Resident Evil (English) Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis
Director: Zach Cregger
Resident Evil Movie Review Synopsis:
RESIDENT EVIL is the story of a man's crazy night. Bryan (Austin Abrams) is a medical courier who reaches a hospital with a parcel. He wants to finish his job and return to his girlfriend Michelle to have an important discussion. However, Dr Maria Stokes (Emily Piggford) tempts him with double the fee to make a high-priority delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital. Bryan agrees and leaves immediately. The highway to Raccoon City is deserted and slippery from heavy snowfall. All of a sudden, he begins encountering strange creatures who initially appear to need help but instead try to attack him. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Resident Evil Movie Story Review:
Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten's story is impressive as it remains in the zone of the RESIDENT EVIL series and at the same time, provides a novel touch. Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten's screenplay is gripping and the inclusion of jumpscares at regular intervals adds to the fun. However, the writing is slightly underwhelming in the second half. The dialogues add a dash of humour to the proceedings.
Zach Cregger's direction is exemplary. He had proved his worth with WEAPONS [2025] and he brings his creative directorial skills once again in this film. RESIDENT EVIL began as a video game and this film is treated like one. As a result, there's a shift in tonality from the rest of the films, but ardent fans won't mind it, as Zach has handled it well. Also, one is aware that the zombies will attack. But when and how they'll attack is what keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. This is especially during the madness that occurs on the highway and in the caravan. The climax is also quite arresting and the film ends on a decisive note.
On the flipside, a bit of repetition sets in during the second half. The events of the first half are so nicely done that the second half pales in comparison. The entire underground drain sequence is interesting, but it needlessly drags the narrative and doesn’t add much to the scare quotient. Moreover, despite the makers’ best efforts, some fans may miss the legacy characters. None of them are present, as the makers this time focus on new, original characters. Even the humour, at times, overpowers the scare element. Those watching the film in India may also be disappointed by the anti-alcohol and anti-smoking ticker at the bottom right of the screen, which is quite large and often distracts from the happenings on screen. A smaller ticker would have helped. Lastly, the series does not have a huge following in India.
Resident Evil Movie Review Performances:
Austin Abrams dominates maximum screen time and delivers a smashing and entertaining performance. He’s not playing a typical hero. He’s a young lad, confused about his future with his girlfriend, who is now forced to survive amid all the madness and chaos. Hence, his ‘average Joe’ look and approach makes him very relatable. Zach Cherry (Carl) lends able support and Kali Reis (Maxine) is quite good. Paul Walter Hauser (Paul; scientist) is there for just a few minutes but shines. Johnno Wilson (Wilson; sheriff) is fair. Andrea Miltnerová (first zombie that Bryan encounters) rocks the show with her performance and expressions.
Resident Evil movie music and other technical aspects:
Hays Holladay and Ryan Holladay's music, along with Dariusz Wolski's cinematography, enhances the eeriness. Special mention must also be made of the stunning locations, which have been captured beautifully by the lensman. Caroline Fahrer's costumes are realistic. Tom Hammock's production design is well-researched. The action is gory but its crucial to the narrative and not added for the heck of it. The VFX is top-class. Joe Murphy's editing is overall satisfactory but could have been crisper in a few parts in the second half.
Resident Evil Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, RESIDENT EVIL works due to Zach Cregger’s fresh video game-like treatment, Austin Abrams’ engaging performance and several well-executed scares. At the box office, its prospects in India may initially be limited by the franchise’s limited following, but it has the potential to spring a surprise if the target audience turns up in large numbers.