Film

Resident Evil: Afterlife

A stylish action-horror sequel where Milla Jovovich's Alice fights through zombie hordes and corporate conspirators in a virus-ravaged world. Resident Evil: Afterlife trades character for kinetic spectacle—3D slow-motion gunfights, elaborate set pieces, and a plot that exists mainly to move Alice between locations. It's a B-movie with a blockbuster budget, aimed at genre fans who want visceral thrills over narrative coherence.

TMDb rating3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a glossy, kinetic zombie action film where slow-motion gunfights and bombastic set pieces matter more than character depth, and you enjoy the video-game swagger of the series.

Skip it if the plot is a thin thread between set pieces, and if you want real dread or a story that stands alone, it will feel hollow.

What it asks of you: Expect a brisk, loud ride of roughly ninety-seven minutes that rarely pauses, so you give it attention in bursts rather than settling into quiet, slow-burn scenes.

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

If you liked this

Underworld: Evolution2006

Kate Beckinsale in a leather catsuit, vampire-versus-werewolf action, and the same commitment to style-over-substance that makes Resident Evil work. Slick, fun, and fully aware of what it is.

But The plot is thin and the mythology can feel needlessly complicated. Some dialogue will make you cringe.

Underworld: Evolution poster

The Fifth Element1997

Luc Besson's maximalist action cinema—operatic, visually inventive, and unapologetically fun. Milla Jovovich's earlier career highlight shows what she can do with better material while maintaining that same kinetic energy.

But The pacing is relentless and the plot threads tangle. It requires you to surrender to its aesthetic rather than follow logic.

The Fifth Element poster

Doom2005

Another video-game adaptation that embraces its source's B-movie DNA. Karl Urban delivers charisma, the action sequences are inventive, and it never pretends to be anything it isn't.

But The script is forgettable and the middle sags. Some CGI has aged poorly, which will pull you out of the moment.

Doom poster

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Annihilation2018

Both feature a woman moving through a hostile environment created by corporate/governmental catastrophe, but Annihilation asks what it costs to survive while Afterlife asks whether you can look cool doing it.

A sci-fi horror film where the true terror is existential rather than visceral. Natalie Portman explores a mysterious zone where nature itself has become hostile and reality warps. Haunting, visually gorgeous, and thematically rich—Alice's world told by a serious director.

But It's meditative and philosophical where Afterlife is bombastic. The ending frustrates viewers who need clear answers, and the pacing is deliberately slow.

Annihilation poster
More like this (8)

John Wick2014

Keanu Reeves in a balletic action film where every shot is composed with obsessive care. The killing is artistic without being bloated, and the whole thing moves like a machine.

But The story is deceptively simple—a man seeks revenge. If you need plot complexity, you'll feel cheated by its straightforwardness.

John Wick poster

Mad Max: Fury Road2015

Two hours of pure kinetic storytelling. George Miller's action sequences are narrative in themselves—you understand the world and stakes through motion. Visually stunning and narratively economical.

But Dialogue is sparse and the characterization is minimal. If you need quietness or introspection, this will exhaust you.

Mad Max: Fury Road poster

Dredd2012

A lean, efficient action film set in a vertical dystopia. Karl Urban growls from inside a helmet, the story is simple, and the violence is committed without apology. Sci-fi action that knows its lane.

But The plot doesn't develop much beyond 'go up building, shoot things.' The confined setting may feel repetitive.

Dredd poster

Colombiana2011

Zoe Saldana as a trained assassin exacting revenge. Sleek action sequences, exotic locations, and a woman as the core of the narrative rather than the support.

But The emotional beats don't land as hard as the action sequences. Character development takes a backseat to spectacle.

Colombiana poster

Æon Flux2005

Charlize Theron in a dystopian action film with a visual style born from the MTV animated series. It's weird, it's committed to its own aesthetic, and it has genuine personality.

But The plot is confusing and the dialogue explains too much. It prioritizes cool over coherence in ways that frustrate rather than charm.

Æon Flux poster

Ultraviolet2006

Milla Jovovich again, in Kurt Wimmer's maximalist fever dream. It's visually baroque, committed to its own logic, and features some inventive action sequences.

But It's aggressively style-over-substance and the editing can be disorienting. The plot barely exists and some will find it exhausting rather than entertaining.

Ultraviolet poster

Elysium2013

Both are post-apocalyptic action films, but Elysium uses action as argument while Afterlife uses it as choreography. Same DNA, different ideology.

Matt Damon in a near-future action film where the world-building is visceral and earned. Director Neill Blomkamp uses action to explore class warfare and desperation. The sequences are brutal and purposeful, never just decorative.

But The villains are one-dimensional and the emotional moments can feel heavy-handed. Some will find the social commentary overwrought.

Elysium poster

High and Low1963

Both are fundamentally about someone with power fighting to survive against impossible odds, but High and Low finds its tension in stillness and consequence while Afterlife finds it in motion and scale.

Kurosawa's tense crime thriller about a wealthy businessman whose chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake. Brilliant suspense, stunning black-and-white cinematography, and action sequences that prove violence doesn't require CGI or speed ramping to be thrilling.

But It's in Japanese with subtitles and moves at a deliberate pace. The first half is mostly dialogue and negotiation. It demands patience and attention rather than offering spectacle.

High and Low poster

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Recommended by

Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter