Resident Evil Movie Reboot: 10 Things It MUST Get Right

It’s a cry uttered by horror fans so often that it has become something of a cliché, but practical effects really do look much better than CGI. Whilst CGI has certainly come on leaps and bounds since the plasticene-looking Scorpion King first crawled from his tomb, it still has a tendency to age rapidly and poorly and most film fans will agree that practical effects are usually the way to go where possible.

The problem with CGI in a horror movie is that it is so much harder to scare the audience. Subconsciously something in our minds recognises that the animated object was not in the actual room with the actors and so the sense of danger is removed. With a real, practical effect, our brains don’t have that same get out clause. It’s also much easier for the actors to work with a physical prop that’s right there in the room.

It isn’t that there’s no place for CGI in these movies; the ideal solution is a blending of the two. Physical props with CGI enhancements are less fake-looking than a creature made entirely of CGI.

Whilst some creatures will likely have to be made entirely in a computer (the latter-stage Birkin mutations come to mind) some, such as the hulking Mr. X, would be better played by real actors with CGI enhancements, to render them more intimidating.