Film

Resident Evil

Name: Resident Evil
Genre: Horror, Action, Science Fiction
Released: 2002
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, Martin Crewes

Other titles called Resident Evil: the 2022 series (Netflix), the 2026 film.

Paul W.S. Anderson's video-game adaptation finds a crack team of commandos descending into an underground facility to face off against zombies, mutant dogs, and a sadistic AI. It's slick, silly, and absolutely committed to delivering set-piece thrills. If you want smart action you'll be disappointed, but if you want a movie that knows exactly what it is and executes with confidence, this scratches that itch.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy stylish, pulpy genre pictures where slick visuals, video-game energy and a bit of gleeful gore matter more than character depth, especially if you grew up on that late-nineties arcade horror mood.

Skip it if you want a tense, slow-burn scare or a story with real emotional weight, since this one leans on flashy set pieces, brisk pacing and a fairly thin cast of characters.

What it asks of you: It runs about a hundred minutes and keeps moving, so you can settle in without much setup, though you should be ready to accept a lot of style over substance.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Matrix1999

Another genre blend that takes itself seriously enough to earn the spectacle. Sleek action, conceptual ambition, and a heroine who holds the film together with sheer physical presence. The DNA is there.

But It's now two decades old and the sequels have muddied the legacy. Some of the wire-work hasn't aged as kindly as we'd like.

Aliens1986

The template for commandos-versus-creatures action. Cameron's film has the same momentum and visual clarity, the same willingness to pit ordinary soldiers against something overwhelming. You get genuine tension alongside the thrills.

But It's longer, slower, and demands patience during stretches of exposition. Resident Evil is the TikTok version.

Underworld2003

A fellow genre picture that commits hard to its premise. Vampires and werewolves, sleek black leather, and a female lead who doesn't quit. It has the same unabashed fun with ridiculous plot machinery and visual excess.

But The mythology gets tangled fast, and the sequels only make it worse. Watching this one cold is the best experience.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Resident Evil

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Annihilation2018

Both films build environments that are beautiful and terrifying simultaneously. Both understand that the real horror isn't the creatures—it's realizing the world itself is hostile.

A team enters an impossible environment where the rules of reality shift. Like Resident Evil, it's about competent people discovering that preparation means nothing when the threat is truly alien. Visually gorgeous and philosophically unsettling.

But It's a slow-burn sci-fi film, not an action movie. If you want spectacle without thinking, this will frustrate you. The ending divides viewers sharply.

Doom2005

Another video-game adaptation with identical DNA: commandos, secret facility, demonic outbreak, Karl Urban bringing gravitas to nonsense. It wears its B-movie heart proudly and doesn't apologize.

But The third act becomes a video-game escort mission in real life, which sounds fun until it isn't. The script runs out of steam.

Event Horizon1997

A crew descends into a nightmare scenario. Like Resident Evil, it's not interested in scares as much as atmosphere and spectacle—the visual design is genuinely unsettling and the film commits to its own weirdness.

But It's much darker and more genuinely disturbing. If you came for fun action, this will pivot into existential dread.

Resident Evil: Afterlife2010

If you like the first one, the later sequels escalate the absurdity. This one in particular embraces pure action-movie logic and stops pretending realism matters. It's junk, but enthusiastic junk.

But The further sequels become increasingly unwatchable. Afterlife is the last gasp before they tip into incoherence. Also, 3D gimmicks.

Soldier1998

Kurt Russell and action that doesn't overthink itself. It's a lean, efficient military-SF film that understands momentum. Similar aesthetic, similar commitment to moving the plot forward fast.

But It's lean to the point of being thin. Some viewers will find it hollow without the zombie window dressing Resident Evil provides.

The Mummy1999

Brendan Fraser and action-adventure that understands tone. It balances horror elements with genuine fun, which is what Resident Evil is attempting. The filmmaking is smarter, but the spirit is the same.

But It's far more charming and funny, which makes Resident Evil look grim and joyless by comparison. Different pleasures entirely.

Van Helsing2004

Another Stephen Sommers action-monster spectacle with creature design you'll either love or tolerate. It has the same aesthetic maximalism and genre-mashup enthusiasm as Resident Evil.

But It's bloated and tries too hard to be everything. The CGI shows its age badly, and the tonal whiplash is real.

The Andromeda Strain1971

Both are about humans trapped in a sealed facility with something that shouldn't exist. One is about panic and gunfire; one is about protocol and dread. Opposite approaches to the same scenario.

Wise, taut, and utterly grounded. A quarantine scenario where the threat is invisible and scientists scramble against time. The film trusts your intelligence and delivers genuine tension without a jump scare in sight.

But It's methodical and slow by design. There's no action, no heroics, no Milla Jovovich kicking things. It's about procedure, and procedure is boring to many viewers.

Dredd2012

Both are about a professional team moving through a single vertical space, room by room, getting picked off. Both understand that repetition with slight variation creates momentum. Dredd is just executing the formula with more precision.

A film that understands how to make an enclosed action movie sing. Three acts, one building, relentless forward momentum, and a heroine discovering her own capability. The visual language is more sophisticated but the DNA is identical.

But The violence is graphic and the world is bleak. It's also Australian and minor enough that many people missed it. Not a Hollywood comfort film.