Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil film succeeds by capturing the panic, mistakes and accidental bravery of actually playing a horror game, rather than presenting gaming as a straightforward power fantasy. It follows Bryan, an ordinary medical courier caught in Raccoon City’s T-virus outbreak, through a fast-moving series of familiar locations, enemies and set-pieces. The review argues that the film’s playful understanding of Resident Evil’s campy tone makes it an unusually entertaining video-game adaptation.

The film is structured much like a game, moving from exploration and ammunition-hunting to enemy encounters, set-pieces and boss fights, largely in real time. Austin Abrams is praised for making Bryan likeable as he nervously swears, panics and blunders forwards, while Cregger balances genuine tension with slapstick and gross-out comedy. Although the plot is deliberately thin, the review says the film’s horror-comedy rhythm, running jokes and strong central performance give it energy, with comparisons to Sam Raimi’s work.