Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” is a 2021 survival-horror film directed and written by Johannes Roberts, with Greg Russo also credited for the screenplay. Rather than continuing Paul W. S. Anderson’s earlier “Resident Evil” film series, it serves as a reboot inspired primarily by Capcom’s first two “Resident Evil” video games. The story takes place in 1998 in Raccoon City, a Midwestern company town whose population has been abandoned by the pharmaceutical corporation Umbrella. Kaya Scodelario plays Claire Redfield, who returns to Raccoon City after learning that something is seriously wrong there. Her brother Chris Redfield, portrayed by Robbie Amell, works as a police officer with the Raccoon Police Department. The film also features Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy, Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker, Donal Logue as Chief Brian Irons, and Neal McDonough as scientist William Birkin. Kaya Scodelario’s Claire and Amell’s Chris are not presented as the same character relationships or versions seen in Anderson’s films, reflecting the reboot’s closer connection to game mythology. The plot combines locations and events from the first two games. Claire investigates the disappearance of children and discovers evidence connecting the town’s disturbing history to the Spencer Mansion, the former residence of Umbrella founder Oswell E. Spencer. Meanwhile, Chris and the Raccoon City police department’s S.T.A.R.S. team travel to the mansion after losing contact with its previous occupants. The investigation reveals Umbrella’s underground laboratory and the company’s development of biological weapons. Several recognizable creatures and story elements appear, including zombies, Cerberus attack dogs, the giant snake Yawn, the Tyrant, and Lisa Trevor. Lisa Trevor’s presence draws specifically from the backstory introduced in the remake of the original “Resident Evil,” while the Raccoon City police station and William Birkin’s transformation connect the film to “Resident Evil 2.” Birkin’s daughter Sherry and the monstrous G-virus also play roles in the narrative. Constantin Film produced the movie, and Sony Pictures released it theatrically in the United States on November 24, 2021. It was filmed in and around Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics noting its use of game locations, monsters, and references, while others criticized its compressed plotting and uneven character development. Its approach was notably different from the earlier movies, emphasizing a contained outbreak story and direct visual callbacks to Capcom’s games rather than the original series’ action-oriented mythology.