If read in order, the subtitles for the first six theatrically released films in the “Resident Evil” series almost… almost… outline a story resembling “The Divine Comedy.” The first film, of course, is just called “Resident Evil” (2002), and is about the release of a deadly corporate-owned virus that turns the world’s citizens into zombies, creatures, or just plain dead corpses. The sequel is titled “Apocalypse” (2004), meaning that the virus escaped containment and infected Earth. The third film is titled “Extinction,” which means that the virus did its job and humanity became extinct. The arc is very clear.
What comes after extinction? Well, the fourth movie is called Afterlife (2010), and follows a now-dead humanity in Heaven. How convenient. Unfortunately, the fifth film in the series is not called “Resurrection” or “Reincarnation,” but rather “Retribution” (2012), which is a kind of spiritual cycle breaker. Perhaps with “Retribution” humanity has become a group of vengeful ghosts? Or maybe not.
