Netflix's 'Resident Evil' Dragged By Audiences: 'Intolerably Bad'

Netflix's Resident Evil is being pilloried online following its premiere on July 14. Both fans and professional reviewers have taken to social media and other outlets to criticize the live-action video game adaptation.

"That new Resident Evil series is hot f**king garbage," YouTuber AlphaOmegaSin posted to Twitter. "It's like a bad fanfic with a budget."

Other verified Twitter accounts also blasted the series. "Resident Evil on Netflix may be the most boring, pointless garbage I've seen all year, with absolutely nothing in common with its source material," The Critical Drinker shared via the platform. "Its so bad, it makes the Milla Jovovich movies look like absolute works of art in comparison."

Canadian YouTuber Matthew Kowalewski, a.k.a. Matt McMuscles—known for his in-depth analysis videos on video games and films—also shared his thoughts: "I had no idea there was a live action Resident Evil thing happening on Netflix this week. Whoever is in charge of greenlighting all these recent adaptations of RE should consider stopping doing that."

Comments weren't much better on Instagram. "This is such a bad adaption tho," one user posted underneath a clip from the series posted on Netflix's U.S account. "Terrible," someone else said alongside a slew of thumbs-down emoji.

Currently, Resident Evil sits at just a 51 percent critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 25 percent average audience score. On IMDb, it has a rating of just 3.6. As for Metacritic, it got a mixed rating of 53 based on 16 critic reviews. The user score, however, yielded an "overwhelming dislike" for a 1.6 based on 92 ratings.

Other Netflix original series score significantly higher. Stranger Things sits at 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with an average audience score of 90 percent. On IMDb, it gets an 8.7 out of 10. Meanwhile, Bridgerton's average Tomatometer is 82 percent. The show boasts an average rating of 76 percent and has a respectable 7.3 on IMDb. Comparatively, their user scores on Metacritic were an 8.5 and 6.4 respectively.

Among the harsh criticism, some are daring to praise Resident Evil. GameSpot'sTwitter account went as far to say that it's not only "the best adaptation of the zombie franchise yet," it also "earns the title of one of the few 'good' video game adaptations bestowed on the world."

Alex Aniel, author of Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil, agreed the show is a must-watch. "One thing I loved about Resident Evil Netflix was the overall visual style. From the characters to the zombies, to the labs and sewer tunnels, I found it visually solid for a TV series," he tweeted. "Great camera work as well."

A review via The Guardianshed a positive view on the show as well, claiming fans "will binge-watch like never before."

Resident Evil is Capcom's best-selling franchise, with 125 million copies sold worldwide since its release in 1996, according to the gaming company's website. The first Resident Evil film was released in 2002.

Have you watched Resident Evil? What do you think of the new show? Let us know in the comments section below.