Resident Evil Review

The world probably doesn't need another "Resident Evil" film reboot, but at least this time they got the plotting right. Director Zach Cregger (who also wrote the script with Shay Hatten) doesn't bother adapting any of the video games, instead focusing on a simple "what if." Considering the franchise's plot is so outrageously wack, even to its biggest fans, that's probably for the best.

The story follows Bryan, an unambitious medical courier who takes a last-minute job. It pays double because of how far away he has to go- he has to go all the way to Racoon City. He wants the money, even if it means he'll be home late, where his pregnant girlfriend wants "to talk" about what to do with the baby. I imagine he hopes if he's out long enough she'll fall asleep and they can just talk tomorrow; Bryan is not the kind of guy who thinks that far ahead.

In his illequipped Subaru, Bryan struggles to keep a good pace on the icy roads, his girlfriend mad that he is still not home and has bad reception. If you're wondering just what the heck this has to do with "Resident Evil," don't worry, because the filmmakers are wisely getting the setup out of the way so they can highlight the mayhem to come. He accidentally runs over a woman who stumbled into the street, and as it turns out, our poor protagonist does not exactly handle emergencies well. And that's putting it mildly.

He finds her off on the side of the road, bleeding and paralyzed. He figures he'll drop her off at the hospital since that's his destination, ultimately, especially since he can't get ahold of the police. What luck then, it is that one pulls him over for swerving recklessly. The cop's radio is down as well, so he takes the girl and escorts him to the hospital. Or so that's the plan.

Things do not go as planned. In fact, they almost immediately hit the fan. Soon after some more plot, Bryan's attacked by the woman, a dog with a surprise its own, then another person, who end up combining with the other into a grotesque, somersaulting mass of fleshy disgust. It chases him through a tunnel and into the mammal-inspired town, getting bit himself in the process. I wouldn't worry, I'm sure it's just a flesh wound.

Things just keep growing more and more out-of-hand once Bryan enters the city, too. Attacking rats, zombies jumping off of rooftops, even evil babies! The man just can't catch a break. And it's in this narrative simplicity that "Resident Evil" succeeds. Expected scenes filled with flat characters and forced dialog are replaced by dark corners, dimly lit sewers and pulsating blobs of bloody bodies. Dariusz Wolski's cinematography is a gift, and Cregger exploits it to its fullest effect.

Bryan is played by Austin Abrams, who gives a wonderfully interesting and askew performance. He's cowardly, insecure and awkward, lacking tact and force in pretty much every of the many situations he stumbles headfirst into. It's fun to watch someone constantly and consistently be in over their head; he never develops the confidence lesser scripts often suddenly give their heroes, and Abrams is charming in his own, offbeat way that the sometimes imbecilic decisions he makes don't distract.

It's not perfect, however. The men behind the camera wanted to finish with an unexpected, somber twist, but it disrespects the relationship I built up with Bryan through his journey through literal hell. He deserves better, and so do audiences.