This Divisive Horror Movie Proves Why Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Needed To Change The Lore
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) brings a new look to the classic horror franchise by setting an iconic moment, like the Raccoon City outbreak, in the present day and in winter. These two things greatly break the lore of the series but also set it apart from the past while still maintaining the spirit of the series.
While many fans struggle with the reality that this film won't be like Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, this isn't a bad thing. In fact, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) proved that sometimes changing the lore is the best way to get a satisfying cinematic experience.
‘Resident Evil’ Breaking the Lore and Characters Is a Perfect Recipe For a Stronger Story
With the new Resident Evil film, it's a smart idea to break from fans' expectations about the story's setting while still maintaining the core values that have made the series great. The best example of this is with the main character, who represents the idea of a normal guy getting stuck in an abnormal situation.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard showcased this through Ethan Winters, a man who, while trying to find his wife, was placed in a world far more deadly and dangerous than he ever expected, and he was grossly underprepared. Comparatively, that's what's happening with Bryan and is a great way to have us root for his survival.
There's also the fact that by having the lead not be a main character, we won't know whether he lives or dies in the story, or whether he's a vehicle to introduce other characters. Now, we know what it's like to play the games, worried for the safety of the main character, because he may not be in the sequel. That alone goes against what Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City did and also shows how going against the grain can sometimes lead to a stronger narrative.
How Does ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’ Adapt the Games?
Video game movies are notoriously hard to adapt because there are literally hours of storytelling across one or more games that have to be told in about two hours. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a perfect example of this, as well as the idea of biting off more than it could chew.
The film tries to adapt the first two games into one, ignoring the fact that Resident Evil is set before the Raccoon City outbreak. From beginning to end, we see the S.T.A.R.S. team infiltrate the Spencer Mansion while Leon S. Kennedy deals with the zombie outbreak in the RPD.
Throughout this, we also see these characters converge and lead to a final confrontation with William Birkin on the train that escapes Raccoon City before the bomb destroys it. While it captures many key moments from the games, working in tandem to tell a clear story led to many issues.
‘Welcome to Raccoon City’ Shows the Dangers of Keeping a Familiar Story
One of the biggest problems with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was that in trying to give us everything, we got too much. Resident Evil is a great example of a game that could work as a movie on its own, but when you cram it into another game, it feels like a greatest hits experience rather than a story.
Then, by sticking too much to the lore, we lose the stakes because all of the main cast has to live, and we already know how this story plays out. Therefore, if things are done wrong or characters are handled poorly, the reaction is worse. The best examples of this are the use of William Birkin and Leon S. Kennedy.
On the flip side, you don't want to be too connected while telling an original story either, as the Paul W.S. Anderson films focused on an original character, Alice, and how she interacted with other game characters. What resulted was new lore that didn't give the game characters a platform and didn't raise the stakes, as Alice always survives. In the end, Welcome to Raccoon City is a film that proves getting everything you want isn't a good thing, and sometimes getting what we don't expect can lead to better results and more in the long run.
