Resident Evil: Afterlife is the fourth installment in the live-action Resident Evil film franchise, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and released in 2010. Based loosely on the popular video game series developed by Capcom, the movie continues the journey of Alice (played by Milla Jovovich) as she fights against the Umbrella Corporation and the deadly T-virus that has transformed much of the human population into flesh-eating undead.
The film opens with a dramatic assault on the Umbrella Corporation's underground Tokyo facility. Alice, now equipped with superhuman abilities due to the T-virus, leads an attack with a group of her clones. After a high-octane battle sequence and heavy casualties on both sides, Albert Wesker, the head of Umbrella, escapes the base by air. Onboard his aircraft, Wesker injects Alice with a serum that removes her enhanced powers before the plane crashes. Wesker is presumed dead, and Alice survives.
Six months later, Alice travels across a devastated North America in search of Arcadia—a rumored safe haven free of infection, as mentioned in a radio broadcast from Resident Evil: Extinction. She eventually arrives in Alaska and reunites with Claire Redfield (Ali Larter), who is suffering from amnesia due to a mind-control device. They find no trace of Arcadia, only an abandoned airstrip and scattered wreckage.
Claire and Alice fly to Los Angeles, where they discover a group of survivors trapped in a prison surrounded by thousands of zombies. Among the survivors is Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), Claire’s brother, who had been imprisoned by the others out of mistrust. Alice frees him, and they work together to formulate a plan to escape.
As the situation deteriorates, the group is forced to deal with more evolved and terrifying threats, such as the Axeman—a massive mutant wielding a giant axe—and zombies that have developed new abilities, including extending mandibles. Tension builds as the survivors attempt to escape the prison and reach Arcadia, which is revealed to be not a place, but a massive cargo ship anchored offshore.
The film culminates with a daring escape via airplane and an infiltration of the Arcadia vessel. Once aboard, Alice and her companions discover that the ship is an Umbrella trap being used to lure and capture survivors for experimentation. Wesker, who has survived the earlier crash, is controlling the ship and has been using the survivors as hosts for further T-virus research.
In a final confrontation, Alice battles Wesker, who now possesses enhanced strength and regenerative powers. After a fierce fight, Alice defeats him and sets the captured survivors free. Before Wesker can escape, his escape plane is rigged with explosives and detonates. However, a post-credits scene reveals that Wesker survived yet again, while a new threat approaches the Arcadia.
Resident Evil: Afterlife blends action, horror, and science fiction with fast-paced sequences, stylized visuals, and slow-motion combat, including many scenes shot using 3D technology. Although the film received mixed reviews for its narrative and character development, it was praised for its visual effects and thrilling action sequences. The movie continues to build on the apocalyptic world of the Resident Evil universe while expanding its mythology and setting the stage for future installments.
