RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY CONTINUES THE CURSE OF VIDEO GAME FILMS

 This review was originally posted to Letterboxd on December 6, 2021.

In RE: WTRC it's 1998 and Raccoon City, proud home of The Umbrella Corporation (and one of it's scientists, William Birkin, as played by Neal McDonough) , is a shell of its former self. Umbrella made a big boo-boo and is in the process of moving out. The only ones who remain in town are those too poor to leave and the few members of the police force paid to stay. The city is shortly quarantined off, and citizens are ordered (by a blaring Umbrella announcement) to remain indoors. For the doomed citizens of Raccoon City, "too late" already came and went. 

Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen) and the rest of the STARS (Special Tactics And Recuse Service) Alpha team are sent up to the Spencer Mansion to check up on Bravo team. rookie F-Up Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia) stays behind at the station with police chief Brian Irons (Donal Logue). Meanwhile, Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) returns to Raccoon City to check up on her brother and investigate rumors about Umbrella.

This is a film that is clearly catered towards fans of the games. RE:WTRC doesn't take much time to explain what Umbrella has been up to, letting the results speak for themselves. The brief explanations we get shed little light and it doesn't help that the film isn't fully coherent. We constantly jump back and forth between Chris at the mansion , and Claire and Leon back at the station who are trying to retcon with Chris. This makes things feel muddied and confused.

RE:WTRC aims to be a revitalization of the Resident Evil franchise. The strategy this time is to hew closer to the game's roots, include some light action here and there, and focus a little bit more on the horror/creepiness/atmosphere. It's not a bad idea, but the piss-poor script (by Johannes Roberts. The exposition is clunky and forced, and the characters LOVE to use the word Fuck. There ARE other curse words out there, you know.) and adequate direction (also Johannes Roberts) undoes a lot of the good will.

This "reboot" moves at a slower pace, and there isn't a whole lot of action (It's not constant, and is more spread out). There are a few memorable action scenes (like Chris' terrified, desperate, and chaotic assault at the mansion, lit mostly by his gun blasts), but not nearly enough for a one hour forty-seven minute runtime. The CGI featured is not up-to-par either.

It would seem this outing would be more character-based, but not so as our leads and villains are one-dimensional at best and empty cyphers at worst, not to mention they all lack arcs. The actors all do decent jobs (and Avan Jogia as the fool archetype does show potential...which is wasted) and there are some nice twists to their characters (like Chris being an Umbrella fan boy), but it's not enough. A minor complaint would be I expected a few more choice needle-drops, as is we really only get three.

Despite all this, I will give this attempt credit for faithfully recreating some sets from the games, maintaining a decent atmosphere throughout (You could use the word "creepy" or "tense" to describe some locations and scenes), and managing to look impressive at points (cinematography by Maxime Alexandre). 

In the end, RE:WTRC is likely going to remain a one-off, as I don't see it being able to generate enough excitement from fans to warrant a sequel. It's fun and entertaining in a bad movie kind of way, but if that's what you're looking for may I suggest the first Resident Evil instead (Just to clarify, not really a fan of the first Resident Evil film either, but it's still better than this "reboot").

2.5 STARS

An unfortunate side effect of viewing this film is that 'Crush' by Jennifer Paige is running on a loop in my head for the time being. Not the worst thing, I suppose.

NINE DAYS IS THE FEEL-GOOD FILM OF 2021

 In Nine Days, Will (Winston Duke) isolates himself inside a secluded suburban home. He watches others lives through video tapes, seeing the world directly through their eyes. He has an intimate connection with each person he observes. After an unexpected event, Will reluctantly resumes his task of choosing a new soul/personality to be born into the world.

Kane (Bill Skarsgard), Emma (Zazie Beets), Mike (David Rysdahl), Maria (Arianna Ortiz), Alexander (Tony Hale), and Anne (Perry Smith) are the new souls/personalities that show up at Will's house. Over the course of nine days each are tested, and in the end only one will receive the gift of life.

 Nine Days takes place in a different realm that exists outside of "the real world". The realm it's set in is barren, desolate, yet ethereal. It's an off-putting and striking location. That said, we spend the majority of the run time confined with Will inside his house as he tests the applicants.

Nine Days is set up like it's going to be an ensemble piece, and the plot sounds fairly simple and straightforward. Part of the joy of watching Nine Days is discovering it's hidden depths and surprises for yourself.

All of the actors here do great jobs, but the standouts are Winston Duke as Will, Zazie Beetz as Emma, Benedict Wong as Kyo (a close friend of Will's who assists with the tests), and Kane (Bill Skarsgard). Skarsgard isn't given quite as much meat to chew as other roles he's been given, but Kane is absolutely essential to the themes Nine Days is trying to explore. Kane is a bit of a pessimist, and he showcases some concerning thoughts but he isn't a "bad guy". 

Zazie Beetz as Emma is absolute fire. Emma is a free spirit filled with curiosity. Throughout the film, Emma seems to be the one who most understands what a gift life would be. Beetz emanates a warmth, compassion,  and intensity of spirit any time she is on screen. Watching her is like watching a ball of joy. Needless to say, this might be her best performance.

Benedict Wong also shines as Kyo. It's nice to hear him get to act with his real British accent. He's another warm character who quickly grows to like Emma, and gives her some insights that Will would not approve of. The banter Will and Kyo share in some scenes is fantastic well. Kyo and Will are best friends, but that doesn't mean that Kyo won't point out when Will is acting irrationally. 

Speaking of Will, this is the Winston Duke show, and what a show it is. Duke previously appeared in Black Panther, Us, and Spencer Confidential, but this is his best performance BY FAR. Will is a very complex character. He was previously given the gift of life, but now he finds himself in the role of interviewer. He prefers not to discuss his time in "the real world", and openly admits he doesn't have a favorite memory from his years spent there.

Will has recently witnessed an unexpected event that has completely shattered him. It doesn't make sense, and he spends some of his spare time trying to make it make sense. This crisis affects Will's testing process and the decisions he makes throughout. Will has quite an incredible arc, and Duke fully embodies the character. Duke shines in small intimate moments (like a specific scene involving Will, Maria, and a bicycle, which had me in tears), intense moments (like an angry, rageful tantrum he has in the 2nd act), and even in grand moments (like his final, theatrical monologue). 

Edson Oda directs and writes, and despite have a multitude of shorts to his name, this is his first feature film. Even if this is the only film he makes (let's hope not), he can rest easy knowing he made a phenomenal, incredible one. He coaxes natural, nuanced performances from his cast and the script is consistently impressive and a joy. 

Nine Days presents itself as a film that will be life-affirming and about the joys of being alive. It is, to an extent. It's also about much more. Credit to Nine Days for not shying away from the darker, sadder, more grim aspects of life (There's even a brief discussion two characters have that reminded me of The Fable of The Two Wolves). Yes, Nine Days is filled with warmth, happiness, joy, positivity, and boundless optimism but it isn't afraid to go to some VERY dark, grim places. You might hear more than one of your own fears or worries articulated on screen. 

In the end, Nine Days is just about a perfect film. It acknowledges how flawed our world is, and how painful life can be...but it chooses to see the light at the end of the tunnel and walk towards it. It implores those watching to do the same.

5 STARS