially strapped in for a night of total hell.
That night will include a dog that isn’t really a dog anymore, and a lot of people who aren’t really people anymore, including young folks who appear to be OK with a foot being replaced by a bunch of tentacles. Bryan endures one obstacle after another until finally winding up in Raccoon City, attempting to deliver what turns out to be a package that could save humanity.
Cregger is a modern-day master of real, solid jump scares. Jump scares often feel obligatory and forced in horror films, but not with Cregger. He had me legit levitating out of my seat more than once.
He also does a fine job mixing practical and CGI for his gore effects. Like many before him, he evokes John Carpenter’s The Thing as people transform from humans into god-knows-what. The difference here is Cregger and team never feel like they are stealing anything. They pay tribute, and then they go to places all their freaky own. The pulsing soundtrack and deep winter setting also contribute to the Carpenter vibe. Again, it never feels like a ripoff.
Abrams gets the laughs and, ultimately, our sympathies as a well-meaning loser who really should’ve just gone home. It’s a great performance; he’s onscreen for virtually the whole time, and he runs the full gamut of emotions as he keeps us rooting for him to the very end. And what an end that is.
The greatest visual triumph in the film is something Cregger calls the “human tumbleweeds.” When a bunch of zombies and their victims fuse together, they form what very much looks like a tumbleweed capable of rolling at high speeds, climbing, and many other horrific things. It’s an image that will stick with you.
Cregger has already said this was a one-time thing with Resident Evil. He’s also said this horrific survivor story started as an original idea that he retrofitted with Resident Evil monsters when he signed on to the project.
Who knows what Cregger will come up with next? After this, Cregger could direct the next animated Trolls or Minions movie—and I would be first in line to see what he does.