Fans of Zach Cregger’s upcoming Resident Evil film are sharply divided over its divisive ending, with many arguing that the movie’s tragic conclusion undermined an otherwise gripping survival horror story. The film, which follows medical courier Bryan Hodukavich as he transports a chemical agent through Raccoon City before succumbing to the very virus he was trying to cure, premiered recently and has since ignited fierce debate across social media platforms.
The controversy centers on how the narrative resolves after Bryan is bitten by an infected girl during his delivery. Rather than achieving his goal of delivering a vaccine, Bryan transforms into a Nemesis-like creature that turns on the very scientists who could have saved him, ultimately dropping the syringe 28 stories to the ground in a final act of tragic irony.
A Bold Departure From Game Adaptations
Cregger made the deliberate choice to avoid directly adapting any pre-existing games in the Resident Evil series. Instead, his film follows an ordinary man tasked with transporting a sensitive package to Raccoon City General Hospital. Along the way, Bryan confronts several mutated monstrosities before discovering that his cargo contains a chemical agent necessary for creating a vaccine against the virus unleashed by unwitting Umbrella scientists.
The story takes its darkest turn when Bryan gets bitten and ultimately succumbs to the virus. During the ensuing massacre, his consciousness remains mostly intact as he desperately tries to reach the syringe, but his mutation takes over, killing the only people capable of helping him. This tragic arc has left many viewers feeling that all of Bryan’s suffering yielded no meaningful payoff.
Fans React to the Abrupt Conclusion
The film’s ending has drawn criticism from fans who felt it undermined an otherwise gripping survival horror story. Many argued that Bryan went through immense hardship only for his efforts to end in failure, while others expressed frustration with how the Umbrella scientists were portrayed as incompetent.
“Bro I hate it so much, the first half was some of the most effective horror I’ve ever seen and I literally wouldn’t have complained if they went with the obvious ending, but they made it ridiculous for some reason and took away from the rest of the movie unfortunately.”
Social Media Viewer
Other critics described the conclusion as rushed and awkward. One viewer noted on X that while they loved everything leading up to the finale, the ending “slipped on a banana peel,” describing it as both abrupt and forced. Another fan argued that the filmmakers had “one job” but chose to build toward what they perceived as an unnecessarily sad resolution.
Defenders See Bryan as a Narrative Device
Others have pushed back against the criticism, arguing that Bryan was never meant to be a traditional hero. Supporters point out that his emotional voice note for his girlfriend Michelle reads like worldbuilding detail that a player character would discover during exploration. In their view, once Bryan was bitten early in the film, his survival was never realistic given the circumstances.
“Bryan wasn’t really the hero of the story. He was basically the guy whose whole night showed us how the next Resident Evil monster was created.”
Social Media Viewer
Defenders also note that very few characters walk away from Resident Evil events untouched, even those who survive are often scarred in other ways. Some viewers suggested most people expected protagonists like Leon or Claire to appear, but instead got a courier whose body becomes the next bio-organic weapon (BOW).
The Director and Cast Embrace the Risk
Cregger’s bold ending even stunned lead actor Austin Abrams, who described it as “crazy and shocking” when he first read the script. Abrams praised the decision to kill off a character audiences care about without softening the blow.
“With a lot of movies nowadays, they’re a little too afraid to do something like that — to kill off a character you really like. And if they do, the blow is softened in some way so it doesn’t hurt too much. Whereas a lot of older films don’t do that; they just rip your heart out. We’re here to feel, man. We’re here to go through something.”
Austin Abrams, Lead Actor
Cregger revealed that the ending audiences saw wasn’t actually the original conclusion to the story. The director admitted he had filmed an alternate sequence as a “contingency plan” in case his first choice didn’t land as intended.
Looking Ahead
The film has received generally positive reviews from critics, with IGN awarding it eight out of ten and reviewer Tom Jorgensen calling it “a simple and exciting survival horror story that benefits greatly from director Zach Cregger’s sensibilities.” As discussion continues to build online, the debate over whether the ending succeeded or fell short remains unresolved among fans.
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