With video game adaptions, such asBorderlands, being transported and adapted into the big screen and TV series, many more people are getting into video games and many video game fans are loving—or hating—their favorite media being adapted. With the former, many fans find themselves pleasantly surprised with the turnout. Some successful game-to-film (or TV show) adaptions includeSilent Hill,Sonic the Hedgehog,Twisted Metal, andThe Last of Us. However, with the latter, many find themselves to be unhappy when their video game has news for an adaption. WithResident Evilbeing such a popular franchise,many fans find themselves unsatisfied with the TV and film adaptions that involve live-action.
SinceResident Evilfans can’t get a satisfactory adaption aboutResident Evil, they have to turn to other films and TV shows that might give them a little of what they crave: action-packed horror, filled to the brim with tragedy and campy dialogue, while also being centered around strong-willed and tough protagonists that are willing to face things head-on. There are plenty of films in that genre that also feature zombies, paranormal hauntings, cults, and mysteries that need to be solved. And the search is no longer necessary. Here are films for the fans who enjoy playingResident Evil.
10’Stay Alive' (2006)
Where video games can kill you.
When Hutch (Jon Foster) receives a video game after his friend’s passing, he invites his other friends to play online with him. However, Hutch and his friends quickly learn that this is no ordinary game, and if they die inside of it, they will also die in real life. But pausing the game doesn’t save them, and one by one, Hutch’s friends are killed.
Stay Aliveis a campy horror film that focuses on the concept of video games killing people in real life. Though hardly ever explored cinema at the time,Stay Aliveexamines all facets of a video game and how they might play into killing people in real life. It goes as far as to suggest that there is never a pause button and that the game has a mind of its own almost. Even in a stagnant mode, if your player is caught idle, even then death will catch up. The method of exploration and puzzles in the film feels fairly similar to those encountered in theResident Evilseries, and even the atmosphere of the location itself is very similar to that ofResident Evil, which will undoubtedly draw the viewer’s attention. Not to mention,Resident Evilat times can be pretty campy itself (looking at youResident Evil 4).
Stay Alive
Watch on Amazon Prime
9’The Wicker Man' (1973)
The horrors behind cults.
At the Scottish Island Summerisle, Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) investigates a missing person’s case involving a young child. Though he learns about the island’s strange pagan rituals and practices, he learns the truth of what happened to Rowan Morrison.
A movie based on cults and the practices behind this one, it is horrifying in that anyone can be misled or manipulated due to the inner forces working against them, which is what happens to Howie as he is tricked and deceived at the island of Summerisle.The Wicker Manis eerily similar toResident Evil 4where federal agent Leon Scott Kennedy has to investigate the case of a missing girl in an unfamiliar place in Spain. Like Howie, Leon is very much unaware of the practices and rituals that take place, and both must navigate the rural area and uncover the truth.Both products leave viewers with a feeling of uneasiness and isolation, with this being thanks to the location being of unfamiliar territory to both parties.
The Wicker Man
A police sergeant ventures to a secluded Scottish island to investigate a missing girl’s case, only to uncover a community deeply entrenched in ancient pagan practices. As he navigates the island’s eerie atmosphere and interacts with its enigmatic inhabitants, he finds his own beliefs tested and shaken. The tension escalates as he unravels the islanders' true intentions, culminating in a disturbing and unforgettable climax. The film combines elements of horror and psychological thriller, offering a gripping exploration of cultural conflict and the dark side of human nature.
8’Alien' (1979)
The discovery of other life forms.
When a spaceship’s computer system named Mother awakes the crew from stasis to alert them of a transmission. The crew then discovers an alien spaceship, boards it, and makes horrifying discoveries. When one crew member gets attacked by an alien and is brought back the Nostromo, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her crew find themselves trapped with an alien infestation.
Alienis a successful film franchise that follows the horrors of discovering aliens and the infestations that follow. Being isolated in space adds to the horror and claustrophobic feeling of the film, which helps build suspense as alien creatures can burst from anywhere. The same can be said for the atmosphere ofResident Evil, which fans will undoubtedly enjoy for the eerie feeling alone, ThoughAlienandResident Evilfocus on two different monstrosities, the horror in these two is the same:characters need to find ways to adapt and survive these horrifying monstrosities.
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.
Watch on Apple TV+
7’The Thing' (2011)
Not being able to trust anyone.
In 1982, a Norwegian research group finds an alien spaceship and an alien encased in the arctic ice. Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and her team investigate this mysterious creature, only to realize too late that it is alive as it breaks free from its icy prison. As several people are killed, Kate realizes that this alien creature possesses the ability to mutate into near-perfect copies of any creature. This leads to Kate and her team hunting the creature down during a time when trust is fragile.
Similarly toAlien,The Thingfocuses on an alien discovery that overwhelms a team of researchers. Though, in the case ofThe Thing, trust is a thing of the past as this alien creature can manipulate and take on other forms. The characters in theResident Evilfranchise are no strangers to deception and manipulation; it’s all part of the job in a world infested with zombies, viruses, and monsters. Those who enjoy films and stories that isolate characters from everything they know and their humanity will enjoyThe Thingfor its dark undertones. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is certainly more well regarded, but the 2011 film is underrated, andlike manyREgames, is commendable for a strong female protagonist.
6’Ghost Ship' (2002)
A job gone wrong on a cursed ship.
In 2002, Maureen (Julianna Margulies) and her salvaging crew take on an assignment to go underwater and explore an empty and abandoned vessel adrift in the Bering Sea. However, as they board this ship, they realize that it in fact haunted, and these supernatural occurrences lead to the deaths of others.
Ghost Shipis an incredibly tragic and sad story of greed. Despite being tragic, it also has horror elements, such as the supernatural forces preventing Maureen’s team from leaving the ship and the ghosts that occupy this vacant vessel. The tragic and mysterious deaths of the guests who once occupied this ship is reminiscent of similar storytelling seen inResident Evil; more specifically, it feels more familiar to that ofResident Evil 7, where Mia traverses the wrecked ship with creatures waiting to ambush her. But outside ofRE7,the tragic and eerie tone ofGhost Shipis similar to the tragedy experienced within theResident Evilseries,highlighting the more solemn parts than anything else. For those who enjoyResident Eviland the tragic backstories that accompany it,Ghost Shipwill undoubtedly gauge your interest.
Ghost Ship
5’The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)
A cannibalistic family and a man wielding a chainsaw.
In August of 1973 in Texas, a bunch of teenagers—Sally (Marilyn Burns), Jerry (Allen Danziger), Franklin (Paul A. Partain), Kirk (William Vail), and Pam (Teri McMinn)—taking a road trip stop by the cemetery to check on Sally’s grandfather’s grave after mentions of grave robbing. As they continue their journey, the run into and pick up a hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) who makes the group uncomfortable with his bizarre actions and small talk. After kicking him to the curb, they arrive at an abandoned home owned by Sally’s family. However, their time there is cut short as each of Sally’s friends go missing, and Sally herself has to escape the clutches of the cannibalistic family and the chainsaw-wielding maniac.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacreis a popular horror franchise that has inspired plenty of other films, games, and shows in the genre. With an emphasis on cannibalism and corpse severance, it is a gory and bloody film that will frighten viewers easily.Some elements fromThe Texas Chain Saw Massacrecan be seen in variousResident Evilgames, such as the chainsaw-wielding enemy(who conveniently has a bag over his head, reminiscent of Leatherface) inResident Evil 4or the cannibalistic family that forces Ethan to eat dinner with them inResident Evil 7. Despite these eerily similar elements,The Texas Chain Saw Massacreis full of murderous rampage that the Resident Evil games are oh-so-familiar with. Those who enjoyedResident Evil 4orResident Evil 7will definitely enjoyThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
A group of friends traveling through rural Texas encounter a family of deranged cannibals, including the terrifying Leatherface. As they explore an old homestead, they are systematically hunted down in gruesome ways. The film culminates in a harrowing chase and a desperate escape attempt by the last survivor, Sally, who narrowly evades the murderous Leatherface.
Watch on Tubi
4’The Blair Witch Project' (1999)
Some ghost stories are meant to stay uncovered.
Aspiring filmmakers, Heather (Rei Hance), Mike (Michael C. Willians), and Josh (Joshua Leonard) are students who set out October of 1994 to document the myth of the Blair Witch. However, upon venturing out into the cursed force, odd things begin to happen, and soon enough, they find themselves trapped and lost in the forest.
A film based on found footage,The Blair Witch Projectis terrifying in execution, as viewers are placed in the perspective of the students who these supernatural happenings are occurring to. For those who have been fans ofResident Evilfor years,The Blair Witch Projectfeels oddly familiar to those who played the demo forResident Evil 7, which was a found-footage type of playstyle. ThoughResident Evil 7’s playstyle changed, it still kept the concept of found-footage found within, and many were surprised whenResident Evil 7’s concept was enveloped in supernatural happenings. Regardless of the demo, those who enjoy the mysterious and supernatural events that occur in theResident Evilseries will have fun watchingThe Blair Witch Project.Just don’t expect any zombies.
The Blair Witch Project
3’Silent Hill' (2006)
A town of monsters and cults.
Silent Hillfollows mother Rose De Silva (Radha Mitchell) as she takes her adopted daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) to the abandoned town of Silent Hill to find out why Sharon has constant nightmares about it. However, after outrunning a cop, Rose crashes her car at Silent Hill and awakes to a foggy town full of monsters with her child nowhere to be seen. Rose is determined to find her daughter and leave Silent Hill, though she has to go through a cult to do it.
Already based on a video game of the same name,Silent Hillis a horror film that follows the concept of cults and the horrors behind them. Though not filled with zombie infestations or viruses,cults are still a terrifying thing in theSilent Hilluniverse,and those who enjoy uncovering the mystery of a catastrophe, such as those inResident Evilgames, will definitely enjoy watchingSilent Hillfor the same exact reasons (and may even enjoy playing it).
Silent Hill
2’Quarantine' (2008)
An infectious outbreak in an apartment complex.
On March of 2008, news reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman join a group of firefighters (that they are recording footage of) as they are dispatched to an apartment after an emergency call is made. Trapped and locked inside, everyone in the apartment complex, including Angela, learn that this virus outbreak is leading to rabid humans, and there is no escaping them.
Probably one of the films most similar toResident Evil,Quarantinespeaks on the horrors of a zombie outbreak that begins as a virus experiment originally. It is a found footage film that essentially overseas the slow yet steady outbreak after someone is bitten by another with the virus. To viewers who have playedResident Evil, this will already sound very similar to aResident Evilgame—or the entire premise, for that matter.Zombies, outbreaks, survival, and a mystery to uncover: all the core concepts of aResident Evilgame jam-packed into an enjoyable horror film.What more could aResident Evilfan ask for?
1’Peninsula' (2020)
Taking on hordes of zombies.
After a zombie outbreak overwhelms the South Korean government, Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won), an ROKMC officer, helps in driving his family to an evacuation ship. However, after an incident onboard the ship, Jung-seok’s sister and her side of the family, except for her husband Chul-min (Kim Do-yoon), end up being bitten. Four years later, Chul-min and Jung-seok take on a dangerous assignment in Hong Kong, and they must battle hordes of zombies to survive.
Though not a direct sequel toTrain to Busan,Peninsulatakes place in the same universe, featuring different characters. Not as popular as the former,Peninsulafocuses on battling hordes of zombies to ensure survival four years after the initial outbreak. And that is whatResident Evilis all about: guns, survival, and killing hordes of zombies while surviving by pure skill and luck. Undoubtedly, of all these films,Resident Evilfans will lovePeninsulafor its zombie-infected plot and action.
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula
A zombie virus has in the last four years spread to all South Korea. Four Koreans in Hong Kong sail through the blockade to Incheon for USD20,000,000 on a truck.
KEEP READING:7 Shows like ‘Resident Evil’ to Watch Next For More Infectious Fun
