Editorials
The Evolving Narrative and Horror of the ‘Resident Evil’ Series [‘Resident Evil’ at 25]
Resident Evil Village looks nothing short of haunting. Few details are known about the story at this point besides the return of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard’s Ethan and Mia, along with the iconic Chris Redfield (who may or may not be a villain). Upon the initial trailer for Village, I was instantly hooked; the cold atmosphere filled me with dread while also fueling my curiosity for what horrors were in store.
But that first trailer and the follow up cinematic prompted a question in my mind – What is Resident Evil now?
If you were to ask six or ten year old me to explain what Resident Evil was at the time, I’d say something like – “It’s a zombie game with different types of monsters and takes place in a creepy mansion.” A few years later, if I were to be asked about the second and third installments in the franchise, I’d say they’re similar experiences to the first. From Resident Evil two to three, the franchise displayed bits of growth, incorporating different types of creatures and expanding the game setting little by little. Most noticeably perhaps is the action approach Resident Evil 3 offered, with gamers running and blasting away at Nemesis.
Now to some, labeling those first few Resident Evil titles as “zombie games” may be too vague; to be fair, from game one, Resident Evil has been upfront with its narrative regarding the corrupt Umbrella Corporation. Whereas the first Resident Evil introduces this story point, with the second adding some additional context through new characters, the third entry brings nothing major to the lore (minus the destruction of Racoon City). Code Veronica and Resident Evil 0 bring some interesting new characters to the table, but not much otherwise to the overall story. Along with the game’s use of zombies, Resident Evil has always involved a bio-horror focus (whether it be monsters or other forms of bioterrorism). One could argue that this is the main concept at work throughout the franchise.
The first three Resident Evil games play out like George Romero films, with one lone protagonist (working with a small group), striving to survive an evening of terror. The bio-monster angle is prominent throughout all the games, but the corporate conspiracy narrative dips and rises in focus over the course of each entry. Part of this is because of Resident Evil 4 and how much it diverts from past titles before it. Not only did this game make for the franchise’s biggest shift in gameplay, but also narrative.
There’s still the mutant creatures, but now the iconic T-Virus has been replaced; now it is the Las Plagas, and there’s an element of vagueness as to how this virus is connected to Umbrella and past events. Furthermore, there’s the game’s tonal shift. With minor similarities to Resident Evil 3 (e.g. the action-oriented gameplay), the atmospheric presence and narrative are different. The player will stumble through a creepy castle during their playtime, but the distant, European landscape establishes a new and fresh mood compared to the closed-off innards of a mansion or that of a city thrown into chaos. Up to this point in the franchise, many were accustomed to the Umbrella storyline and zombie component of the games. Resident Evil 4 isn’t a continuation of this narrative though – it is more of an expansion. Resident Evil 4 brings up new questions for fans to mull over – With these new events, virus and characters, what do they mean for future titles?
Resident Evil’s fifth and sixth main entries place emphasis on action-driven gameplay, opting for environments where one can pump away with different weaponry. Story-wise, they make a return to the wild corporate conspiracies of Umbrella, but each also represents an identity crisis for the franchise (regarding gameplay and presentation). Some have noted frustration with these games for the tremendous lack of survival horror, as both titles play out more like a Gears of War game. However, Biohazard not only made for an awesome return to survival horror, but also flipped the script on narrative approach.
Biohazard is more of the old creeping tension, as traveling down corridor after corridor leaves one on edge as to what may appear (or what’s following them). Umbrella and the origin of game-related bio-monstrosities are briefly hinted at, with exposition coming across as vague for the most part. Along with its phenomenal gameplay, Biohazard’s presentation is equally impressive. The Baker family makes for fascinating antagonists, given how their minimal appearance allows for startling horror when they finally track the player down. And while I’m a huge fan of the Bakers and their creepiness, I think a large element that works in their favor is the environment and tone of Biohazard.
Where fans have ventured through abandoned mansions, creepy laboratories, city streets, African and European villages, Biohazard immerses the player in a southern gothic setting. Again, we see a brand-new Resident Evil pulling inspiration from its past (the Baker house being similar to Resident Evil’s mansion). Coming into this experience, however, there are an abundance of questions – how exactly do the Baker’s fit into the whole Resident Evil narrative? Is Umbrella involved?
Pulling inspiration from such works like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the gameplay has a drawl to it; the atmospheric mood is meant to exude dread. This presentation also works to further fuel the mystery of the narrative and expand upon the schemes and bioweaponry surrounding Umbrella. Through minimal context and exposition, lines begin to form connecting the events of the game to the grander Resident Evil universe; the player learns how the Bakers came to become monsters, as well as their connection to Eveline and her connection to Umbrella. The game not only further expands upon the franchise’s narrative, but it also provides a new shade of Resident Evil.
Though Capcom is guilty of dealing out action-adventure after adventure with high octane adrenaline and plots with generic sinister corporate plans, they’ve also introduced fascinating new depth to these games. Particularly through Resident Evil 4 and Biohazard, these games introduce exciting new flavors to the Resident Evil world, opting to tread new narrative paths, tones, and blends of horror.
Returning to that thought of how I would have described Resident Evil back in the 90s, that initial answer would not fly at all today. Additionally, I couldn’t even say that these games are just about an evil corporation and viral outbreaks. These story components are still present, but they’ve been altered to provide new layers to the Resident Evil lore.
With Village, Capcom appears to be returning to a European setting similar to Resident Evil 4; but yet, the familiarity is once again warped. There is a great gothic appeal throughout the two trailers for Village that stirs an air of fascination alongside those werewolf-looking creatures. There also appears to be a folklore element teased at (in the second trailer where Mia is telling Ethan a story about a little girl in the woods). In what ways may this creepy tale have to do with Village’s story? And with the hints of cult-like activity, there also appears to be an element of something militaristic involving Chris Redfield. As Resident Evil fans, gamers are once again made to wonder how this new setting, characters, and presentation tie into the franchise.
Besides being excited about this new game because it’s Resident Evil, I’m also excited to see where Resident Evil’s future is heading. There has always been so much potential for these games to encapsulate an even grander array of horror; their niche in bio/zombie-related horror is very much appreciated and effective, but those outside-the-box narratives offer intrigue and excitement for all the other stories that could be told. Considering where the games began and seeing how they’ve evolved – Resident Evil has come to represent a variety of horrors and could very well continue to grow.
Five decades ago, Stephen King published the story of a bullied girl with telekinetic powers and forever changed the world of horror.
Carrie follows a high school misfit who seeks revenge for a hideous prank by psychically destroying her senior prom. The name Carrie White has become synonymous with the concept of a formal dance thanks to a flawless adaptation from Brian De Palma. Now fifty years after the film’s release, Mike Flanagan is putting his own stamp on the troubling story.
Rather than a feature film, the writer/director will expand King’s relatively slim debut novel into an eight-episode miniseries for Amazon Prime set to premiere on October 7.
Flanagan is no stranger to the world of Stephen King. A long-time Constant Reader, he first made waves with his daring adaptation of Gerald’s Game (2017), a novel many fans considered un-filmable. His underrated Doctor Sleep merges the disparate plot of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining with King’s original source material, and his 2024 genre-bending tearjerker The Life of Chuck faithfully executes one of the author’s most metaphysical novellas.
He’s currently mired in pre-production for an expansive adaptation of The Dark Tower series, keystone to King’s connected universe, and Warner Bros. recently announced that Flanagan will helm a new version of The Mist, King’s 1980 novella which sees a small Maine town overrun by otherworldly monsters.
Considering the vast array of the author’s previously unadapted material, an obvious question arises. Why reimagine Carrie in 2026? Noting the timeless nature of the content, Flanagan expressed his desire to bring the story of a bullied girl into modern times, mirroring his approach to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. He explained, “The only way to approach it was to build something new out of the ingredients of Carrie. Otherwise, there’s really no purpose in trying to retread ground that’s been so beautifully walked before.”
His miniseries will maintain the novel’s bloody bookends while delivering “big surprises” along the way.
A New Prom Night Nightmare
The roughly 60-second teaser introduces Summer H. Howell as Carrie White just before the moment of catastrophe. Standing in a prom dress, she smiles at her applauding classmates with an ominous crown perched upon her head. Moments later, Carrie unleashes a rage-filled scream into the night air while promgoers rush for the exit doors. But careful examination of this scene shows Carrie wearing a different, albeit dirty dress as she seems to telekinetically punish her peers.
In an exclusive first look with Entertainment Weekly, Flanagan explains that in his version of the story, “the events of that prom are going to be completely different.” An open trunk emitting a crimson glow does hint at the pig’s blood dumped on Carrie’s head, but it’s likely Flanagan’s formal dance will be a different kind of horror altogether. Despite these changes, the series may end with the widespread destruction outlined in the source material. Unlike any previous adaptations, King’s novel ends with the near-total destruction of Chamberlain, Maine. A flaming street in Flanagan’s trailer promises similar carnage no matter what prank sparks Carrie’s deadly revenge.
The Monstrous Addition of Social Media
On the opposite end of this fiery conclusion is an extreme act of bullying that brings together the story’s main cast. King’s novel begins as Carrie gets her first period while showering in the girls’ locker room. Completely unaware of the concept of menstruation, the sheltered girl thinks she’s bleeding to death. Her classmates respond with vitriolic rage. Led by ultra-mean girl Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton), they mock the terrified teen while pelting her with tampons. Glimpses of this disturbing event reveal that Flanagan has excised the scene’s nudity while adding a seismic update. As Carrie sobs in the shower stall, Chris and her friends film the breakdown with their phones.
Other scenes note the presence of social media, bringing King’s fifty-year-old story into the digital age.
Flanagan’s adaptation promises to explore the destructive power of social media, an often invisible entity with a potential for harm rivaling Carrie’s own powers. While King’s tormented heroine suffers in front of a small group of girls, Flanagan’s version of the incident will likely become a viral video, potentially circling the globe on social media. Similar to Katt Shea’s criminally underrated The Rage: Carrie 2, which includes elements of revenge porn exploitation, Flanagan’s modern retelling will distinguish itself by exploring the nebulous cruelty of online bullying, a force ten times more powerful than the irl pranks King first envisioned.
A Completely Reimagined White Family
In addition to modernizing these canon events, Flanagan hints at updates to Carrie’s oppressive upbringing at the hands of her mother, Margaret White (Samantha Sloyan). Dead before the novel begins, we never meet Carrie’s domineering father Ralph, known to carry a bible alongside his gun. Flanagan’s White household will be an altogether different beast. In his version of the story, Carrie and her mother have been hidden away in the unassuming home, forced out of hiding by Ralph’s unexpected death. Perhaps we will finally meet this elusive man whose shadow hangs over his wife and child. Considering the White family’s fundamentalist lifestyle, this reimagining hints at tradwife culture and a home ruled by staunch patriarchal control.
Whereas King’s Carrie has been tormented by her classmates since Kindergarten, Flanagan’s Carrie will be a wide-eyed newcomer to public school, eager to make friends and engage with her peers. We glimpse Carrie cozying up to Chris and the equally popular Sue Snell (Siena Agudong) as she navigates a new social scene. Of course, we know this kindness is part of an elaborate plot designed to lull Carrie into a false sense of camaraderie, setting up an atrocious act of public humiliation. These brief moments of feigned compassion put Sue’s own complicity into question. Will Flanagan’s version of the character find the courage to defend Carrie from vicious bullies or will she succumb to peer pressure and join in the mob mentality?
Perhaps the biggest deviation from King’s original text is the relationship between Carrie and her mother. King’s Margaret White is a horrifically abusive religious zealot whose worldview has been hardened by internalized misogyny. She shames Carrie for menstruating, locks her in a closet to “pray,” and regrets not killing her child in infancy. She’s also responsible for Carrie’s social ostracization. Known to berate her neighbors for their “sins,” Margaret forces her daughter to live by an extreme code of conduct and disallows any potential friends lest they corrupt the girl with their worldly ways.
Flanagan’s version of the character is perhaps just as much a victim as Carrie herself. Also trapped inside her home, his Margaret is overly vigilant, her own trauma manifesting as strict control. Describing a more sympathetic depiction of the iconic villain, Flanagan explains, “Our Margaret White is a woman who fiercely loves her daughter and wants to protect her from this world … [She] doesn’t know how to do that and thinks the way to protect her is to close her off; not punitively, but to create this private utopia.”
Despite this potential softening, Sloyan’s Margaret may still have a sharp edge. Though she has appeared in many Flanagan projects, from Hush (2016) to The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), she is best known for her role as the abhorrent Bev Keane in the poignant saga Midnight Mass (2021). Perhaps inspired by King’s Margaret White, Bev is pious and sadistic, willing to punish anyone who does not adhere to her warped approximation of Catholicism.
Flanagan specifically wrote Margaret with Sloyan in mind, likely remembering the actress’s eerie ability to create deceptive empathy and shift our allegiances on a dime.
Expanding Stephen King’s Telekinetic Universe
While most of King’s story deals with an unthinkable prom night in Chamberlain, Maine, large sections of the semi-epistolary novel see experts debating the nature of telekinesis. Do Carrie’s frightening abilities represent a new phase in human evolution or is the prom night carnage merely a fluke? King settles the debate with a shocking denouement in which a young mother recounts her infant daughter’s ability to dangle her crib toys in midair. We’re left to wonder if she will become another tormented girl who surprises the world with metaphysical strength.
Flanagan plans to build out this brief scene while amplifying themes of female empowerment. After introducing our main cast of characters, episode two will open with an unrelated story in which we meet another girl with the TK gene. Each subsequent chapter will expand this world, building out a roster of telekinetic young women. Considering King’s fondness for stories about powerful kids, often described as possessing “the shining,” Constant Readers will no doubt have their eyes peeled for various Easter Eggs nodding to the author’s vast catalogue.
Giving Carrie Her Own Voice
Perhaps the most striking distinction in Flanagan’s new trailer is the extent to which we hear Carrie’s voice. The sneak peek is fully narrated by the titular prom queen as she demands accountability. “I want to know why,” she explains while detailing Chris’ elaborate plan. Aside from the aforementioned coda, King’s book essentially ends with the aftermath of the prom night tragedy, leaving little time for Carrie to reflect. His shifting narrative does bring the reader into her fragile mind, though not before she’s been cowed by relentless cruelty. We watch Carrie sink into bloodthirsty revenge, but never hear a considered desire for justice or repair.
Flanagan’s original monologue allows Carrie to voice her pain and mourn the life she could have had. We’re also treated to a mug shot-style photo of Chris with a bruised and bandaged face, implying that the mean girl will have to answer for her senseless sadism.
Flanagan is known for filling his series adaptations with heartwrenching speeches that cut to the heart of his thematic intentions, and this teaser seems to follow suit. After years of fans, critics, and scholars analyzing Carrie’s pain, perhaps his modern retelling will offer the titular anti-hero a chance to finally speak for herself.
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