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Resident Evil: Film Ranking

With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time to think about what films you’ll be watching on Halloween night. Are you the kind of person who likes a more family friendly scare? Perhaps super gore is more your taste? Or an zombie-filled action franchise to marathon? This post is all about the latter as I will be reviewing and ranking the films in Paul W. S. Anderson’s Resident Evil series. Taking inspiration from the hugely popular video games, the Resident Evil films follows the spread of the T-virus which kills people and turns them into zombies. Engineered by the evil Umbrella Corporation, protagonist Project Alice travels around the world to put a stop to the company’s experiments.

The films are not critically well received by any means and I don’t think they’ll be competing for Oscars anytime soon but they are entertaining to watch and hugely popular with audiences. With the first film released in 2002 and the latest having been released in 2016, Resident Evil may not be among the most impactful horror franchises of all time but it is a fun little watch. Of course if you’re going to watch them then it makes sense to watch them in chronological order but I thought I would do my usual reviews and ranking. Bear in mind that this will only include the live-action films directed by Paul W. S. Anderson only so the animated films are not going to be discussed in this list.

Here are my reviews for the Resident Evil films:

Resident Evil (2002)

Resident Evil opens in the iconic mansion from the first game and follows the initial T-virus being leaked within Umbrella Corporation’s headquarters, The Hive. Following this we are introduced to protagonist Alice, who has passed out in the shower struggling with short-term memory loss. The basic plot is that Alice and policeman, Matthew, are forced to go underground to The Hive with agents to shutdown the Red Queen and retrieve the antivirus. There they are faced with death at the hands of mutated zombies and monsters. To coincide with Alice’s memory loss, the audience doesn’t learn the specific details of the leak until Alice figures it out for herself. The first installment of the franchise was met with negative critical reviews and amazing box office success which would become the regular trend for the Resident Evil films. It also features one of the most iconic sequences in the franchise with the laser corridor scene that sees the death of several agents. Also, for all of its flaws, Resident Evil proves to be an entertaining horror and has great concluding scenes when Alice is captured by Umbrella.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

The second film shows the growth of the infection which has spread to Raccoon City, the place directly above The Hive. Also bringing game favourite Jill Valentine into the films, Resident Evil: Apocalypse is another fun inclusion to the franchise, turning up the campness and adding in Nemesis as the main villain. As well as including more features and characters from the game, Resident Evil: Apocalypse attempts to go more creative with its deaths. Sadly, it doesn’t have the same impact as its predecessor as it feels as if Anderson was trying to one-up the first film but it feels a bit too busy and a lot going on with the introduction of numerous key characters. Whereas the first film thrived from its simplicity, it feels as though Anderson has put too much on his plate with this segment. That being said, I do like that there is more faithfulness to the games in this one. Also, Jared Harris is always a welcome presence in any film and I enjoyed his performance as Dr. Charles Ashford.

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

The T-virus has now spread across America and shows Alice teaming up with more survivors and venturing across the Mojave Desert to reach Alaska where it is claimed there is safety. Resident Evil: Extinction sees the inclusion of zombie crows as well as Claire Redfield, Albert Wesker and the super villain Tyrant. Anderson decided to rein in the camp vibes from the previous installment and reflecting the desert setting, gives the film a grittiness and seriousness. Whereas Apocalypse felt like too much was going on, Extinction has been pared back the characters who are introduced do not overwhelm the storyline too much. Ali Larter gives a brilliant performance as Claire, a favourite character from the games and Iain Glen is also fantastic in his role as Dr. Alexander Isaacs, a scientist who created the Nemesis program and Project Alice. What makes this installment even more terrifying is that most of the action takes place during the day which is almost unheard in zombie films. It shows that there really is no stopping the zombies’ hunger and the affect this has on the remaining survivors.

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Resident Evil: Afterlife follows Alice’s ruin upon the Umbrella Corporation’s headquarters in Tokyo and her subsequent search for Arcadia, a safe haven for survivors. As expected, her plan goes awry and she is faced with crowds of zombies and monsters. I have a soft spot for this film because I went to see it in the cinema in 3D and it was a brilliant experience. Usually 3D films aren’t worth the money, particularly when they were being released 10 years ago, but this was fantastic. As Alice teams up with a group of survivors including Claire in a bid to get to Arcadia, they are trapped in a building surrounded by hoards of zombies as well as a giant monster called Axeman. Taking inspiration from the Resident Evil 5 villain The Executioner, the Axeman is one of the best monsters in the whole franchise and the fight between him and Alice and Claire is among the best choreographed. I know this is one of the worst reviewed of the franchise (which is saying a lot since they are all received pretty negatively) but the fun experience I had seeing it in 3D at the cinema leaves it higher than expected on my list. I find it thrilling and entertaining and think it is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Directly following the conclusion of the fourth film, Resident Evil: Retribution shows Alice’s capture and escape from Umbrella Corporation through their simulators which have various sets and clones of old and new characters alike. We are also introduced to the last bunch of game characters that haven’t been put into the films with Leon S. Kennedy, Ada Wong and Barry Burton entering the film franchise. Showing Umbrella’s elaborate simulations as well as vigorous torture techniques on Alice, Umbrella shows no signs of slowing down. The T-virus has become a valuable asset on the market as countries purchase it to use it on their enemies to spread the outbreak. Showing the outbreak on a global level, Alice now has to fight alongside Ada and Leon and venture to the Deep North to put an end to their testing facility. On top of this, Alice must find a way to stop Jill who has been brainwashed by Umbrella. The film brings in more aspects of the game and Anderson has shot the film to resemble the videogames. Bringing back some much-loved characters including Michelle Rodriguez as Rain, Resident Evil: Retribution feels like a great combination of what fans love about the series.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

The final installment of Anderson’s Resident Evil films follows Alice’s last stand against the Umbrella Corporation once and for all. It takes them back to the ruins of Raccoon City and into The Hive. Teaming up with the Red Queen to stop Wesker and Dr. Isaacs from wiping out humanity, Alice has to journey from Washington to the Hive within 48 hours before Umbrella destroys all human settlements. The series feels like it has come full circle in that the Hive is where it began and ends but equally, the virus’ affect on humanity has been catastrophic. Down to the last 4,000 humans, Alice is captured by Dr. Isaacs and has to escape and meet up with fellow survivors who are living within a guarded compound in Raccoon City. Rounding off the series in style, Anderson brings back plenty of old faces that we have missed as well as some new bad guys to wince at. One cannot help but also notice Alice’s growth from the first film. Milla Jovovich’s portrayal has matured during the franchises 14 year tenure and it’s nice that Anderson and Jovovich were able to give the series the ending they wanted.

So with all the reviews done and dusted, I do think it is a franchise that gets better and more faithful to the games as it goes on. Needless to say, regardless of whether they are good films critically or not, they do a great job at entertaining the audience. Anderson’s films may have their flaws but his passion for bringing videogames to life have helped propel this series to an iconic status among videogame adaptations. They’re among the first horror films I watched and I’ll always have a soft spot for them. Even though there are horrors that I think are better, they introduced me to a genre that has become one of my favourites over the years.

Here is my ranking of the Resident Evil series:

1) Resident Evil (2002)

2) Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)

3) Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

4) Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

5) Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

6) Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

What do you think of my ranking? Which Resident Evil film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

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Steve McQueen: Film Ranking

One of the most revolutionary film directors to emerge this century so far is Steve McQueen. A Turner Prize winning artist who has turned his attention to feature films, McQueen’s realistic and fearless approach to exploring serious topics such as domestic abuse and slavery as well as taboo subjects such as sex addiction. When it comes to mcQueen, nothing is off limits and he isn’t afraid to expose the realities of the film’s subjects. He is also the first black filmmaker to win the Acaemy Award for Best Picture for 12 Years a Slave. I also think he should have been rewarded the Best Director Oscar as well although Alfonso Cuarón did a great job with Gravity.

Given the current landscape, I think it is now more important than ever to highlight the talent and calibre that people of colour bring to the film industry. The film industry is so important when it comes to representation and sadly, it just isn’t where it should be. Film is a fantastic medium to express personal stories, provide escapism and bring relevant topics and subjects to the forefront as point of discussion. I thought it best to take a look into McQueen’s amazing filmography and do a ranking of his films. There are only four films but each one is a standout in their own right so as usual, it will prove to be a challenge.

Here are my mini reviews for each McQueen film follows by the ranking:

Hunger (2008)
McQueen’s feature debut stars Michael Fassbender as IRA protestor, Bobby Sands, who takes part in a hunger and no-wash strike. This is a fantastic debut for McQueen and deservedly won him a BAFTA for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film. We watch as Sands figuratively and literally begins to fade away as he becomes the symbol for the strike. McQueen doesn’t hide the dirtiness and the discomfort in watching Sands lose the majority of his weight to the point where he can’t function. Technically, the film appears simple but it is comprised of many brilliant shots, one in particular being a 17 minute non-stop conversation between Sands and Father Moran (Liam Cunningham). By bringing a minimalist and realistic angle to the film, it actually exemplifies the horrors of the strike. Hunger put both McQueen and Fassbender on the map and it made way for the former’s unapologetic point of view approach to filmmaking.

Shame (2011)
For his second feature, McQueen reunites with Fassbender who plays Brandon Sulliven, a business executive who has an addiction to sex. Much like Hunger, McQueen does not flinch away from the realities that sex addiction has. There is nudity, both male and female, in abundance as well as underlying issues of family conflict and self-harm. This is not a film to be watched lightly as it is even more uncomfortable than its predecessor but it talks about a topic that people consider taboo. It also explores classism and the idea of the untouchable rich white male. During his usual work day, Brandon religiously watched pornography on his computer and when this is discovered, it is automatically assumed that his intern is the one who has been downloading and watching it. The idea that someone like Brandon couldn’t be associated with sex addiction is an idea that McQueen rejects in Shame. Brandon surrounds himself with sex to avoid the fact that he is lonely and unfulfilled.

12 Years a Slave (2013)
The film that propelled McQueen to the major awards circuit, 12 Years a Slave is possibly the most explicit and “real” feature film about slavery in mainstream cinema. Based on the memoir of the name same by Solomon Northup, a New-york born black man who was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Louisiana. Northup is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor with Lupita Nyongo’o as fellow slave Patsey and Fassbender in his third McQueen film as slave owner Edwin Epps. It’s a star-studded cast but what McQueen does so well is focus so much on the characters and their development that the audience forgets which actors they are watching and it becomes almost documentary like. McQueen does not hold back on the brutality that the slaves face and it goes beyond daily beatings as we see Epps rape Patsey and Epps’ wife feel resentment for Patsey rather than her husband. It’s a film that demands conversation and McQueen refuses to allow the film to be whitewashed or edited to appeal to white audiences in the way that films such as Song of the South does.

Widows (2018)
The latest feature film released by McQueen is an amazing tour de force starring Viola Davis as Veronica, a woman recently widowed after her bank robber husband, Harry (Liam Neeson) and his cohorts are killed when their car blows up. Veronica along with the other widows of the men who died must work together to get some money that is owed to a crime boss. The team comprises of Veronica, Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) and it’s so empowering watching such a huge film led by women and more importantly such a diverse cast of women. Anyone who claims that women cannot lead a film because it doesn’t bring in money is mistaken as the film was a critical and commercial success. What makes the film so engaging is how well-rounded each of the women are. We get a grip of their backgrounds in a few scenes and yet the audience understands their story and motivations to get the money. Even when Belle, who wasn’t one of the original widows is brought into the plot, is introduced, her backstory as both a beautician and babysitter is made clear highlighting her struggling financial position.

Although it is not the longest filmography, McQueen has proven why he is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. I have included discussions of each of the films above when talking about Michael Fassbender and Viola Davis’ best roles which you can read here and here, respectively. I think that only demonstrates McQueen’s talent as director that he is able to create career-best films for his stars. His ability to create characters that are well-rounded is flawless and he has only demonstrated improvement as we go from a single standout performance in Hunger to four equally developed characters in Widows where he allows women to take the lead.

Here is my ranking of McQueen’s film:

1) 12 Years a Slave (2013)

2) Widows (2018)

3) Hunger (2008)

4) Shame (2011)

Do you agree with my ranking? Which McQueen film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

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Top 5 Viola Davis Performances

A reigning Queen of the Silver Screen, Viola Davis is a titan of acting who shows us time and time again that she really is among the best of the best. She is also the first black actress to receive the Triple Crown of Acting. She is renowned for her grace and poise, she fights for what she believes in and only takes on roles that she wants. She is an icon in a number of different ways but for me, it is her passion for acting and determination to get to the heart of her characters that really stands out for me. You can tell that she truly loves what she does and that she puts herself into the characters whether it be an FBI agent in Suicide Squad, the mother of a missing child in Prisoners or a woman broken by a society that cripples her family because of the colour of their skin in Fences. I can’t even begin to say how much I love VIola Davis as an actress and activist

As ever, these posts delve into film performances so even though her inputs in projects such as the TV series How to Get Away With Murder are incredible, they won’t be added in the list. This also makes it a bit easier when picking the performances for my list.

Here are my top 5 performances in chronological order:

Doubt (2008)

The breakthrough performance that cemented Davis’ career onscreen, Doubt is a star-studded film that features iconic stars Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who all received Oscar nominations for their performances. Following Sister Aloysius (Streep) and Sister James (Adams) as they plot to bring down Father Flynn (Hoffman) who is suspected of molesting the school’s first black student. What was the most heartwrenching scene to come from this film was the performance from Viola Davis, an actress who had made her name on TV and the stage but had not broken into the film industry just yet. Her performance as Mrs. Miller, the mother of the abused child, is small but captivating as she struggles with the truth and her faith. It’s a pained performance that holds its ground against three of the best actors in modern times. Davis’ character admits that she would overlook the abuse if it meant that her son could still attend the school and escape from the socioeconomic background that he would be subjected to were he not attending. In one scene she becomes a parent torn by the abuse of secular and religious authorities. She knows that it is a world where they cannot win without suffering and the heartbreak of that realisation sits with you for the duration of the film.

The Help (2011)

Now for the film that solidified Davis as a leading star and should have won her an Academy Award (let’s not even get into that one). I am aware that The Help is a controversial film to put in here and it is completely understandable. The film sadly follows white saviour tropes as Emma Stone’s character, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, helps to expose the abuse that the black maids in Jackson have received. The maids that she initially speak to are Aibileen Clark (Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) who both provide brilliant performances. I know that sadly these kinds of roles feed into prejudice perceptions of non-white actors who are often delegated to subservient characters. I remember watching this film for the first time and absolutely loving the characters and how much they fight back. The film definitely has its flaws but both Davis and Spencer shine and earn their acclaim. Both characters are brilliantly developed and the scenes with the two of them in are fantastic. Davis has such a presence and says so much with a facial expression. Her performance as Aibileen is a masterclass of acting and only serves as a small step in a huge career.

Prisoners (2013)

This may be an unexpected inclusion into the list but I enjoyed this film a lot. Serving as Denis Villeneuve’s English-language debut, I went into thinking it would be a typical action drama but it was so much more than that. Davis plays Nancy Birch, a woman who’s daughter is kidnapped with her best friend. It’s a film that plays out every parent’s worst nightmare and the lengths one will go to to bring back their child. Davis is maternal, fierce and conflicted when Kevin Dover (Hugh Jackman) who’s daughter also went missing finds a suspect, locks him up and begins to beat him. Nancy is a character who refuses to play by others’ rules and does what feels right to her. Although this is a supporting role, Davis still maintains that strong presence onscreen and brings her A-game in a cast that includes Jackman, Terrence Howard and Jake Gyllenhaal to name a few. Much like the conflict Davis brought in Doubt, it’s hard not to feel affected by her performance. Whereas Jackman and Gyllenhaal fit a traditional “masculine” trope, Davis is the maternal heart but brings a strength that is not often given to women in thrillers. Her involvement shows her desire to work with respected directors and actors and also shows her perseverance to choose roles that help progress to women’s roles in films.

Fences (2016)

The one that brought her all the gongs, Fences is an adaptation of August Wilson’s 1985 play of the same name and directed by her co-star, Denzel Washington, who also brings a career best. Washington refused to divert from WIlson’s script meaning that Wilson is credited as screenwriter and received a posthumous Oscar nomination. Admittedly, Washington’s reluctance to divert from the script does make the film feel a bit too stage-like at times but there is no doubt that this is Davis’ film. I honestly think that they should have gone for the Best Leading Actress awards and she would have won it but the Supporting seemed a “safe” category. She plays Rose Lee Maxson, a woman whose life revolves around satisfying the desires of her husband and their son whose goal is to play baseball. Living in a rundown neighbourhood in a deeply racist society where the odds are stacked against them, Rose does not give up and fights while her husband Troy Maxson delves deeper into madness in his failure to succeed in his American Dream. It’s a highly emotionally charged film that sees Davis go into a different league of acting that is rarely seen. She refuses to be put down by the men she takes care of despite their physical intimidation. Rose is another strong woman that Viola can add to her extensive repertoire.

Widows (2018)

The last blockbuster that Viola starred in saw her take the lead as Veronica Rawlings in Steve McQueen’s fourth feature, Widows which follows four women who plot to carry out a heist after three of their husbands died in a botched job. Veronica is the group leader who draws together the plan using a notebook that her late husband, Harry (Liam Neeson) left in a safety deposit box. The other three women played by Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Enviro and the four together have great characterisation and rapport. It’s a film built on the strength on its performers and Davis leads with ease. It’s refreshing to see such a strong action-based role which would traditionally be taken by a white male instead being portrayed by a black woman. The film is fearless and knows its strength. Veronica is one of the best female characters in recent years. She’s deeply complex as a grieving widow, a mother who’s son was wrongly murdered due to racism in authority and a woman who knows what she has to do to survive. She shields her fragility and fuels the operation with her persistence.

I am so excited to see where Viola’s career will go next. Even in films like Suicide Squad, she was a shining star to me. She’s an actress who is consistent, likeable and bankable. She is one of the key figures to pushing for more strong female characters in film and constantly talks about the importance of women in film.

What Viola Davis film is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!