Film

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Name: Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Genre: Action, Horror, Science Fiction
Released: 2021
Cast: Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper, Avan Jogia

A survival-horror action film that treats the Resident Evil games as source material rather than plot scripture. It's genuinely interested in atmosphere and character over spectacle, following a small group trying to survive a zombie outbreak in a decaying Midwestern town. Uneven but refreshingly sincere about its horror roots, made for people who want dread alongside their gunfire.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy stacking up a familiar franchise's references and set pieces, and want a loud, gory B-movie that takes its B-movie-ness seriously enough to be fun.

Skip it if you want the games' characters given room to breathe, since the ensemble is sketched fast and the plot hurries from one corridor set piece to the next.

What it asks of you: Brisk, with little patience for setup; at one hour and forty-seven minutes it keeps you moving, so give it your eyes for the jumps and gunfire.

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

If you liked this

Night of the Living Dead1968

Romero's original zombie film has the same DNA: ordinary people barricaded against an overwhelming threat, paranoia within the group, and horror that emerges from societal collapse as much as monsters. The blueprint is perfect.

But It's in black and white and moves at a deliberate pace; the tension is psychological, not adrenaline-fueled. Patience required.

28 Days Later2002

Modern infected-outbreak film that nails the balance between claustrophobic dread and visceral action. Rage-zombies feel fresher than shambling undead, and the atmosphere of a depopulated England is suffocating in the best way.

But The final act pivots toward military thriller territory and loses some momentum. Some will find it unsatisfying.

The Descent2005

Claustrophobic horror in an underground cave system with creatures, teamwork breakdown, and a refusal to explain anything. It prioritises character and atmosphere while delivering genuine scares. Smart and visceral.

But Relentless in its bleakness and gore. The ending is particularly dark. Not a film that wants to comfort you.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Outpost2008

Both films treat zombies as corporate/military creations rather than supernatural threats, grounding horror in institutional failure and the cost of unchecked research.

A squad of mercenaries discovers Nazi super-soldiers in an abandoned Eastern European facility. It's low-budget but brutal, treating zombie-like creatures as a side effect of body horror and military experimentation. Unsettling and smart about what it means to weaponize the undead.

But Grim and unrelenting with minimal plot. The video-game narrative structure feels bare-bones, and there's no emotional payoff, only survival and dread.

Annihilation2018

A team enters a mysterious zone where nature has mutated into beautiful, terrifying forms. Like Resident Evil, it's genre sci-fi that trusts you to piece together themes of corporate corruption and body horror without exposition dumps.

But Deliberately vague and abstract. If you need answers spelled out, the ending will frustrate you rather than intrigue you.

A Quiet Place2018

Minimal dialogue, maximum tension. A family surviving in a post-invasion world where sound equals death. Krasinski directs with real control, and the central premise generates endless creative scares.

But The premise, while clever, gets repetitive by the midpoint. The second half leans harder on plot mechanics than atmosphere.

Evil Dead2013

A remake that respects the originals while forging its own path. Grotesque practical effects, genuine scares, and a willingness to let the visuals do the work. It's gorily inventive without winking at the camera.

But Extremely graphic. Not for anyone squeamish about body horror. It loves the gore more than the story.

The Invisible Man2020

Leigh Whannell's reimagining transforms a classic monster into a vehicle for paranoia and control. Clever sound design and cinematography create constant dread. Genre filmmaking with real intelligence.

But The social commentary lands heavy-handedly at times. Some will find the messaging more interesting than the scares themselves.

Predator1987

A diverse team in hostile territory slowly realizing something is hunting them. The tension mounts steadily, the action is clean and exciting, and the creature design is iconic. Pure Hollywood craft.

But The gender politics are dated, and once the action starts, the horror recedes. It's more action thriller than genuine scare.

Pontypool2009

Both deconstruct zombie mythology by making the outbreak a symptom of something larger—here, infection through language rather than a virus, but equally about systems breaking down and individuals caught helpless.

A zombie outbreak narrated entirely through radio reports and phone calls. Mostly one location, one voice, maximum paranoia. It proves that the infected don't need to be on screen to be terrifying, and language itself becomes weaponized.

But Nearly dialogue-only with a deliberately claustrophobic perspective. No action sequences. If you need to see the horror to believe it, this will frustrate you.

The Platform2019

Like Resident Evil, it's genre filmmaking obsessed with what happens when a system collapses and survival becomes the only logic; both examine how desperation strips away civilization and reveals what we're willing to do.

A Spanish sci-fi horror film set in a vertical prison where food descends level by level. Darkly absurdist and viscerally grotesque, it uses horror and body horror to critique hierarchy and complicity. Formally inventive and morally furious.

But Bleak, graphic, and punishingly nihilistic. It doesn't offer comfort or closure, and the allegory is explicit rather than subtle. Some will find it heavy-handed.