Zach Cregger’s films have never shied away from bewildering moments, but “Resident Evil” may be his most puzzling yet — particularly for viewers unfamiliar with the franchise’s sprawling mythology. Watch Looper’s video above for an explanation of the movie’s strangest scenes and the ideas behind them.
Cregger’s inventive adaptation of the classic survival-horror video game series has barely begun its theatrical run, yet it is already making a major impact. “Resident Evil” has delivered a powerful box-office performance and earned widespread critical praise. Looper’s Alistair Ryder described the film in his review as a bloody, chaotic good time, while its 95% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes suggests many critics agree. The result is an ambitious piece of horror filmmaking — though its unusual story and deep mythology may leave newcomers to Raccoon City searching for answers.
Resident Evil tells you what its protagonist knows, which is not a lot
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“Resident Evil” is told through the perspective of Bryan (Austin Abrams), an ordinary man who finds himself in an extraordinary nightmare. From the opening moments, the film establishes that Bryan is almost the complete opposite of Alice (Milla Jovovich), the highly prepared hero of previous “Resident Evil” movies. In fact, he appears even less equipped than the average person to confront the series’ mutated monsters.
Since the story remains closely tied to Bryan’s experience, the audience learns about the unfolding crisis only as he does. Bryan is usually too occupied with surviving — or reacting in stunned horror to Raccoon City’s bizarre threats — to understand the larger forces at work. That limited perspective keeps both him and the viewer deliberately in the dark.
The approach allows Zach Cregger to capture the frantic, unpredictable survival-horror atmosphere that defines the “Resident Evil” games. At the same time, it leaves plenty of mysteries unresolved. Looper’s video above breaks down the film’s most confusing moments and helps explain what they mean.
“Resident Evil” is now playing in theaters.