By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"RESIDENT EVIL" DELIVERS MUTANTS, MAYHEM AND MURDER
I am not a "gamer" by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a huge fan of the "Resident Evil" movie series, which is based on Capcom's hugely popular "Resident Evil" video game franchise.
That said, this latest installment of
"Resident Evil" from director/screenwriter
Zach Cregger ("Barbarian" and "Weapons") and co-writer
Shay Hatten ("Ballerina" and "John Wick: Chapter 4") is, by far, my favorite of the bunch.
For horror fans, it delivers nearly everything you could want and then finds a few more ways to make you squirm.
Austin Abrams is definitely putting in some work. In addition to starring in "Resident Evil," Abrams can also be seen in the upcoming film
"Whalefall" (opening Oct.16), which is incredibly intense.
In "Resident Evil," Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who is exhausted and is more than ready to call it a night. But just as he's preparing to head home, one of the medical workers asks if he can make one more special delivery to Raccoon City.
It's freezing outside, and Bryan would much rather be at home where he can finish a conversation he left hanging with his pregnant girlfriend.
His first instinct is to say no, but when overtime is offered, the extra money proves tempting enough to change his mind. Bryan reluctantly agrees to make the delivery, unaware that this seemingly routine late-night run is about to become anything but routine. If only Bryan had said no, he might have saved himself from the living hell he encounters.
It's the little things that the filmmakers put into play here that add up to the fright-fest that is "Resident Evil." Like when a woman (Andrea Miltner, "Nosferatu") comes out of nowhere, and Bryan hits her with his car and he ends up putting her bloodied, mangled body next to him only to later be pulled over by a police officer (Johnno Wilson, "How to Date Again") who has absolutely no idea what he's about to get himself into.
Then Bryan is forced to find refuge in a house/barn after being chased by a demonic dog. If that weren't enough, he discovers that a young girl (Isla McRae, "Hail Mary") is a rabid mutant creature too.
Once Bryan realizes he must do some quick thinking and outmaneuver these creatures, that's when "Resident Evil" steps up big time. The dark, snowy night becomes a terrifying playground as Bryan tries to survive this ever-growing army of grotesque monsters. And these aren't your run-of-the-mill movie zombies. The mutants are genuinely scary and have distorted features and nightmarish physical characteristics. If the filmmaker’s goals were to make us uncomfortable, they succeeded spectacularly.
Among the characters Bryan encounters are Umbrella enforcer Maxine (Kali Reis, "Mercy") and scientist, Carl (Paul Walter Hauser, "Balls Up," and "The Naked Gun"). Their pursuit of him is tied to the increasingly dangerous situation surrounding the outbreak. What he's carrying puts them on a collision course.
But in true "Resident Evil" fashion, going after Bryan turns out to be a very bad move. The fate awaiting them is every bit as horrific as it is entertaining.
"Resident Evil" scores major points for all its outrageous kill action. It comes at you fast and furiously. Cregger and his crew clearly understand that blood and gore don't have to be presented as a visual free-for-all. The angled shots, unusual camera placement, dramatic lighting and carefully composed frames turn the carnage into something surprisingly stylish.
The snowy setting, eerie darkness, and monsters create an atmosphere where you're never quite sure what is going to come crashing, crawling or charging through the next doorway. And that's what makes "Resident Evil" such a bloody blast.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"RESIDENT EVIL"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
