Netflix's Resident Evil Trailer Has Weary Fans All Saying The Same Thing

To say that the live-action "Resident Evil" movies (based on the long-running video game series of the same name) have been disappointing to fans would be a gross understatement. 

Despite the fact that Capcom's "Resident Evil" video game series has received international acclaim for well over two decades (and indeed, as Phasr argues, has been credited with pioneering the modern survival horror genre as a whole) the "Resident Evil" film franchise has been almost universally panned by critics and fans alike, even if the films themselves have been box office successes. Of the seven films within the franchise, not a single one has a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the lowest rating (a pitiful 19%) belonging to "Resident Evil: Apocalypse." Ask any fan of the games, and you'll likely hear a long list of ways that the films betray their source material, whether due to messy plots, radically altered characters, or having more in common with the "House of the Dead" games rather than the series they're named after. 

Yet, despite all of the criticism that fans have levied at the franchise over the past 10 years, there is yet another live-action "Resident Evil" project on the way, this time in the form of a television series from Netflix. Surprisingly, "Resident Evil" fans are cautiously optimistic about what's ahead, but with some caveats.

The new "Resident Evil" trailer shows us that the Netflix series will be a radical departure from the films that came before, following two separate timelines set before and after the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse. The narrative jumps between these two timelines, contrasting the idyllic utopia of New Raccoon City with a post-apocalyptic London. Though the trailer clocks in at just over two minutes long, it manages to perfectly capture the mixture of horror and action that has defined the "Resident Evil" games for so long. 

As such, many fans seem pleasantly surprised by the trailer, even though it is still a significant departure from the source material. Some are amped to see what could be the first adaptation to successfully capture the spirit of the games — but given past burns, most remain cautious. "Is it just me or does this actually look...good?" wrote Katastrophe on YouTube, adding, "If you can open your mind a bit... then I see this being quite a fun watch." These thoughts were echoed by dylan holmes, who wrote: "Obviously not based on the games but still looks like it could be good or at least a fun watch."

Though the "Resident Evil" film franchise was heavily criticized for abandoning the storyline laid down by the video games, it appears like most fans are willing to forgive the upcoming series for doing the same — as long as the series itself is good. Some fans, though, are still feeling wary after past experiences, such as @EWilds4, who tweeted, "Why am I not convinced about this show?"

All told, it's clear that most fans are willing to forgive any changes if the series manages to capture the feeling and excitement of the original games.