With video game adaptions, such as Borderlands, 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 include Silent Hill, Sonic the Hedgehog, Twisted Metal, and The Last of Us. However, with the latter, many find themselves to be unhappy when their video game has news for an adaption. With Resident Evil being such a popular franchise, many fans find themselves unsatisfied with the TV and film adaptions that involve live-action.
Since Resident Evil fans can’t get a satisfactory adaption about Resident 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 playing Resident 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 Alive is 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 Alive examines 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 the Resident Evil series, and even the atmosphere of the location itself is very similar to that of Resident Evil, which will undoubtedly draw the viewer’s attention. Not to mention, Resident Evil at times can be pretty campy itself (looking at you Resident Evil 4).
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 Man is eerily similar to Resident Evil 4 where 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.
Watch on Amazon Prime
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.
Alien is 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 of Resident Evil, which fans will undoubtedly enjoy for the eerie feeling alone, Though Alien and Resident Evil focus on two different monstrosities, the horror in these two is the same: characters need to find ways to adapt and survive these horrifying monstrosities.
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 to Alien, The Thing focuses on an alien discovery that overwhelms a team of researchers. Though, in the case of The Thing, trust is a thing of the past as this alien creature can manipulate and take on other forms. The characters in the Resident Evil franchise 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 enjoy The Thing for its dark undertones. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is certainly more well regarded, but the 2011 film is underrated, and like many RE games, is commendable for a strong female protagonist.
Watch on Amazon Prime
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 Ship is 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 in Resident Evil; more specifically, it feels more familiar to that of Resident Evil 7, where Mia traverses the wrecked ship with creatures waiting to ambush her. But outside of RE7, the tragic and eerie tone of Ghost Ship is similar to the tragedy experienced within the Resident Evil series, highlighting the more solemn parts than anything else. For those who enjoy Resident Evil and the tragic backstories that accompany it, Ghost Ship will undoubtedly gauge your interest.
Watch on Apple TV+
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 Massacre is 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 from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can be seen in various Resident Evil games, such as the chainsaw-wielding enemy (who conveniently has a bag over his head, reminiscent of Leatherface) in Resident Evil 4 or the cannibalistic family that forces Ethan to eat dinner with them in Resident Evil 7. Despite these eerily similar elements, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is full of murderous rampage that the Resident Evil games are oh-so-familiar with. Those who enjoyed Resident Evil 4 or Resident Evil 7 will definitely enjoy The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
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 Project is 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 of Resident Evil for years, The Blair Witch Project feels oddly familiar to those who played the demo for Resident Evil 7, which was a found-footage type of playstyle. Though Resident Evil 7‘s playstyle changed, it still kept the concept of found-footage found within, and many were surprised when Resident Evil 7‘s concept was enveloped in supernatural happenings. Regardless of the demo, those who enjoy the mysterious and supernatural events that occur in the Resident Evil series will have fun watching The Blair Witch Project. Just don’t expect any zombies.
Watch on Apple TV+
3 ‘Silent Hill’ (2006)
A town of monsters and cults.
Silent Hill follows 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 Hill is 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 the Silent Hill universe, and those who enjoy uncovering the mystery of a catastrophe, such as those in Resident Evil games, will definitely enjoy watching Silent Hill for the same exact reasons (and may even enjoy playing it).
Watch on Apple TV+
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 to Resident Evil, Quarantine speaks 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 played Resident Evil, this will already sound very similar to a Resident Evil game—or the entire premise, for that matter. Zombies, outbreaks, survival, and a mystery to uncover: all the core concepts of a Resident Evil game jam-packed into an enjoyable horror film. What more could a Resident Evil fan ask for?
Watch on Apple TV+
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 to Train to Busan, Peninsula takes place in the same universe, featuring different characters. Not as popular as the former, Peninsula focuses on battling hordes of zombies to ensure survival four years after the initial outbreak. And that is what Resident Evil is all about: guns, survival, and killing hordes of zombies while surviving by pure skill and luck. Undoubtedly, of all these films, Resident Evil fans will love Peninsula for its zombie-infected plot and action.
Watch on Apple TV+