A Fresh Take on Resident Evil, No Franchise Homework Required
Ars Technica's reviewer calls the new Resident Evil film terrific. [S1E4] The reason, per the review, is Cregger's distinctive sensibility: a fresh take on a well-trodden fictional world, which the reviewer says is exactly what a flagging franchise needed. [S1E5] And you don't need to be a Resident Evil fan to enjoy it. [S1E7] That last point is the one to test. For a long-running series, a pitch of “no homework required” trades the built-in audience for a wider one, betting that a director's tone does more work than continuity.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
“You don't need to be a fan” is doing double duty: it's an invitation to newcomers, and a hint that the built-in audience isn't who the film is for.
The review's actual craft claim is a ratio — horror, humour and some pretty over-the-top gore, in just the right amounts.