A medical courier transporting an organ wants to get home to his girlfriend, but reluctantly takes one more job and finds himself facing monsters in the middle of Raccoon City.
Director Zach Cregger delivers a non-stop ride, creating a dark, foreboding atmosphere while keeping the action moving. The journey through hospitals, the snowy wilderness and city streets has a late-night, "just get home and get out of this situation" hopelessness to it, reminiscent of Silent Hill, After Hours, Night of the Living Dead, 30 Days of Night, Judgement Night and Enemy Territory. The ending, however, after everything we've been through, is ironically irritating and stops it from being almost perfect.
Cregger and co-writer Shay Hatten deliver some great one-liners, reminiscent of the quip humour of Cold Storage (2026), while the excellent cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and the framing give the film a surprisingly big, cinematic feel. From farms to city sewers, and high-rise buildings, Wolski's eye, along with Cregger's staging is impressive. Hays Holladay and Ryan Holladay's music is fitting, adding to the tension without overpowering it.
Austin Abrams is excellent as Bryan, a likeable, ordinary guy who finds himself completely out of his depth. As he picks up different weapons throughout, you genuinely find yourself rooting for him as he encounters offbeat people, infected creatures and children. With limited screen time, Kali Reis is memorable as Maxine, while Paul Walter Hauser is notable as quirky Carl. Zach Cherry, Johnno Wilson and Will Merrick round out the supporting cast.
The special effects are particularly impressive, with plenty of gore and grotesque creatures that give the film the nasty edge you'd expect from Resident Evil. There are also some great POV shots that should appeal to fans of the games, capturing that feeling of moving through an environment where you never quite know what's waiting around the next corner.
It doesn't really feature the familiar characters from the games, but that's part of what makes this feel like a fresh take. Fans of the Milla Jovovich Resident Evil series of films may particularly enjoy the nighttime setting, which echoes Resident Evil: Apocalypse. It's reminiscent of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City in places, only on a much larger budget.
Overall, Cregger's Resident was almost a perfect action horror film. It has the atmosphere, gore, humour, monsters and relentless late-night nightmare journey - until those last few scenes, maybe a cliche ending would have been more satisfying.
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