#SHOWBIZ: 'Resident Evil' breaks video game curse with pure, terrifying panic
LET’S face it — adapting a video game into a respectable feature film has historically been about as reliable as trusting an Umbrella Corporation safety brochure.
In an unexpected turn of events, writer-director Zach Cregger has shattered the video game curse by infusing the Resident Evil franchise with a terrifying and adrenaline-fueled terror. For years, fans have endured convoluted storylines and mindless computer-generated gore, but Cregger has breathed new life into the series with his hard reset approach.
Former medical courier Bryan, portrayed by Austin Abrams in a convincingly ordinary manner, is thrust into a snowbound Raccoon City with a crucial package to deliver. Unlike the invincible action heroes of past adaptations, Bryan is an ordinary individual who has likely never wielded a real firearm. His high-pitched shrieks and bewildered panic ring true and add a human touch to the horror.
Cregger expertly uses over-the-shoulder framing to evoke a third-person survival game without feeling gimmicky. The horror elements go beyond standard shuffling corpses, featuring grotesque mutants like slimy abominations and acid-vomiting horrors lurking near the edge of a failing flashlight.
What sets this film apart is its wicked sense of humor. Cregger expertly balances sheer terror with dark comedy, finding witty moments in Bryan's ineptitude when faced with locked doors and impossible odds. Accompanied by a pulsing retro-synth score, the movie maintains a relentless, pulse-pounding rhythm.
Resident Evil proves that a video game adaptation can thrive without a bloated budget or exhaustive mythology. The film is slick, scary, delightfully gross, and the most entertainingly terrifying experience you'll have in a cinema this year.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
