When Paul W.S. Anderson’s now iconic Resident Evil movies first appeared on the scene back in 2002, the trash action movies drew thousands of fans into the Resident Evil video game fold. Fans of the game series may have found an endless number of things to complain about in the blockbuster sextet, but Anderson’s films have become a part of the cultural zeitgeist nonetheless. His outlandish action flicks have garnered a cult following over the years for their over-the-top action sequences — and the propensity for Milla Jovovich to appear mostly nude in every entry — despite their near-universal dislike by video game fans. With so many titles in the series and a plethora of other Resident Evil films on the market, it can be difficult to know exactly which movies fit into the series and where.
Resident Evil (2002)
The first live-action Resident Evil movie ever made (excluding the live-action cutscenes included in the first game) was released on the heels of the original Resident Evil video game’s success. Milla Jovovich stars as Alice, an amnesic security operative for the Umbrella Company. After her team is sent into the Hive, an underground genetic research facility, they are beset by a zombie scourge as they attempt to uncover the mystery of Alice’s past and escape their underground death trap.
The film garnered mostly negative reviews from critics upon its release, but over the years, its over-the-top action and stilted video game dialogue pushed it to cult classic status.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Picking up where the first film left off, Apocalypse truly jumps the shark. Alice is back, but this time, she’s accosted by the zombie-infested Raccoon City. Joined by S.T.A.R.S operatives, Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), Alice must race against the clock to extract Sherry Birkin and ensure her new allies’ survival. Playing fast and loose with the source material, Apocalypse has some over-the-top action sequences and far too predictable story “twists.”
Paul W.S. Anderson provided the script for the follow-up film but was too busy to direct this “masterpiece.” The lowest-rated Resident Evil entry, this “utterly meaningless waste of time” is an absolute banger that falls into the “so bad it’s good” category of terrible.
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Combining Mad Max with zombies, Extinction is the first of the Resident Evil movies to decide it’s essentially done with the source material, but by doing so, it transcends into greatness. Alice and her group of survivors — which includes Carlos Olivera, but Jill is replaced by Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) — are trying to make their way to a safe zone in Alaska, and the only way to do this is through the Mojave Desert, more than 40,000 square miles of nothingness. The movie has no shortage of crazy action sequences and relies so heavily on zombie tropes that you can guess the plot a mile away.
Regardless of its predictable tendencies, Extinction is a wild and ridiculous ride. Did we mention that the plot heavily revolves around cloning, telekinesis, and super zombies? We have to give Anderson some credit here and note that the two worst installments of this series have nothing to do with him.
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Afterlife is one of the more ridiculous movies in this series, and when talking about Resident Evil, that’s a pretty high bar. It has one of the most ludicrous opening sequences of all time, with Alice and an army of her clones laying siege to the Umbrella Corporation’s HQ. I wish I could tell you exactly what track this movie’s plot follows, but it’s almost impossible to tell where it’s going, not because it keeps you in suspense, but mostly due to the film itself having no idea what it’s trying to accomplish.
Regardless of the lack of cohesion in the plot, Resident Evil: Afterlife is yet another so, so bad its good movie. The whole thing plays like some wild fever dream, and it has so many outlandish twists and turns that it breaks the action barrier and falls straight into comedy. It’s honestly amazing that this film got a follow-up, let alone two.
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
Paul W.S. Anderson returns to write and direct the fourth installment of the Resident Evil series. Retribution has so many character cameos that fans of the video game series will not believe how many iconic heroes can be bastardized in 96 minutes. Jill Valentine finally returns, but the brainwashed S.T.A.R.S agent has aligned herself with the forces of evil. Basically, every character killed throughout the franchise gets a clone comeback at one point or another in Retribution.
Not only does Jill make a return, but Rain Ocampo (Michelle Rodriguez) and Carlos Olivera also make a clone comeback. There are so many evil clones and good clones in this movie, it’s undeniably amazing. This film transcends banana pants and becomes a full banana outfit. it’s just a raucous good time from start to finish if you allow yourself to suspend your disbelief — and supreme levels of insult for Leon Kennedy — and enjoy the ride.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)
One of the very best things — or the worst depending on whom you ask — about the Resident Evil movies is their propensity to retcon their own story. The Final Chapter does just this, upending almost everything that Anderson set up in the last movie in favor of his latest idea, but it makes for a more cohesive plot (which is reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes score, which was the highest rated of all of the movies at 37%). The video game legends from the last movie don’t make a comeback, but it gives Jovovich plenty of time to kick butt and kill zombies.
Alice heads back to the Hive — Umbrella’s headquarters in the first movie — where she starts the painstaking task of finding the cure hidden deep within. The movie leans heavily on some established lore (mostly clones) but does manage to wrap up the series with a fittingly absurd bow. The action-packed, minimal story film is the perfect ending for the series, with absurd action, terrible writing, and a story so off the wall, you have to see it to believe it.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Let’s be clear, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City has nothing to do with the previous entries. This movie tries to go back to its video game roots. While Welcome to Raccoon City attempted to reorient the series in a more game-based direction, fans felt the 2021 entry didn’t quite fulfill its promise. The series pulls from the first two games, and mushed them into an over-packed 107-minute run time. Welcome to Raccoon City does feature a few moments that bring the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 plots to mind, but it kept the playful over-the-top style of Anderson’s work while making the story its own. There are Easter Eggs abound throughout the film for die-hard fans, and director Johannes Robert’s love for the franchise is visible in almost every frame.
After watching Chris, Claire, Leon, Jill, and so many others develop their paper-thin characterizations over the years with Anderson’s saga, this iteration is just good enough of a romp for me to encourage any fan to give it a try.
