Resident Evil (2002)

Resident Evil (2002) is the first installment out of the highly successful film series. The movie begins by showing an anonymous individual handling chemicals in DNA coil-like glass tubes through a glove box. The unknown source then tosses one of the tubes purposely breaking it. The broken coil emits what seems to be a toxic gas causing the plant to lock all doors while sending a blaring alarm. The viewer can then make an educated guess on the idea of the factory being controlled by an evil computer. Toxic gas is sprayed within what seems to be a building and all the workers turn into the dead.

There are many horrific scenes in the movie to point out but one in particular kicks off the movie to set the tone. While stuck in the elevator towards the beginning a lady decides to try and fit through the tiny crack in the doors to hopefully find help. Instead, she finds herself trapped with her head being caught in the doors. This part is especially freaky as the elevator begins to rush downwards in what the viewer can't help but think of as their worst possible fear. However, the evil computer system we mentioned early stops the elevator at the last second tricking the lady for a moment only to rush back upwards to behead her.

We are then greeted with our main character Alice (Milla Jovovich), waking up in a bathtub looking perplexed. A swat team raids the house where she's staying and forces her on their journey to what is known as The Hive. The plant shown earlier in the movie is buried half a mile in the ground with a structural design similar to a bee hive. We find out quickly that Alice is a natural-born killer who lost her memory but slowly gains it throughout the beginning. The SWAT team has to work against time to escape The Hive while fighting off employee zombies and an evil computer program. For the rest of the film, it's up to Alice (Milla Jovovich), Rain (Michelle Rodriguez), Matt (Eric Mabius), and Spence (James Purefoy), to try and escape the dreaded Hive (Holden 2002).

Citation: Holden, Stephen. “They May Be High-Tech, but They're Still the Undead.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Mar. 2002, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/15/movies/film-review-they-may-be-high-tech-but-they-re-still-the-undead.html?smid=url-share.