Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Officially Defeated by 2012 Movie From the Same Franchise

As Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil reboot opens this week and early reviews praise the film’s original take on the video game franchise, the best-rated film of the franchise remains undefeated. The Weapons filmmaker did not do a direct adaptation of the video game, but instead chose to go with an original story set in the same universe as the second game.

While early reviews have put the reboot at 96% on the Tomatometer, it is still falling short of another film in the franchise: Resident Evil: Damnation. The 2012 animated film is often regarded as the best in the franchise, even if it did not make as much money as the Paul WS Anderson movies.

The ‘Best’ Resident Evil Movie Remains Undefeated

A still from Resident Evil: Damnation | Credits: Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan

For all the buzz around Cregger’s critical triumph, it is the second-highest-rated adaptation for the Capcom-based IP, with 2012’s Resident Evil: Damnation. Resident Evil: Damnation has scored a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it is based on just 5 reviews from critics, many fans have called it the best of the franchise.

The reason Damnation is not as popular as the other movies in the franchise is because of its scale. The sample size of the reviews is much smaller than Cregger’s film, which has 155 reviews and has scored 96%. However, the recent reboot beats Damnation in the Popcornmeter, where it scored 91% while Damnation scored 70%.

However, the animated feature is still loved among fans. Fan-favorite characters like Leon are present in it, and unlike other films, it is a straight adaptation of the games. While some critics pointed out that it might be difficult for non-fans to access the movie’s storyline and world, it is still one of the better ones in the franchise for the fans.

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Might Just Reinvent the Franchise

Austin Abrams in Resident Evil | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

Despite not beating Damnation, Zach Cregger’s film has still done something that is not common for the franchise. It is the best-rated live-action film, and with the way it is going, it might also be a commercial success. It has already earned $8.8 million on day 1 (via The Numbers).

Rather than adapting a specific game’s plot or characters, Cregger’s Resident Evil takes place in the universe of the games, but does not adapt any of them directly. It is a new story, following Bryan, a medical courier, who’s making a delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital when a monstrous outbreak occurs, alongside a cast that includes Zach Cherry as Carl, Kali Reis as Maxine, Paul Walter Hauser as Paul, and Johnno Wilson as Officer Wilson.

While Cregger got hate for not making a straight adaptation with fan-favorite characters, the original story route seems to work best for the franchise. Critics have largely agreed that the filmmaker has pulled off the impossible, and the ratings also prove the same. If the film is a box office success, the studio might take the same direction again.

Although Cregger did not put a post-credits scene or a straight lead-up to a sequel, and the film largely seems to be self-contained, another original horror filmmaker might bring in their own take on the franchise to tell an interesting story. This might be the norm for the franchise, henceforth, where stories set in the game universe can be explored.

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Resident Evil is currently playing in cinemas.