‘Resident Evil’ Absolutely Rips!
Evaluation and Summary
Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan dive into Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' film adaptation, which stars Austin Abrams. The episode opens with industry news, including Noah Baumbach's departure from Netflix to Warner Bros., Tarantino's new Cliff Booth novel, and casting updates for 'Miami Vice '85'. After a spoiler warning at the 35-minute mark, the hosts break down 'Resident Evil' in detail, discussing why they believe it's a successful video game adaptation. They explore box office expectations for the film and Cregger's career trajectory following his previous success with 'Weapons'. The episode concludes with broader discussions about the future of video game movie adaptations and a historical overview of horror-comedy as a genre, examining why blending horror and comedy is notoriously difficult to execute well. The hosts appear enthusiastic about the film, using language like 'giddily' and 'gush' to describe their reactions, suggesting they found considerable merit in Cregger's approach to the source material.
Verdict: A solid episode for fans of the film and video game adaptations, with good structural variety and evident host enthusiasm, but lacking the critical depth or insider knowledge that would elevate it beyond competent entertainment.
TV & Film rubric
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Critical insight 2/5 20%
Show notes emphasize 'gushing' and 'giddily' breaking down the film rather than sharp analysis; some genre history discussion but framed as 'why it's so hard to pull off' rather than deep critical examination
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Behind-the-scenes knowledge 2/5 20%
No indication of interviews with filmmakers, cast, or crew; discussion appears to be post-viewing analysis without insider access or production details
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Entertainment 3/5 15%
Hosts' evident enthusiasm and the breadth of topics (news, spoiler discussion, genre history) suggest an engaging listen, though show notes don't provide specific evidence of humor or liveliness
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Substance 3/5 15%
Covers multiple angles—film analysis, industry news, box office context, genre history—but the 'gushing' framing and lack of critical depth suggests some padding alongside genuine content
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Delivers on its title 4/5 15%
Title promises discussion of 'Resident Evil' and the show notes confirm extensive breakdown of the film; also covers related topics like video game adaptations and Cregger's career, staying largely on-topic
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Value for time 3/5 15%
At 1h 42m with news segments, spoiler discussion, and genre history, pacing seems reasonable but the 'gushing' tone and breadth of tangential topics suggest some stretching of runtime
Worth it if you've seen 'Resident Evil' and want to hear knowledgeable hosts celebrate it, or if you're interested in the state of video game movie adaptations.
Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.
Show notes
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