Resident Evil is a beloved Capcom property that has taken on a whole new life beyond the titular game series. The most notable deviation from the games is the six-film franchise starring Mila Jovovich as the main protagonist, “Alice”, who was introduced to the world in 2002. I initially began the undertaking of watching all six films in succession as a personal challenge. As someone who has played and enjoyed a handful of the Resident Evil games, I was curious to see if the films would hit that same sweet-spot of claustrophobic survival-horror interspersed with challenging puzzles, and, most importantly, big wet monsters. Unique and grizzly creature design has always been a Capcom trademark, which did carry over to this film series, though not always in ways one would expect.
My initial reaction to this franchise was, admittedly, disappointment. As someone rudimentarily familiar with game lore, I was surprised by how many liberties were taken. It is worth noting that, while the films seemingly take place in the same universe, and often the same location (Raccoon City), lore, characters, and plot deviate greatly from the initial world of Resident Evil that you may be familiar with.
The series also suffers from age. The early 2000’s aren’t known for spectacular CG or captivating performances. That said, after rewatching the first two films in the series, I realized something interesting: I love them. Sure, they deviate wildly from the games. Sure they’re wildly cheesy at times. Sure they feature mediocre performances and poorly aged special effects. Despite all the flaws, of which there are many, the Mila Jovovich Resident Evil series is an iconic, cheesy good time, plain and simple. They’re the ultimate videogame movies.
So let’s rank ‘em!
6. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
This film is largely forgettable. It doesn’t add anything new to the franchise story-wise, and essentially just serves as a steppingstone from the previous chapter to the final iteration. Though the film series and game series are largely unrelated, characters from the games are sometimes sloppily introduced as a throw-away nod to fans of the series. In Retribution, fan-favorite of the games, Leon Kennedy, is introduced, except now he is terrible and we hate him. Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but Retribution’s portrayal of Leon Kennedy is similar to the beloved game character in name alone.
5. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
In truth, this is probably my favorite iteration of the franchise, however, I could not, in good faith, rank it any higher than second worst. It is, objectively, a bad movie. In a poor attempt to appease angry fans after complaints were received regarding the dissimilarities between film and games, another significant game protagonist, Jill Valentine, was introduced. She is inexplicably wearing her inappropriately sexy ‘female game protagonist’ outfit, despite being an active-duty police officer. We are also introduced to one of the main antagonists of the game franchise, a once-human turned horrible creature referred to as “Nemesis.” Nemesis is portrayed by a very obviously uncomfortable actor wearing a ridiculously cumbersome suit, essentially rendering him incapacitated. I find it incredibly delightful. Jared Harris is also inexplicably in this movie despite being astoundingly overqualified to appear in a mediocre film series adaptation of a game franchise he’d likely never heard of prior to being cast. Watch this film immediately, I beg of you all.
4. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Unsurprisingly, Afterlife introduces yet another game protagonist, this time, Chris Redfield. Unlike most of the other casting choices, however, Chris is portrayed surprisingly well. While criminally underutilized, Wentworth Miller makes a fitting, gruff yet competent Redfield. Afterlife, with maybe one exception, feels the most like your average post-apocalyptic zombie film, with some fun and unique extra creatures. Alice and a gang of random survivors, who don’t particularly matter because you’ll never see them again, are forced to fight off waves of monsters in a claustrophobic setting, which feels almost like a return to Resident Evil’s origins. It’s your run of the mill survival horror film, but it’s a great time regardless.
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Especially in a series like this, it’s tough to make the third iteration of a franchise feel fresh. Extinction manages to further the plot while changing up the setting and characters just enough to make it feel new. Alice is largely over-powered throughout the film, with super-human abilities that make fighting hordes of zombie crows feel like a cake walk. Oded Fehr is a charming addition to the cast and plays well alongside Jovovich.
2. Resident Evil (2002)
Why mess with success. The original Resident Evil film delivers an accessible introduction to the series, whether you’re familiar with the games or not. It’s a loud and proud classic, with plenty of 2000’s era zombie makeup, questionable CG, and a motley cast of talent. It’s easy to see why, despite its flaws, this charming film remains relevant in the public zeitgeist to this day.
1. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
I know it may sound wild to claim that the last movie in a franchise is the best one when this is almost ubiquitously never the case. My main reason for doing so is almost purely the stand-alone nature of this film. One of the most valuable resources a film can provide for me, someone with a terrible memory, is a “previously on” segment before anything new begins. While every iteration of this series includes this helpful feature, the segment before The Final Chapter is arguably the cleanest and most concise. This short intro segment gives the watcher all the information they could possibly need, which would make skipping every other film prior to this sixth installment, while still an inarguably strange choice, somewhat justified.
The Final Chapter sees Alice return to Raccoon City to finish what she started. While the RE movie series does not follow the events of the games, this installment feels the most like it could be adapted into a videogame. It has action-survival themes, a large, open-world setting, and features several combat sequences with big baddies. I also have in my notes that this movie is “like the Saw of Resident Evil movies,” and while I don’t even sort of remember what I meant by that, I find it incredibly compelling, and I hope you, dear reader, do too.