New Resident Evil movie finally captures the survival horror feel of the games

Barbarian and Weapons director Zach Cregger has made a new adaptation of Capcom's Resident Evil game series that, according to a new review, finally captures the essence of the original games. Unlike the six earlier films starring Milla Jovovich, which focused on bombastic action, the new movie aims to recreate the dread and resource-scarcity tension the games are known for.

Story and protagonist

The film follows Bryan (played by Austin Abrams), a medical courier sent on a last-minute run to a remote mountain town that turns out to be Raccoon City. Alongside the horror he encounters, Bryan also grapples with anxiety over becoming a father after his girlfriend reveals she's pregnant.

Recreating the games' feel

After an accident on a snowy road, the film shifts to a first-person perspective reminiscent of the original Resident Evil's slow approach toward its first zombie. For much of the movie, the camera follows Bryan from behind or over his shoulder, evoking the iconic viewpoint of Resident Evil 4. Bryan faces several threats, including an unusual monster and a rabid dog, and fails a classic ladder puzzle in a barn. A room featuring a lone typewriter echoes the games' save-room concept. Throughout, the film maintains tension around limited ammunition and resources, a hallmark of the survival horror genre.

Comparison to other game adaptations

The review notes that Cregger avoided both excessive fan service — which plagued earlier poor Resident Evil films, including the failed 2021 reboot Welcome to Raccoon City — and a wholesale rejection of the games' elements. It compares this balanced approach to recent successful adaptations like the Sonic and Minecraft movies. With Nintendo developing a Legend of Zelda film and Hollywood increasingly drawing on video game material, the reviewer expresses hope that more filmmakers will take cues from this approach.