From The Verge · Charles Pulliam-Moore · · 3m
Resident Evil finds horror in the funny
Zach Cregger's new take on Capcom's zombie franchise proves video game movies have finally grown up.
In brief
Zach Cregger's new take on Capcom's zombie franchise proves video game movies have finally grown up. The best video game movies work by respecting their source material while finding their own voice, using humor to deepen rather than undercut the scares. Originally reported by The Verge.
Video game movies used to be a joke
When Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil hit theaters in 2002, game adaptations were seen as niche. The 1993 Super Mario Bros. failure still haunted the industry, though some films like Mortal Kombat proved they could work.
Cregger's version strips things back
Director Zach Cregger's new Resident Evil returns to the franchise's fundamentals with a stripped-down story and terrifying monsters. It's also chiefly a movie trying to make you laugh.
Humor amplifies the horror
Cregger uses comedy to deepen the scares. His infected ghouls are meant to be as funny as they are disturbing, creating a unique tone that works throughout the film.
Meet Bryan, the everyman courier
The film follows Bryan, a medical courier created for the movie, who takes a high-paying delivery job to Raccoon City in winter. His journey becomes a descent into horror when he accidentally hits a shambling woman in the road.
The first scare sets the tone
When Bryan finds the woman he hit and tries to help her, the film smash-cuts to him coaxing her into his car. The tension between dread and absurdity establishes Cregger's comedic horror approach.
Monsters transform in wild ways
The infected humans mutate into creatures that feel like nods to Katamari Damacy and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Bryan's fascination with these transformations creates darkly funny moments.
A civilian survives, not a soldier
By centering the story on an ordinary person instead of trained agents, Cregger leans into survival horror. Bryan fumbles bullets when scared and screams in terror, replicating the experience of playing Resident Evil for the first time.
Indoor scenes capture game essence
The film's most suspenseful moments happen when Bryan searches empty buildings and tipoes down dark hallways. Cregger channels the essence of Capcom's games while winking at the audience about video games teaching survival.
A straightforward approach wins
Unlike recent game adaptations, Resident Evil prioritizes imagination over spectacle. It's not as concerned with character arcs as The Last of Us or as large-scale as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Video game movies have finally arrived
Cregger has found a way to make Resident Evil primed for more cinematic exploration while showing how far video game movies have come. The film proves the genre can be both fun and respectful to its source.
The short version
The best video game movies work by respecting their source material while finding their own voice, using humor to deepen rather than undercut the scares.
