The first reviews for Resident Evil's upcoming Netflix series have arrived, and one of the biggest takeaways is something reviewers were asked not to mention.
The world is currently trying to lift itself up and out of a pandemic while political issues become more prevalent than they ever have been before. That has shone a brighter spotlight than ever on the argument over whether politics and entertainment should be kept separate. The reality is that's pretty much impossible. However, that didn't stop Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness's creators from asking the clear themes relating to real-world issues not be referenced in the show's reviews.
Charles Pulliam's review of Infinite Darkness was published by Gizmodo on Wednesday of this week. By the time you reach its first full stop, it's pretty clear that the show has undeniable political themes. Truth be told if you have played a Resident Evil game or watched a Resident Evil movie, you'd have known that was going to be the case without having to read a single word.
In sharing the review on Twitter, Pulliam revealed that press were asked not to touch upon politics or the current state of the planet. "The studio’s ask that reviews not at all talk about real-world events or politics ended up casting a shadow over the entire movie for me," Pulliam tweeted. Others who reviewed the show have confirmed that was indeed an instruction included in the embargo they were issued.
Infinite Darkness's story takes place between Resident Evils 4 and 5. Its story focuses around civil war and the US's occupation of the fictional nation of Penamstan. Base elements that make it almost impossible not to compare the new Netflix show to real-world events. Not to mention the over-arching theme of everything Resident Evil, zombies. While we may not have been working through a zombie apocalypse for the last 15 months, a show about a global outbreak coming to Netflix while the real world is still in a pandemic of its own is going to result in some fairly obvious comparisons being drawn.
Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness comes to Netflix on July 8, 2021, at which point you will be able to decide for yourselves. Its creators will be hoping to build on the success of Resident Evil Village. The eighth game in the series was released earlier this year and has already sold more than four million copies.