When I watch a new horror movie, the last word I expect to use to describe it is “relatable.” However, that’s what I was thinking about as I walked out of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil. I think this entry on the 2026 movie schedule is worthy of that word too, because at the center of it is just a normal dude who is put into a situation that he has no idea how to handle. And I gotta say, as someone who is also just a normal person, if I were him, I probably would have acted the exact same way.
I Do Fear I Am As Jumpy As Bryan
While people are jumpy in plenty of horror movies, there was something about the terror Austin Abrams’ Bryan felt that really hit home. At no point was he trying really hard to be the hero or act like he was fearless. He was simply a terrified guy who was trying to deliver a package and survive. So, he didn’t hold back his fear, as highlighted by many high-pitched screams and exasperated reactions.
Now, I am easily spooked. So, like Bryan, if I were being chased by zombies, I’d be screaming, running as fast as I could and jumping literally anytime anything moved. This is what made Cregger’s video game adaptation of Resident Evil so entertaining to me, and I loved that I was able to relate to how scared Bryan was.
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I’ve read that watching Resident Evil made people feel the same way the games make them feel. While I’ve never played the video game, I can confirm that watching Bryan traverse this world made me feel the same way I feel anytime I play a video game too, which is clueless and fairly incompetent.
Now, it’s been said that Bryan represents gamers, not necessarily the heroes we see in video games, and I agree with that. However, he also represents those of us who have no idea what we’re doing when we grab a controller. So, yes, while the character literally is a gamer who has no clue how to use a gun, he also is a representation of how I feel anytime I try to shoot a fake gun in a video game.
Bryan not knowing how to switch off the safety to use his weapons, and his constant attempts and failures at trying to get past a lock were hilarious. As a button-smasher and truly inept gamer, this movie felt like a representation of what me playing Resident Evil would look like, as well as what I would be like if I were actually put into this zombie-filled situation.
Now, while I do relate to Bryan and his actions, I have to note that I 100% would have been smart enough to not throw away my ladder in that barn. However, otherwise, in almost every other scenario, I likely would have been as clueless and horrified as our leading man. And that’s why Zach Cregger’s critically acclaimed take on Resident Evil is such an unexpectedly relatable horror movie.