Director Defends Bleak 'Resident Evil' Ending
Zach Cregger explains his subversive and nihilistic conclusion to his original 'Resident Evil' story.
Director Zach Cregger's new take on the Resident Evil franchise delivers a narrative decision that diverges sharply from the video games' traditionally triumphant resolutions: a bleak and nihilistic ending.
The film, which tells an original story within the Resident Evil universe, follows medical courier Bryan Hodukavich (Austin Abrams) as he navigates a fight for survival against a mutating zombie virus unleashed by the shadowy Umbrella Corporation. Bryan's mission is to deliver a high-priority organ transport case to Raccoon City General Hospital, only to discover he is carrying the final ingredient for a cure.
The Descent into Horror
Bryan's journey quickly escalates from dangerous to dire after he accidentally hits an infected woman with his car. He soon finds himself battling grotesque, mutated amalgamations of infected individuals. To complicate matters, Bryan himself is bitten, making his race against time for an antidote even more urgent.
Despite facing numerous horrors, including dive-bombing zombies and an infected maternity ward, Bryan eventually reaches the secure lab on the 28th floor of Raccoon City General Hospital. However, as the scientists prepare the antidote, Bryan begins to transform.
A Nihilistic Climax
In the film's final moments, Bryan's mutated limbs lash out, killing the scientists as he pleads for an end to his transformation. A last-ditch effort to inject him with the antidote fails when Bryan knocks the syringe away, sending it plummeting to the ground below. With national guard helicopters circling and the cure lost, the film cuts to black, leaving the audience to contemplate the futility of Bryan's efforts and the apparent failure to prevent a full-blown zombie apocalypse.
Cregger stated that he was confident in this ending, comparing it to a similar impactful climax in his previous film, Weapons. "I was excited. I was like, 'That is perfect,'" he told *Men's
Health*. "It feels good when you know you can stop searching. I'm always looking for the next, 'How can I improve every idea?' and sometimes when you get an idea where you're like, 'Nope, that's what it is,' that's a good feeling."
Future Possibilities
Despite the grim conclusion, Cregger has indicated that he is open to exploring further narratives within the Resident Evil universe. "I can’t help thinking about other places this story could go. I’ve got ideas," he told The Playlist. "Let’s see what happens."