I'm going to start this off with, I've never played the Resident Evil video game. With that said, I really can't compare the series to the video game. I did, however, see all the movies. I'm actually a really big fan of the movie franchise. I love Zombie movies and Resident Evil is dystopian zombie horror at its best.
As far as comparing it to the movies, it's the same general plot with a slightly different direction. The basic plot goes like this. An evil corporation releases a deadly virus that turns humans into aggressive zombie-like creatures. It's several years after the deadly virus, there has been a cover-up, and Jade Wesker whose father works for Umbrella Corp. the company responsible for all the misfortune is now trying to uncover the cover-up.
The series has all kinds of twists and turns in the first season of 8 episodes. I binge-watched this over the course of 1 week. It really kept me interested throughout the season. There was never a dull moment.
I would categorize this in the post-apocalyptic dystopian zombie genre. It also has a bit of a cyberpunk feel to it. The series is extremely dystopian, covering topics like gene manipulation, cloning, DNA, mental health, and the evils of greedy corporations.
At times it almost feels like the producers are trying to warn us of our own dystopian future. At the very least you walk away thinking about the implications and ethics of corporate greed a little more. With the exception of the Zombie apocalypse, I don't think we're that far off. Drone attacks on citizens, surveillance, and a small spoiler here... mental health products that make people even crazier if they take too much.
I couldn't help but correlate some of the movie's undertones with current mental health issues happening in my own country. I always look for propaganda in any films I watch. Propaganda might be a harsh term in this case, but there's definitely an underlying message here IMHO.
Surprisingly, it doesn't live up to the level of blood and gore you'd come to expect from a Resident Evil series, but it does have its gross moments. The lack of gore isn't really an issue though. They make up for it with a great plot and storyline.
Some of the plot twists seemed a little predictable to me, but it's the genre. After watching so many of these zombie apocalypse films it's pretty easy to predict what's coming next. At least for me, it is. Still, they manage to sneak in the occasional surprise zinger.
There is no shortage of action or suspense either. The series is well-balanced and entertaining with a few cliffhangers throughout the season.
That's really all I got on this one. The acting is good. Interesting storyline. If Netflix decides on another season, I'll probably tune in. It was just different enough from the movie franchise to keep it interesting and fresh in my opinion.
I love Zombie movies... Got a favorite? Share in the comments, I'm always looking for new zombie flicks to watch!
