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Resident Evil Review: Zach Cregger's No-Frills Approach Thrills Fans
Confirmed
In Short: Zach Cregger's straightforward take on Resident Evil strips the story down to its basics, making for a thrilling horror experience.
Zach Cregger's latest directorial effort, Resident Evil, takes a no-frills approach to the beloved video game series, focusing on a simple premise: one person, one destination, and a city overrun by zombies.
Cregger, known for his work on 'Barbarian' and 'Weapons,' demonstrates a willingness to tell stories that jump between characters and timelines, but here he opts for a more straightforward narrative.
Cregger's approach is both a blessing and a curse. While the simplicity of the premise works well, the screenplay occasionally stumbles, according to some critics.
Despite its flaws, Resident Evil is a chaotic and entertaining horror film that validates video game cinema by treating the source material as an excuse to make an uncompromising, terrifying horror film.
Austin Abrams, who previously starred in Cregger's 'Weapons,' shines as the bumbling everyman thrown into the chaos, adding a layer of humor reminiscent of Sam Raimi's work.
What's confirmed
- Zach Cregger's latest directorial effort, Resident Evil, takes a no-frills approach to the beloved video game series, focusing on a simple premise: one person, one destination, and a city overrun by zombies.
- Cregger, known for his work on 'Barbarian' and 'Weapons,' demonstrates a willingness to tell stories that jump between characters and timelines, but here he opts for a more straightforward narrative.
- Cregger's approach is both a blessing and a curse. While the simplicity of the premise works well, the screenplay occasionally stumbles, according to some critics.
- Despite its flaws, Resident Evil is a chaotic and entertaining horror film that validates video game cinema by treating the source material as an excuse to make an uncompromising, terrifying horror film.
- Austin Abrams, who previously starred in Cregger's 'Weapons,' shines as the bumbling everyman thrown into the chaos, adding a layer of humor reminiscent of Sam Raimi's work.
What's still developing
- Unfortunately for him, getting from Point A to Point B becomes significantly more complicated when a zombie outbreak begins spreading.
- One of my favorite things about horror movies is imagining what I would actually say if I were trapped in the situations these characters find themselves in.
- Horror movies often require characters to remain serious while the audience is thinking about how absurdly terrifying the circumstances are.
- Resident Evil wastes very little time getting started, and once the outbreak begins, there is rarely an opportunity to breathe.
- Rather than attempting to cram fan-favorite characters, sprawling mythology, and years of video game lore into one movie, director Zach Cregger strips the story down to its most basic premise: one person, one destination, and a city overrun by zombies.
- For a movie with a considerably larger scale, it is almost surprising how small Resident Evil feels in the best possible way.
- Yet across seven critically panned film adaptations, the simple premise of the games — bumbling your way through a sticky situation with limited bullets while facing hordes of infected — is yet to be authentically captured on film.
- Enter actor-turned-horror-filmmaker Zach Cregger, whose take attempts to wipe the slate clean.