Netflix’s Resident Evil series will end despite the popularity of the video games. The sitcom, which also featured Ella Balinska, Paola Nez, Lance Reddick, and Adeline Rudolph, has been cancelled by the streamer after just one season. The survival horror video game franchise, which debuted in 1996 and continues to do brisk business with its sequels to this day, did not appear to live up to the legacy of the show, which followed two split timelines during an outbreak of a deadly virus. The show’s reception from both fans and critics was mixed.
The show debuted a little more than a month ago, and while it got off to a decent start—debuting at #2 on Netflix’s “most-watched” list—it failed to hold viewers’ attention long enough for them to binge or watch additional episodes. The series has a 22% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its user rating on Metacritic reflects even harsher criticism from fans. Both fan and mainstream audience reactions were mainly unfavourable.
The series left a bad impression on critics as well. The series, according to Collider’s own Ross Bonaime, is “a biohazard that should be avoided,” and among its flaws are the “tedious” Wesker family drama and awkward dialogue.
Of course, this isn’t the first time the Resident Evil video games have been adapted into another medium: Earlier this year, Screen Gems released the feature film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which was directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) and starred Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), Robbie Amell (Upload), and Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp), as Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield, and fan favourite Jill Valentine. Milla Jovovich (Monster Hunter) also starred in a six- The sci-fi horror movie did not do well with reviewers either; it has a 30% rating on RottenTomatoes, compared to 65% among fans.
