When it comes to video game-to-screen adaptations, no other movie universe holds a candle resident evil. Since 2002, the franchise has spawned seven live-action movies starring Milla Jovovich as the zombie-killing, multi-weapon-wielding, close-combat femme fatale Alice. Created by Paul W. S. Anderson, resident evil has become the most successful and longest-running franchise in its genre.
To keep this promising universe alive, the latest installment in the series, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, veers sharply to the left with an all-new cast and director. With characters and themes rooted in the original video game, fans get to see more of Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and the dynamic brother duo of Chris and Claire Redfield.
As for the OG resident evil movies, each bringing something to the table for a loyal audience.
Updated by Mona Bassil on April 26, 2023.
7 Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
The first live-action episode without Milla Jovovich as Alice, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is written and directed by Johannes Roberts and released in 2021. Set in 1998, the plot revolves around a group who dodge and kill zombies in the titular city. Nothing strikingly exceptional here, not to mention that Jovovich’s battle scenes and charisma were clearly missed. It’s no wonder this particular chapter received mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike.
Ferdosa Abdi from ScreenRant, for example, recognized it as a “fun and faithful adaptation of the games”, but criticized its lack of “character substance”. The film stars Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Robbie Amell as Chris, Tom Hopper (Luther in The Umbrella Academy) as Albert Wesker, Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, and Avan Jogia as Leon Kennedy.
6 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
While Resident Evil: The Final Chapter tying up a lot of loose ends, the discovery that Alice has been a clone all along isn’t exactly the sort of conclusion fans have long wanted to see. From a narrative point of view, it makes little sense, given the third part Resident Evil: Extinction had a failed plot involving the Alice clones. The film also resurrected cloned versions of other characters, including the supervillain Dr. Isaacs. This time he’s a religious fanatic who thinks he’s the original. It’s a very bizarre approach that has left many long-invested fans very disappointed.
5 Resident Evil: Afterlife
Set exactly one year after the Extinction, Resident Evil: Afterlife brings back a pivotal character, Claire Redfield. While she’s a welcome sight for video game fans, perhaps the most exciting element is the introduction of other interesting people, such as Luther West and Claire’s estranged brother, Chris.
The images and special effects in Hereafter were amazing, but the characters’ goal of reaching Arcadia was too good to be true. Without Dr. Isaacs as the main villain, Albert Wesker had to step up his game by infecting himself with the T-virus. His one-time encounter with Alice was a bit anticlimactic, and the happy ending, which consisted of freeing all of his captives, seemed a bit off for the genre.
4 Resident Evil: Retaliation
The fifth installment in the franchise was unlike any other. With more of a video game set up with different difficulty levels, Resident Evil: Retaliation gave fans more zombies and blood-curdling scenes. It also brought back many beloved characters – like Rain, Carlos and Jill – but this time they were far from allies.
The introduction of Ada Wong (Li Bingbing) as an agent for the villainous Wesker was a bit confusing, and Leon Kennedy was severely underrepresented in the film. Another problem with the plot was the inclusion of a child, Becky. While technically a clone, this little girl brought out unexpected maternal instincts in Alice as she tried to save her. While a heartwarming angle, this storyline seemed out of place in the overall arc of Alice’s story.
3 Resident Evil: Apocalypse
although Resident Evil: Apocalpyse getting a bad reputation among video game fans, it’s not as bad as some viewers think. As the second film in the franchise, Alice was still in the early stages of learning about her abilities and power during this stage of her life. This is also the movie that introduces main characters like Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira.
A bigger budget allows Alice to use her skills against much stronger mutants. Fighting her way through hordes of Lickers’ zombies and tag teams, she eventually makes her way into a one-on-one battle against Nemesis. The climax here is arguably one of the best in the entire series, as Alice discovers that Nemesis is actually none other than her old friend and ally – Matt.
2 Resident Evil: Extinction
With zombie crows and several new characters, Resident Evil: Extinction is very high on the list because of its ready-made elements. Set in a desert setting, which is unusual in this franchise, it takes fans outside of the claustrophobic Hive and through an open space.
This is also where the video game fans finally meet Claire Redfield, who later appears several times in other movies.
Alice exercises her newly discovered power of telekinesis and is on a mission – which she completes – to take Dr. to kill Isaacs. Along the way, she finds out about cloning and starts using her own clones to take down the Umbrella Corporation one by one.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded story that perfectly shapes the next film in the series.
1 resident evil
No other installment in the franchise can top the original resident evil. It is set in the Hive, the headquarters of the Umbrella Corporation, where the contagious outbreak begins. Like a true action horror film, the film introduced audiences to bioweapons and genetic experimentation on a level never seen before.
It also played on scare tactics that were both physical and psychological, such as the scene where a woman is decapitated within the first few minutes in the elevator. This is a gruesomely filmed death that has since been recreated multiple times in other high-profile horror movies, such as Final destination 2. In addition, viewers had no idea what to expect at the end of the film. This allowed the plot to unfold in a more exciting way and excited fans craved for more.
So, what’s next for the franchise? Another computer-animated episode, Resident Evil: Island of Death will be released in July 2023. Watch the trailer:
Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi and distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, it is set in 2015 between San Francisco and Alcatraz Island and features the voices of Kevin Dorman as Chris Redfield, Matthew Mercer as Leon S. Kennedy, Nicole Tompkins as Jill Valentine, Erin Cahill as Rebecca Chambers and Stephanie Panisello as Claire Redfield.
Will there be another live-action movie The last chapter right in the near future? As for Jovovich herself, she told Comic book in a 2020 interview, “I was such a big fan of the game. That’s why I wanted to be in the movie to begin with. So I’d always like to go back to the resident evil universe. I think it’s such a fun place to be, and it’s such a great reality. I spent half my career in that world. I’d love to be a part of it again. I know everyone who does it will have a great time because it’s a really fun world to be a part of.”
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but given the continued success of survivalist zombie series and movies, producers could be tempted to capitalize on an additional title.