Resident Evil – Welcome to Raccoon City returns to the franchise’s survival-horror roots, ditching the glossy action beats of the recent film adaptations for a grittier, creepier reimagining of the series’ foundational games. Director Johannes Roberts channels classic 1990s horror and game-era atmosphere to deliver a faithful, occasionally sluggish, but often effective homage to the original Resident Evil 1 and 2.
Premise and tone
Faithfulness to the games
Performances
Horror and visuals
Narrative and pacing
What works
What doesn’t
Verdict Resident Evil – Welcome to Raccoon City is a love letter to the early games that largely succeeds on atmosphere, design, and tense set pieces. It’s not a perfect transition to film—its ambition to condense sprawling game narratives into a single movie leads to pacing and character depth issues—but for fans craving a faithful, grisly return to survival-horror aesthetics, it’s a satisfying, occasionally chilling ride.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a 2021 survival horror film that serves as a reboot of the live-action franchise, moving away from the action-heavy style of the Milla Jovovich era to return to the series' atmospheric horror roots. Movie Overview Release Date: November 24, 2021. Johannes Roberts, known for 47 Meters Down
Set in 1998, the film follows a group of survivors during the initial outbreak of the T-Virus in Raccoon City, a once-booming town now decaying after the exodus of the pharmaceutical giant, Umbrella Corporation. Faithfulness to Source:
Unlike previous films, this entry is a direct adaptation of the first two games in the series— Resident Evil Resident Evil 2
—blending the stories of the Spencer Mansion and the Raccoon City Police Department into a single narrative. Key Characters and Cast
The film features an ensemble cast portraying iconic protagonists from the video game franchise: Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario):
A young woman returning to her hometown to warn her brother about Umbrella’s secrets. Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell):
A member of the S.T.A.R.S. unit and Claire’s estranged brother. Leon S. Kennedy (Avan Jogia): A rookie police officer on his first day at the RPD. Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen): A skilled marksman and member of S.T.A.R.S.. Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper):
A key member of the team whose true motivations are revealed as the night unfolds. William Birkin (Neal McDonough):
A leading Umbrella scientist with a deep connection to the Redfields' childhood. Reception and Performance Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
This guide covers everything you need to know about the 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
, which reboots the live-action franchise by returning to the survival horror roots of the original video games. 📽️ Film Overview Director: Johannes Roberts Runtime: 107 minutes Rating: R (for strong violence, gore, and language)
Plot: Set in 1998, the film merges the events of the first two games. It follows two parallel stories:
The Mansion Incident: The STARS Alpha team investigates the mysterious disappearance of their colleagues at the remote Spencer Mansion.
Raccoon City Outbreak: Claire Redfield and rookie Leon S. Kennedy try to survive a zombie outbreak in the city and escape before it is destroyed. 👥 Key Characters & Cast
Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario): A hitchhiker returning to find her brother and expose Umbrella.
Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell): Claire's brother and a Raccoon City police officer.
Leon S. Kennedy (Avan Jogia): A rookie cop on his first (and worst) day of work.
Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen): A skilled member of the STARS Alpha team.
Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper): A member of the police force with a secret agenda.
William Birkin (Neal McDonough): An Umbrella scientist conducting inhumane experiments.
Lisa Trevor (Marina Mazepa): A tragic, disfigured victim of Umbrella's experiments. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Movie Review
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a 2021 survival horror film that serves as a reboot of the live-action franchise. Unlike the previous films starring Milla Jovovich, this installment aims for a more faithful adaptation by directly utilizing the plot and characters from the first two Capcom video games. Core Premise & Plot September 1998 Resident Evil- Welcome to Raccoon City
, the story follows a group of survivors in the decaying Midwestern town of Raccoon City, which has become a wasteland after the pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation relocated its operations. The Mansion Incident:
Members of the STARS Alpha Team (Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Albert Wesker) are dispatched to the remote Spencer Mansion to investigate the disappearance of the Bravo Team. The RPD Siege:
Simultaneously, rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield (who returned to find her brother Chris) attempt to survive an all-out zombie outbreak at the Raccoon City Police Department The Antagonist:
The group uncovers the truth behind Umbrella's illegal experiments led by Dr. William Birkin
, who eventually mutates into a monstrous threat after injecting himself with the G-Virus. Main Cast & Characters
The film features an ensemble cast portraying iconic characters from the games: Claire Redfield: Kaya Scodelario Chris Redfield: Robbie Amell Jill Valentine: Hannah John-Kamen Leon S. Kennedy: Avan Jogia Albert Wesker: Tom Hopper Dr. William Birkin: Neal McDonough Production & Reception
This short story explores the atmospheric tension and character dynamics found in the film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. The Quiet Before the Storm
The rain in Raccoon City didn’t feel like water; it felt like a shroud. Claire Redfield adjusted the collar of her jacket as the neon sign of the Victory Diner flickered, buzzing like a dying insect. The town was a hollow shell of the industrial titan it had been during her childhood. Now, the air tasted of ozone and something metallic—the unmistakable scent of Umbrella Corporation’s decay.
Inside the Raccoon City Police Department, the atmosphere was even heavier. Leon S. Kennedy, a rookie with eyes far too bright for a place this dim, slumped behind his desk. He was a man out of time, assigned to a precinct that felt more like a tomb than a station. Across the room, Chris Redfield checked his sidearm with a mechanical precision that masked the growing dread in his gut. He hadn't seen his sister in years, but her warnings about Umbrella were starting to echo in the silence of the empty streets. The Breach at Spencer Mansion
While the city held its breath, the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team—including the stoic Albert Wesker and the sharp-witted Jill Valentine—plunged into the heart of the forest. The Spencer Mansion loomed ahead, a Victorian nightmare of marble and secrets.
As they crossed the threshold, the silence was shattered by a sound that wasn't human. It was a wet, tearing noise followed by a low, guttural moan. Wesker’s eyes narrowed, his hand hovering near his holster. He knew more than he let on, his loyalty already shifting toward the shadows. Jill, however, felt the primal instinct to run. The grand foyer, once a symbol of opulence, was now a hunting ground for the T-Virus’s first successes. Convergence
Back in town, the thin veil of order finally snapped. The "flu" that had been sidelining the citizens turned into a frenzied hunger. Claire and Leon found themselves pinned in the R.P.D. garage, the gated entrance buckling under the weight of a dozen pale, gnashing figures.
"We need to find Chris," Claire shouted over the groan of twisting metal.
"I'm just trying to survive my first day!" Leon yelled back, leveling his shotgun.
The two groups—one fighting through the labyrinthine puzzles of the mansion and the other navigating the crumbling urban sprawl—were on a collision course. They were the only ones left to witness the truth: Raccoon City wasn't being saved; it was being erased. As the sirens began to wail across the valley, signaling the final countdown, the survivors realized that the true monster wasn't just the creatures in the dark, but the corporation that had built the walls around them. P.D. siege?
Forget the sleek, futuristic underground labs of the Anderson era. Welcome to Raccoon City is drenched in atmosphere. The film looks like it was shot through a layer of rain, rust, and cigarette smoke. Roberts has openly cited John Carpenter (The Thing, Halloween) and David Cronenberg (The Fly) as influences, and it shows.
Raccoon City isn't a city; it's a dying, bankrupt industrial town abandoned by the Umbrella Corporation. The streets are empty, the lighting is cold fluorescent, and the orphanage looks like a gateway to hell. This isn’t an action movie setting; it’s a tragedy waiting to happen. The film captures the "blue glow" of the original PlayStation games’ save rooms and the claustrophobic, fixed-camera angle aesthetic perfectly. You feel the dread of walking down a hallway with only a lighter and a handgun with six bullets.
The casting of Welcome to Raccoon City is a Rorschach test. The film plays fast and loose with the personalities of its beloved icons, and whether you hate it or love it depends on your attachment to their video game archetypes.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Leon S. Kennedy. In the games, Leon is a cocky, slightly clumsy rookie who grows into a secret agent. In this film, he is a bumbling, scared, pathetic goofball. Avan Jogia plays Leon as a man having the worst day of his life, crying in the back of a police car and accidentally shooting his own radio. Purists hated this. Critics called it a betrayal. But look closer: this is actually game-accurate Leon from the first 20 minutes of Resident Evil 2. He is supposed to be in over his head. Jogia’s performance, filled with nervous sweat and terrible decisions, is a brilliant deconstruction of the action hero trope.
Conversely, Claire Redfield is the hyper-competent radical. Kaya Scodelario (channeling a young, angry Sigourney Weaver) is the moral center of the film, connecting the dots about Umbrella’s child trafficking experiments. She is the heart.
Then there is Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen). The script does her dirty. In the game, she is a master of unlocking and a cool-headed tactical expert. Here, she is a glorified extra who mostly follows Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper) around. Hopper’s Wesker, however, is a revelation. He plays the corrupt team leader not as a cartoon villain, but as a weary, guilty man who sold his soul for a promotion. When he turns—and you know he will—it is genuinely tragic.
The standout, bizarrely, is Robby Amell’s Chris Redfield. Screenwriters usually paint Chris as the stoic, meathead hero. Here, he is a traumatized alcoholic haunted by the disappearance of the Bravo team. He isn't a leader; he's a survivor clinging to denial. It is a dark, compelling take that deserved more screen time.
The film opens in the Raccoon City Orphanage (1988), showing a young Claire Redfield and Lisa Trevor (a grotesque test subject). In the present (1998), Claire returns to
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Witness the beginning of evil.
Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corp, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. Beneath the surface, something terrifying has been brewing. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the dark truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night. Survival is their only mission.
The 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a survival horror reboot that adapts the stories of the first two games in the Capcom franchise. It is rated for strong violence, gore, and language throughout. 🧬 Plot & Setting
September 1998 in Raccoon City, a dying town abandoned by the pharmaceutical giant, the Umbrella Corporation
An evil experiment is unleashed, forcing a group of survivors to uncover the truth and survive the night. Key Locations: Features iconic game sets like the Spencer Mansion Raccoon City Police Department (RPD) Disney Plus 🔞 Content Advisory Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City Movie Review
This guide covers Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
, a reboot that serves as an origin story by merging the plots of the first two video games (Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2). Core Plot & Setting Review: Resident Evil – Welcome to Raccoon City
Set in 1998, the film explores two parallel narratives occurring simultaneously on the night Raccoon City is destroyed.
The Spencer Mansion Incident: STARS Alpha team (Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Albert Wesker) investigates the disappearance of Bravo team at a remote mansion. They discover Umbrella’s illegal experiments and encounter the first wave of zombies.
The Raccoon City Outbreak: Claire Redfield returns to the city to warn her brother Chris about Umbrella’s experiments. She teams up with rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy to survive the outbreak at the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD). Key Characters
Claire Redfield: An investigator/hitchhiker who grew up in the Raccoon City Orphanage and returns to expose Umbrella.
Chris Redfield: Claire’s brother and a member of the elite STARS unit.
Leon S. Kennedy: A rookie police officer on his first day at the RPD, often depicted as a hungover and somewhat out-of-his-depth newcomer. Jill Valentine: A skilled STARS sharpshooter.
Albert Wesker: The STARS leader who secretly works for a mysterious organization seeking to steal Umbrella’s research.
William Birkin: An Umbrella scientist who experiments on children and eventually injects himself with the G-Virus, becoming the film's primary monster.
Lisa Trevor: A disfigured victim of Umbrella’s experiments from the orphanage who aids Claire and Leon. Ending & Post-Credits Explained
The Escape: The survivors (Chris, Claire, Leon, Jill, and Sherry Birkin) flee Raccoon City via an underground Umbrella train just before the city is destroyed by a tactical explosion intended to erase evidence.
Final Battle: Leon uses a rocket launcher to destroy the mutated William Birkin on the train.
Mid-Credits Scene: Albert Wesker, presumed dead, awakens in a body bag. He is greeted by Ada Wong, who provides him with his iconic sunglasses and reveals he was resurrected by a virus. Notable Easter Eggs for Fans
Released in late 2021, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
is an action horror reboot that aims to be a more faithful adaptation of the original Capcom video games than previous film iterations. Plot & Setting The film is set in
and serves as an origin story, creatively merging the plots of the first two Resident Evil games into a single narrative. Dual Narratives : One storyline follows Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Albert Wesker as they investigate the eerie Spencer Mansion . Parallel to this, Claire Redfield
returns to Raccoon City to warn her brother and teams up with rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy to survive a city-wide zombie outbreak. Atmosphere
: Director Johannes Roberts drew inspiration from John Carpenter’s films to create a claustrophobic, "B-movie" horror vibe with an eerie synthesizer score. Content and Age Rating The film is rated ) for significant graphic content: Plugged In Violence & Gore
: Features "extremely gory" zombie violence, including graphic corpses, mutant creature attacks (like the Licker), and people on fire.
: Contains "extremely strong, constant language" with approximately 70 uses of the f-word Substances
: Includes scenes of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Plugged In Critical & Fan Reception Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City – A Gritty Reset for the Survival Horror Icon
For decades, the Resident Evil franchise has defined survival horror in gaming. However, its cinematic history has been a polarizing journey. While Paul W.S. Anderson’s hexalogy was a box-office juggernaut, it drifted far from the eerie, claustrophobic roots of the Capcom source material. Enter Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, a film designed specifically for the fans who grew up clutching a PlayStation controller in a dark room.
Directed by Johannes Roberts, this 2021 reboot ignores the superhuman antics of the previous films, choosing instead to strip the narrative back to its 1990s urban-decay beginnings. Returning to the Source: The Plot
The film is an ambitious mashup of the first two games in the series. Set in 1998, it follows two parallel threads that eventually collide in the shadows of a dying Midwestern town.
The Spencer Mansion (Resident Evil 1): We follow the STARS Alpha Team—including Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Albert Wesker—as they investigate a mysterious disappearance at a remote estate.
The Raccoon City Police Department (Resident Evil 2): Meanwhile, Claire Redfield returns to the city to warn her brother about Umbrella Corporation’s sinister experiments, teaming up with rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy as the city descends into a viral nightmare.
By merging these two iconic stories, Roberts attempts to create a "greatest hits" experience of the franchise’s most terrifying moments. Atmosphere and Aesthetic: The 90s Grime
One of the film’s greatest strengths is its commitment to the 90s aesthetic. Gone are the high-tech, sterile laboratories of the earlier films. In their place is a Raccoon City that feels like a decaying Rust Belt town.
The lighting is oppressive, the corridors of the RPD are cavernous and haunting, and the Spencer Mansion feels genuinely ancient. This "low-fi" approach to horror brings a tactile sense of dread that mirrors the fixed-camera tension of the original games. From the flickering neon of an arcade to the "Itchy, Tasty" Easter eggs hidden in the background, the film is a love letter to the era that birthed the series. A New Take on Iconic Characters
The casting of Welcome to Raccoon City took a grounded approach, focusing on character dynamics rather than just visual carbon copies. The film retells the fall of Raccoon City
Kaya Scodelario brings a hardened, conspiratorial edge to Claire Redfield.
Robbie Amell portrays Chris Redfield as a loyal, if somewhat blind, soldier of the town he calls home.
Avan Jogia’s Leon S. Kennedy is a significant departure—portrayed here as a hungover, slightly out-of-his-depth rookie, providing a more human (and often humorous) perspective compared to the action-hero version of the games. Why It Matters to Fans
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City isn't trying to be a sprawling sci-fi epic. It’s a survival horror film through and through. It prioritizes practical-looking creature effects—from the skinless Lickers to the tragic transformation of Lisa Trevor—and leans heavily into the "trapped" sensation that made the games famous.
While the condensed timeline means some plot points move at breakneck speed, the film succeeds in capturing the mood of Resident Evil. It understands that the horror comes from the unknown lurking in a dark hallway and the realization that the corporation meant to protect the world is actually its greatest predator. The Verdict
For those tired of the "Matrix-style" action of previous iterations, Welcome to Raccoon City offers a refreshing, muddy, and violent alternative. It’s a film made for the people who know what "STARS" stands for and who still have nightmares about the first zombie head-turn in the Spencer Mansion.
It’s not just a zombie movie; it’s a homecoming to the roots of survival horror.
Should we dive into a comparison of the monster designs between the film and the original games?
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City - A City of Horror
The Resident Evil franchise, one of the most iconic and enduring horror series in gaming history, takes place in a variety of terrifying locations. But one location stands out as a hub of horror and chaos: Raccoon City. In this write-up, we'll explore the dark history of Raccoon City, its significance in the Resident Evil series, and what makes it such a fascinating and terrifying setting.
The Birthplace of Biohazard
Raccoon City, a fictional city in the Midwestern United States, serves as the primary setting for several Resident Evil games, including Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and Resident Evil: Code: Veronica. The city was once a thriving metropolis, home to the Umbrella Corporation, a powerful and sinister biotechnology company. Umbrella's presence in Raccoon City led to a catastrophic chain of events that would transform the city into a nightmare.
The Umbrella Corporation's Dark Legacy
Umbrella's activities in Raccoon City were shrouded in secrecy, but their research and experiments had disastrous consequences. The company's scientists created the T-Virus, a deadly pathogen that reanimated the dead, turning them into horrific creatures known as zombies. As the virus spread, Umbrella's facilities in Raccoon City became breeding grounds for a new generation of biohazards.
The Outbreak
The events of Resident Evil 2 and 3 take place during a zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. The T-Virus spreads rapidly, infecting the city's population and turning them into undead monsters. The city is thrown into chaos as the police and military struggle to contain the outbreak. The heroes of the series, including Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Jill Valentine, must navigate the city's treacherous streets and abandoned buildings to uncover the truth behind the outbreak.
The Dark Atmosphere of Raccoon City
Raccoon City's atmosphere is a character in its own right. The city's once-thriving downtown area is now a desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland. The streets are littered with debris, and the sounds of groaning zombies and screams fill the air. The city's gothic architecture, with its dark alleys and cramped streets, adds to the sense of claustrophobia and dread.
Why Raccoon City Matters
Raccoon City is more than just a setting for the Resident Evil series; it's a character that drives the plot and shapes the experiences of the game's heroes. The city's dark history and tragic fate serve as a reminder of the dangers of unchecked scientific progress and the consequences of playing God.
The city's significance extends beyond the games themselves, too. Raccoon City has become an iconic part of gaming culture, symbolizing the horror and survival genres. The city's influence can be seen in other games, movies, and TV shows, and it continues to inspire new works of fiction.
Conclusion
Raccoon City is a testament to the power of setting in storytelling. The city's dark history, atmospheric environment, and significance in the Resident Evil series make it a fascinating and terrifying location. As a hub of horror and chaos, Raccoon City continues to captivate audiences and inspire new works of fiction. Welcome to Raccoon City, where the horrors of the Resident Evil series come to life.
Roberts is a horror director first, and it shows. Welcome to Raccoon City is surprisingly violent and deeply unsettling in its first hour. The film utilizes a mix of practical makeup effects for the zombies—rotting flesh, cloudy eyes, that specific lurch—and CGI only for the more outlandish monsters.
The highlight? The Licker.
During a tense sequence in the RPD corridors, the film delivers a masterclass in suspense. The Licker is introduced slowly: first the sound of claws on the ceiling, then a glimpse of a brain, then the full, terrifying creature. It moves with a jerky, unnatural speed that feels lifted directly from the 1998 cutscenes.
However, the film is not perfect. The third act descends into CGI chaos during the final Tyrant (Mr. X) showdown. While the Tyrant’s design is ripped straight from the game—trench coat, claw, relentless walk—the lighting becomes murky, and the tension of the man in the coat gives way to the fatigue of the digital monster.
The first thing you notice is the aesthetic. Anderson’s films were sleek, sterile, and painted in shades of blue and black. Roberts’ film is filthy. It is cold. The titular Raccoon City is not a bustling metropolis; it is a dying, impoverished company town. The streets are perpetually slick with rain. The Raccoon City Police Department (RPD) station is exactly as the game designers drew it—a converted art museum with ornate ceilings, grandfather clocks, and inexplicably placed wooden shutters. It feels lived-in, corrupt, and utterly hopeless.
Roberts masterfully leans into the "late 90s" setting. The film takes place in 1998, and it stinks of it. CRT televisions, payphones, and a soundtrack that hums with the industrial disquiet of the era create a sensory time capsule. This isn't a glossy superhero romp; it feels like a movie John Carpenter might have made if he were given a $25 million budget and a stack of PlayStation discs.
Most importantly, the horror is horizontal. The zombies in this film are not runners; they are the slow, shambling, Romero-esque terrors of the original game. A single zombie chewing on a corpse in a dark hallway poses a genuine threat. The film understands that tension is derived from lack of ammo, not abundance. When Claire Redfield scavenges for handgun clips, you feel the desperation.