The Resident Evil films, based on the popular video game franchise, have never been a hit with critics (nor for many fans) but they’ve always made *just* enough money to keep it going. You may be surprised to know that 7 of these films have been made since 2002. After a failed reboot attempt in 2021, which again didn’t make much money nor win over viewers, this newest iteration finally seems to have turned the ship around. Maybe not for me, but for many, as it set a franchise record at the box office and garnered an amazing 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film follows a medical courier named Bryan. He’s just dropped off an organ at a hospital, as is tasked with another top priority delivery to a hospital the next city over. Top priority means big pay, so despite the winter storm dumping a blanket of snow outside, Bryan agrees. He’s driving through the snow, in the dark, talking to his girlfriend about their surprise pregnancy, when he hits a woman who has wandered onto the road. Bryan tries to do the right thing and gets out of his car to provide aid, only to find that she has run off into the woods, leaving a trail of blood. Bryan follows and finds her, nearly comatose. He coaxes her back to the car, just in time for a police officer to arrive. Bryan explains the situation and the policeman agrees to transport the woman to the hospital in his car, with Bryan following. They don’t get far before Bryan sees the cop car run off the road, and upon inspection, Bryan sees the cop dead and the woman, now very much alive and active, missing from the vehicle. In typical scary movie fashion, she jumps out and starts chasing Bryan, who finally shoots her with the cop’s gun. Bryan then heads to the nearest house, a farm, for aid, but the night, and his gruesome adventure, is just getting started. Bryan starts seeing all kinds of freaky things, and we learn that a virus has quickly spread over the area, turning people (and dogs!) into raving monsters. The item he is carrying towards the hospital isn’t an organ at all, but a possible cure, and the hospital needs it badly if this virus is to be stopped.
I honestly don’t get the love this movie is getting. It gave me exactly one jump scare (pretty early in the film too) and otherwise I laughed incredulously throughout. Good ol’ Bryan does just about every thing you aren’t supposed to do in a horror film, and they roll out every trope and stereotype you can think of. Tons of blood, and a couple creepy scenes (because a child is involved), but otherwise very forgettable. If a sequel comes out (and I’m sure it will) I think I’ll pass. ★★½
