Video game adaptations have become more and more common, but not all of them are a hit with the gaming crowd. One of the most recent, Netflix’s Resident Evil, has been canceled after just one season.
Resident Evil may have shared a name with the iconic horror video game series, but not much else seemed similar to the games, leaving fans to accuse the series of cashing in on the name despite not doing much with the source material. The Netflix show dropped out of the streaming service’s Top 10 after just three weeks, receiving a 55% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 27% from the audience.
Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have accused the show of being “boring” and having “bad writing.” One harsh two-star review called Resident Evil an “alright teen drama show with a Resident Evil skin thrown over the top.” While there were other complaints made by various outlets and reviewers, the vast majority of the criticisms of Resident Evil were simply about the show not being very interesting to watch.
As a result of the underwhelming debut, Netflix has decided to cancel Resident Evil after one season.
The live-action adaptation couldn’t compete with other video game-inspired shows like Arcane and The Witcher. In fact, The Witcher: Blood Origin has been announced already. The prequel series is said to be coming to Netflix in December of this year. The original series is also getting a third season.
Resident Evil live-action adaptations continue to disappoint
A lot of gamers were surprised to hear that Netflix was making a Resident Evil television show after so many other failed attempts at bringing the horror game to life. These attempts include the 2002 film adaptation Resident Evil, which was followed by five subsequent movies in the series.
The original film received underwhelming reviews from critics, but it became a cult classic among gamers who liked Milla Jovovich’s portrayal of protagonist Alice. The second received jarringly mixed reviews, with some calling it the “best” of the films and others saying it was the “worst.” The same director returned for Extinction, which had very low reviews once again, but grossed over $148 million worldwide.
The most recent of the films, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, currently has a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The plot was accused of being “unpolished” while others called it “excessive.” The biggest complaint, however, is that it didn’t feel like Resident Evil at all. One reviewer accused the movie of “ruining a classic horror game.”
