I have never seen a Resident Evil movie and only played the game briefly as a child. Therefore, I am very unfamiliar with the franchise. However, I am becoming a Zach Cregger fan, so I had some expectations for this version of Resident Evil.
Therefore, some things became predictable. Not in a bad way, but as a start to understand the tone and the direction, so you can see what’s to come way. Additionally, it often felt like playing the game. This also helped me understand where things could end up. This is how I was able to predict the ending, but still feel the pain of it.
Warning: Resident Evil spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
I Hate Horror Movies Where The Lead Fights So Hard To Survive And Still Dies, So Resident Evil Frustrated Me
The best final girls don’t die. That is a philosophy that keeps me going in the darkest of times. Even in horror films, there must be hope. The main character survives. Therefore, it’s always a bit soul-crushing when the main character dies. It’s even worse when they fight extremely hard to survive and still fail. I knew Bryan (Austin Abrams) was going to die because there is something so comedic about the possibility of someone going through hell and back and still ending up in hell.
It’s a very funny final sequence, but it still hurts. I needed Bryan to survive, even if it was just to watch the world burn. Resident Evil is painfully relatable because sometimes you can fight extremely hard and still lose. Sometimes the monsters take over. It’s reality, but I wanted hope.
However, The Comedy Helps Ease The Pain Of Bryan's Death
I would classify Resident Evil as a horror comedy. It may be one of the best modern ones. It’s very funny at times, which makes even the tragic ending easier to swallow. Bryan gets so close to surviving and to the antidote, but ultimately it just doesn’t work out.
I laughed the entire final sequence, but I still cried deep inside. After Resident Evil ends, the laughs stop, and you just have to sit there knowing that everyone will die. It’s a fun ending if you don’t think about the implications of Bryan and all those other deaths.
Being Familiar With Zach Cregger's Work, I Knew Bryan Was A Goner Early In The Movie, Which Helped And Hurt The Ending
Barbarian is one of my favorite recent horror films. Resident Evil felt more in that realm than Weapons. Weapons is a lot more serious and straight horror than Barbarian, which is a little more playful. This humorous tone sets viewers up to not get too attached to characters. Anyone can die at any moment.
I had a feeling that Bryan would die when he got bitten and maybe even before that moment. Movie heroes often face a life-or-death situation and manage to live. I knew Bryan wouldn’t be one of the lucky ones. Expecting his death made it easier for me to not be too heartbroken when he lived up to my expectations and died.
This also made it easier to laugh at it. However, my expectations for Bryan’s death took away some of the shock value of it. I appreciated that because I like to be prepared for a character’s death, but I know some viewers may have wanted the surprise. Bryan represents the typical gamer, so that unfortunately meant he had to die to experience the game fully.
