Video-game movies have spent three decades adapting everything except the part that matters: the game. Zach Cregger, the director behind Barbarian, wants to fix that with his new Resident Evil, and his approach is simpler than it sounds. Drop the characters, drop most of the plot, and build the movie around what it actually feels like to play. Scavenging ammo, upgrading a weapon piece by piece, hearing a noise and choosing to sneak instead of shoot.
The lead isn’t Leon Kennedy or anyone else from the games. It’s Bryan, a scrawny medical courier played by Austin Abrams, who takes a last-minute delivery to Raccoon City just as a bioengineered virus escapes Umbrella’s labs. Cregger says the story runs alongside the events of the second game, which means the timeline fans know is still humming in the background while Bryan tries not to die.
The twist is the tone. Because being inside a game is scarier than playing one, Cregger plays Bryan’s terror for laughs instead of giving him a classic hero arc. Easter eggs for the fans, gore for everyone, and a director who won an Oscar going full goofball. So what do you think: should more game adaptations ditch the iconic characters and chase the experience instead?
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.