With just a few films under his belt, Zach Cregger has become a director who makes must-see horror films. Barbarian showed the promise he had as a filmmaker, while Weapons saw Cregger create something that became a cultural phenomenon. Now, he has a go at rebooting the Resident Evil franchise, and what he delivers is a relentless horror adventure that will have you gasping for breath.
Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier, is in the process of making a delivery to Raccoon City General hospital when an outbreak forces him to fight for survival.
First thing's first, this is easily the best Resident Evil film to date. Not that the bar is particularly high, but there's something about an unknowing citizen being dropped right in the middle of literal hell, and watching them fight and stumble their way to survival that just hits different. Cregger fills the film with neat nods to the games and plenty of grotesque creatures - one in particular made of pure body horror freaking me out in the way it moved - but he never loses focus on his lead. Even at ninety minutes, it's a long time for one character to hold your attention but, an everyday citizen such as Bryan makes for an enthralling protagonist to experience this version of Raccoon City alongside.
Every decision he makes has a consequence and every new direction he turns in comes face to face with a new horror, Cregger balancing the horror and comedy elements well enough to make this really sizzle, even if he is dangerously close to overdoing it on the latter. This is genuinely like watching someone play one of the games, rather badly at times, yet that's what makes this so captivating. The mistakes would be made in this situation, he isn't a sharpshooting marine that can take down three zombies with one bullet. It really feels as if Cregger is having fun with the dumb decisions in a horror film trope that people always seem to moan about.
The real horror comes from the various monsters that Bryan encounters on his important journey. They come in all shapes and sizes, from young to old, and even includes animals to boot, Bryan squirming and shooting his way through the many hellish scenarios he's faced with. The game series has featured a lot of first person experiences recently, and there's some really cool moments scattered throughout from Bryan's perspective, adding to the intense nature of the experience.
At the centre of it all is Austin Abrams as Bryan, returning to work with Cregger after their success together on Weapons. Abrams delivers one of my favourite performances of the year, full of genuine fear and great comedic timing. The little quips he delivers either before, after or during an encounter is literally me when I play the games so it's great to see that transferred to the film. Trust me, you won't be bored watching as Abrams' performance is utterly compelling.
With Resident Evil, Zach Cregger adds another notch to his fucked up horror filmography. It's stronger than Barbarian but not as good as Weapons, a final act that doesn't live up to the high standard of what came before holding it back from true greatness.
Comments
Post a Comment