Resident Evil: Afterlife wants to be the action blockbuster that fans of the games expect, and it mostly succeeds, but it does so with a script that feels more like a power outage than a plot. The fourth installment in the series, released in 2010, drops Alice and her survivors into a new setting, and the movie spends most of its runtime figuring out how to get back to the old one.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Alice Arrives at the Facility
Alice (Milla Jovovich) finds herself in a desert prison camp after the events of the previous films. She escapes and heads to the Umbrella Corporation facility, hoping to find answers about the T-virus and the fate of her friends. The setup is simple. The execution is not.
The Hive Returns
The facility resembles the original game’s Hive, which is a clever nod to longtime fans. The problem is that the movie treats this location as a discovery rather than a destination. Characters spend too much time wandering through empty corridors asking each other where they are, which slows the pace and turns a potential setpiece into a frustrating stretch of exposition.
The Licker Problem
One of the film’s best sequences involves a Licker chasing Alice through the facility. It is tense, well-shot, and the creature looks genuinely menacing. It is also isolated, and the film does not build around it the way a director should have. The sequence ends abruptly, and the movie moves on without giving the audience a chance to catch their breath.
Survivors and Sacrifice
The supporting cast includes a group of survivors who Alice picks up along the way. They add some variety to the action scenes, but their character arcs are thin. Most of them exist to die in increasingly ridiculous ways, which is a shame given how invested the movie tries to make us feel in their fates.
The Ending
The film ends with a cliffhanger that promises more adventures. That promise is fine, but the movie itself does not earn it. The ending is abrupt, and it leaves questions unanswered that the film should have addressed earlier.
What Works
The action is often well-choreographed, and the creature designs hold up better than expected. The movie knows how to stage a fight, even when the logic behind it falls apart.
What Doesn’t Work
The dialogue is clunky, and the pacing drags in the middle. The movie is also far darker than the earlier films, which changes the tone in ways that do not always work.
Key Facts
- Title: Resident Evil: Afterlife
- Year: 2010
- Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Score: 6.1/10
Running Order
| Segment | Time |
|---|---|
| Desert Escape | 15 minutes |
| Facility Discovery | 30 minutes |
| Licker Chase | 10 minutes |
| Waterfall Crash | 5 minutes |
| Final Act | 30 minutes |
Resident Evil: Afterlife is a mixed bag. It has some strong moments, particularly the Licker chase and the waterfall scene, but the overall structure is weak. The film is worth a watch for fans of the series, but newcomers might want to start elsewhere. It is not the best entry in the franchise, but it is not the worst either.
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