Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Drops Terrifying First Trailer

It’s difficult to count the Resident Evil films among the long list of failed video game adaptations. Sure, they weren’t the best movies in the world, but they were very successful, and they kind of turned into their own thing, which makes them pretty special. In a world where hyper-accurate video game movies are becoming the trend, those six Resident Evil movies may be looked back on with the kind of fondness the absolutely insane Bob Hoskins Mario movie is.

But just because we’re getting a Guile in a Street Fighter movie with unnecessarily accurate hair doesn’t mean that all video game adaptations are going to look like one-to-one recreations. Zach Cregger, the brilliant mind behind Barbarian and Weapons, has made it clear that his upcoming Resident Evil movie will capture the feel of the games without adapting any particular story. And, y’all, after seeing this new trailer, it looks like he’s delivering on that promise!

I won’t get into too many details, but, in classic Resident Evil fashion, the trailer begins with someone stranded at a relatively normal (albeit creepy-looking) location, as things get scarier and scarier. Dead bodies get dragged into the darkness and fall from rooftops, monstrous-looking humans lurk in the light and creep around corners, and this all happens as our lead seemingly goes deeper and deeper underground, likely stumbling on some big corporate shenanigans that are responsible for all of the terror.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there are big Barbarian vibes here (even if Cregger says this will be different). I know that movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it plays out much like a Resident Evil game. The progression feels very similar and leads to some inhuman monster that’s a result of someone spending years committing unspeakable evils. It’s all there! So, I think there’s a good chance Cregger knocks this out of the park, and it may end up being our last video game adaptation that doesn’t just feel like someone reshooting a cut scene in a while (especially if Mortal Kombat 2 and Street Fighter make Mario Galaxy money).