Resident Evil

 

I don’t generally like heights or the feeling of dropping, but when the Tower of Terror at Disneyland was reimagined as a Guardians of the Galaxy ride I made myself go on it a few times because I am a fan of the characters. Similarly, I do not really enjoy scary movies but I really like the Resident Evil video games, so what am I going to do, miss out on the first film adaptation of the series to break 40% on Rotten Tomatoes just because it might make me pee my pants a little? Well, I saw it, I survived, and I’m proud to say that there was no pee (although things were touch-and-go a few times).

When it comes to video game film adaptations, different fans want different things and it is impossible to please everyone. Some demand slavish 1:1 devotion to the source material, and some would prefer original stories that may or may not fit into the larger narrative but always at least capture the essence and vibe of the original. Zach Cregger, director of Barbarian and the smash-hit that was Weapons, goes the latter route with Resident Evil, and the result is something fresh while being simultaneously familiar for fans of the franchise. Whether it’s an offhand mention of the Umbrella Corporation or a potted green herb in the background, Resident Evil feels like Resident Evil without being bogged down with what came before.

The first half of Resident Evil is genuinely terrifying, but things are regularly seasoned with well-timed laughs as well (like many other horror directors, Zach Cregger got his start in comedy), which serves to bust up the tension whenever necessary. Main character Bryan (played exceptionally well by Austin Abrams) reacts to scary situations exactly like most real-life stoner doofuses would in his situation, and the results are often just as funny as they are horrifying. The second half of the film is less scary and feels kind of haunted house-ish—a scary monster around one corner that shows off the imagination of the filmmakers, an escape, another monster around another corner, an escape, etc. These moments are cool but get progressively less scary as the film goes on, but luckily the film ends at a crisp ninety minutes and doesn’t overstay its welcome despite the diminishing returns. You can also draw a direct correlation between how many characters are on the screen and how scary the film is… the more alone Bryan is, the scarier thing are; the higher number of zombies he’s being chased by or survivors he’s interacting with… not as scary. And that’s coming from a big baby. The second half isn’t weak; it’s just not quite as strong.

Resident Evil is lean, mean, awesome, and makes me want to boot up one of the games and shoot some giant eyeballs that are in places that eyeballs simply shouldn’t be. Turns out the missing ingredient to a good Resident Evil movie was a director who is not only a fan of the series but also someone who knows what they’re doing. Go figure.

Resident Evil is now playing in theaters.