For all the loathing and disdain Zack Cregger has had to experience from this franchise’s fans, I am over the moon this splat-tastic horror-comedy flick has shoved an abominably grotesque middle finger to the doubters.

A perfect blend of comedy and horror, before watching I thought one might overpower the other but Cregger measures both flawlessly. The result is a phenomenal piece in one of horror’s hardest sub-genres to nail down. It has the bleakness of the standard zombie apocalypse movie, perhaps even more if you add in a pinch of Resident Evil’s lore, and the collective laughter of a goofball comedy.

The video game elements elevate nearly everything it touches. The positive and negative effects on Austin Abrams’s character, an overarching antagonistic unstoppable force, the visceral camerawork, and the surreal environment crafted. It makes the film a much more gruelling experience to sit through, at times I was envisioning myself playing Abrams and going through all the logical decisions in this desolate world.

Video game adaptations have always come and gone with heavy baggage of expectations, but Cregger’s Resident Evil overcomes the difficult challenge with such ease it left me in awe, even hopeful for anyone else who dares attempts a similar feat. Without a doubt one of the rare video game adaptations that exceeds every expectation.