Not Your Millennial's 'Resident Evil'
Cregger, director of The Barbarian and Weapons, intended to create an experience with his third outing that might recreate the feeling of a bystander watching someone else play the games. He also uses his filmmaking and writing styles to create a fresh take on the otherworldly world-building that has become integral to video games and the survival-horror subgenre.
He manages to do it extremely well, with the intention of certain shots conveying the POV in PlayStation single-player story games, all while calling back to fan-service easter eggs that make it all the more enjoyable and give it a more blockbuster feel than intended. It is further shown off when several inspirations in his camera work, with gorgeous shots and action sequences, were reminiscent of films like The Shining and even Die Hard.
This is not your millennials' Resident Evil (sorry, Milla Jovovich). It is incredibly gory and goes to some deeply disturbing places, both visually and thematically, making the R rating worthwhile. It does not rely on being a creature feature, at least not yet, to be terrifying and leaves enough time to explore the freaky world with the semi-intricate and effective creature designs they've used their well-utilized budget on. The script, with a performance entirely carried by Austin Abrams, is also relatable and funny. With quips of frustration and a lack of gun knowledge, it creates a realistic atmosphere amid the fumbling attempts to survive an impending zombie infection, all through comedic timing.
As it is horrifying and occasionally hilarious, there is a melancholic theme that resonates within Brian's (Abram's character) point of view that is subtle, carries his character so well, and makes him worth rooting for, which blends with how much consequence and chaos he goes through to ultimately unlearn his more human traits to survive a night in Raccoon City. That also speaks to our current world climate, the state of unfaithful human interaction, and the lack of kindness in the world, which make the script's hints of the choreographed body language of Abrams' character's unconscious externality even more heartbreaking. Austin Abrams is a talent that is finally getting his due, and I am here for it.
As opposed to Cregger's other work we have seen so far, this is a close second to Weapons, which I personally enjoyed, even though its popular aspects are aspects I wish weren't meme'd as hard as they were. His iteration of Resident Evil has a rewatchable quality that I think moviegoers will want to take advantage of with how much of a good time it is at the movies. I do not say that lightly, even though I spent the majority of the time covering my ears and part of my vision. In a nutshell, it is a definite recommendation for fans and casual viewers to be invested in Resident Evil again.
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