SONIC THE HEDGEHOG holds the coins for the most fun video game movie ever made. However, RESIDENT EVIL is after something bigger. After years of horrendous Paul W.S. Anderson zombie slop, Zach Cregger comes in and blows audiences away with the best theatrical video game adaptation of all time: RESIDENT EVIL.

Zach Cregger, the director of BARBARIAN and WEAPONS, tosses out the game’s script and writes a brand-new character into the bones of Raccoon City. Austin Abrams carries him, and the gamble pays off. By doing this, Cregger brings in the Raccoon City universe gamers know while staying away from already perfected gaming stories.

He also bottles what made the games crawl under your skin. I remember countless nights playing various RESIDENT EVIL sequels, where I felt every reload, saved my ammo, and swept a flashlight around a corner, dreading what the light might catch. That POV dread is instrumental in Cregger’s film, and fans should appreciate all the gameplay mechanics they fell in love with over the years on the big screen.

My usual problem is that action and horror that don’t serve the plot put me to sleep. The why behind this is that countless action scenes are digital marvels that do absolutely nothing but bloat the runtime and budget of a film. In RESIDENT EVIL, every minute serves the story, dragging the character from point A to point B toward a conclusion that fans might be torn on, but one I was kinda okay with.

Final Thought: No green herbs are required for RESIDENT EVIL. It’s one of the most fun experiences audiences will have in theaters this year.

It’s in theaters now.