Why Resident Evil’s Incompetent Hero Makes It the Best Videogame Movie Ever Made

When critics set out to review Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, they were warned not to expect the over-the-top action spectacle that usually defines the franchise. Instead, they found something rarer and more honest: a film that treats its audience like a player treats a controller, and in doing so earns the rare title of the best videogame movie ever made. The film, which dropped in 2021, centres on Bryan, a hapless security guard whose cowardice, panic and spectacular blunders are the entire point. Rather than casting the iconic heroes of the games, Cregger kept the heroes in the games—only this time they are the ones you’d never want to play as.

The reason the film resonates so deeply with its target audience is that Bryan is not a stand-in for the fearless protagonists fans already love. He is not skilled with firearms like Leon, nor does he possess the rock-punching physique of Chris. He is simply a tired dork trying to complete his last shift of the night, and he plays the role of a Resident Evil player thrust into a Resident Evil crisis. His ear-demolishing screams, his silly mistakes and his complete ignorance of firearms—tools he has wielded countless times in videogames—transform what could have been a standard action film into a survival-horror romp worth laughing at.

A Hero Who Fails Like a Player

The film’s most quotable insight is that Bryan’s incompetence is not noteworthy precisely because it mirrors the average player’s reaction to an apocalypse. His mistakes and near misses are not frustrating, because the audience does not think “I could do better”—they empathise. The writer’s own confession cements the point: “I’m not judging you. I’d suck at this too.”

For those who missed the film, the catalogue of Bryan’s dumbest moments reads like a masterclass in player empathy. He lies about having tire chains to make a quick buck, inadvertently putting the world at risk; he keeps glancing at his phone instead of the ice-covered road, leading to his first accident; he shoots at a t-Virus victim and instead hits his own vehicle, stranding himself in a field; he drops a ladder he needs five seconds later; he taunts an aggressive dog that turns out to be a mutant; and he wastes shotgun ammo on a padlock long after realising it can withstand a blast. The list goes on—ramming a gate into a stolen vehicle, picking up a mutated child, and firing at the ground beside his feet instead of the gestalt mutant he is meant to kill.

Why the Comedy Had to Be Toned Down

According to the review, Cregger initially leaned into the comedy, but test audiences found the film too funny. He was forced to dial it back, yet the result still left audiences in stitches. The secret, the writer argues, is that Resident Evil is fundamentally a pure horror movie rather than a comedy-horror romp. The humour emerges organically from the situations Bryan finds himself in and the way he keeps fucking up, making it a gas without ever tipping into farce.

“Damn, Bryan, you are bad at this.”

Review of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil

That honesty is what separates the film from a 1:1 recreation of Resident Evil 2. Even though it features none of the familiar faces and takes plenty of liberties, the film ends up feeling more authentic than a movie aiming to replicate a specific game. It asks not just “how would a Resident Evil player handle a real t-Virus outbreak?” but also “what is the actual experience of playing the games?” and answers it with remarkable skill.

Looking Ahead

The film’s early act is widely regarded as its strongest, before Bryan begins his transformation into a badass. He survives a collapsing lift, weaponises an acid-spewing mutant, deftly crosses a vertigo-inducing chasm, and ultimately spends his final bullet in the coolest way possible, becoming an absolute boss. That shift, the writer admits, cost the film some viewers who did not want to see their incompetent hero become a hero.

For those still on the fence, the message is clear: even if you do not care about Resident Evil, the film is still going to be a hoot. It is a great horror movie that happens to be the most authentic videogame movie ever made—because, as the writer puts it, it is simply what it is like to play Resident Evil. At least, if you’re me.