As a longtime Resident Evil gamer and movie buff, I‘m often asked how the live-action films fit into the convoluted RE universe. With overlapping events, retcons, and confusing time jumps, it can be tough to nail down a concrete timeline for the movies. Well, after multiple rewatches, deep dives into fan theories, and hours researching behind-the-scenes details, I believe I‘ve cracked when each movie installment takes place. Grab some herbs, barricade the doors, and let‘s unravel the RE movie timeline!
Resident Evil (2002) Kicks Off the Outbreak
The first RE film thrusts us into the early days of Umbrella Corporation‘s sinister viral experiments. In 2002, a ransomware attack unleashes the T-virus in The Hive secret lab underneath Raccoon City. This transforms the research staff into ravenous zombies. An Umbrella special forces team, including Alice (Milla Jovovich), is sent to investigate. They battle through the facility, but ultimately nuke the site to contain the outbreak. The ending sets up sequels as Alice escapes and the virus reaches the city above.
Notable references in Resident Evil to the plot of the first two games include the location being the Arklay Mansion facade concealing the Hive‘s labs. Early versions of Hunters, zombie dogs, Lickers, and a Tyrant-like monster all pop up too.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) Depicts the Fall of Raccoon City
Picking up right after Resident Evil ends, Apocalypse shows T-virus zombies and other bio-organic weapons (B.O.W.s) swarming Raccoon City in the chaos. Key characters like Jill Valentine, Carlos Olivera, Nicholai Ginovaef, and Nemesis emerge straight from Resident Evil 3. Alice returns with genetically-enhanced strength, speed, and psionic powers from exposure to the virus. After teaming up with other survivors, Alice gets Umbrella nuking Raccoon City to cover up their disaster. The film closes with Alice determined to take Umbrella down.
Director Paul Anderson has said Apocalypse specifically shows events fans would‘ve played through themselves in the RE2 and RE3 games. Despite some liberties taken, I definitely felt immersed into iconic scenarios from those titles.
Resident Evil Movie Timeline So Far…
| Resident Evil (2002) | 2002 |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) | 2002, days after previous movie |
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) Shows an Apocalyptic Landscape
Extinction leapfrogs ahead five years, showing Earth devastated by the virus following the Raccoon City disaster. With the climate ravaged and zombie hordes dominating major cities, humanity clings to survival in isolated outposts. Alice roams the wasteland as a lone wolf, using her telekinetic and pyrokinetic powers against Umbrella. Eventually she joins a convoy of survivors led by Claire Redfield heading for a safe zone called Arcadia. The film ends with the heroes arriving at the supposed sanctuary, only to find it‘s a trap set by Umbrella.
Raccoon City being wiped out and the T-virus going global definitely gives post-apocalyptic vibes straight out of Resident Evil lore. The scenes of Alice taking down an Executioner Majini axe-man from RE5 exemplify the fun tie-ins sprinkled throughout.
Updated Resident Evil Movie Timeline
| Resident Evil (2002) | 2002 |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) | 2002, days after previous movie |
| Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) | 2007, 5 years after Apocalypse |
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) Features More Game Tie-Ins
Afterlife keeps the timeline rolling, with Alice and her allies infiltrating an Umbrella research ship in the Bering Strait. They uncover Wesker (Shawn Roberts) coordinating Umbrella‘s domination schemes around the world from this base. After narrowly escaping Wesker‘s clutches, Alice flies to North America searching for rumored survivors in Los Angeles. Along the way, she reunites with Claire and teams up with other game characters Luther West and Chris Redfield in L.A., which has become overrun by the infected. As a cliffhanger, they prepare for a final assault on Umbrella HQ.
Seeing signature playable protagonists Chris and Claire fighting side-by-side had me geeking out! The visual influences from Resident Evil 5‘s environments and enemies also standing out in my mind.
The Plot Thickens in the Resident Evil Movie Timeline
| Resident Evil (2002) | 2002 |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) | 2002, days after previous movie |
| Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) | 2007, 5 years after Apocalypse |
| Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) | 2010 |
Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) Revisits Fan-Favorite Locales
Retribution builds on Afterlife‘s momentum by having Alice join resistance forces organized by Wesker. He enhances Alice‘s powers further to help infiltrate Umbrella‘s global headquarters beneath Russia‘s icy Kamchatka Peninsula. This expansive base simulates suburban American locations ravaged during viral outbreaks being studied.
Getting to see elaborate digital recreations of the R.P.D. station lobby, gun shop, and street from Resident Evil 2 and other staple settings was a nostalgia trip! The sequel also brings back past film characters like Ada Wong, Leon Kennedy, Barry Burton. Overall it felt like a greatest hits compilation, but done in an immensely fun way for longtime fans.
The Penultimate Chapter Placed in the Resident Evil Movie Timeline
| Resident Evil (2002) | 2002 |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) | 2002, days after previous movie |
| Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) | 2007, 5 years after Apocalypse |
| Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) | 2010 |
| Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) | 2012 |
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) Caps Off the Series
As the ostensible finale, The Final Chapter flashes back to sibling antagonists Albert and Alex Wesker executing the global saturation scheme seen partially realized throughout the films. The plot then catches up to Alice weeks after Retribution, as she races back to where it all began in Racoon City. Her mission is acquiring a potential airborne antidote and anti-Umbrella data from The Hive before Umbrella can wipe out the remaining human settlements.
This last movie brings everything full circle, with the franchise starter location proving key to mankind‘s hopes. All the main games are also directly referenced when Wesker shows Alice his simulation rows labelled ‘Umbrella Prime Objective Observational Research (U.P.O.O.R.)‘, with the abbreviations spelling out the first letter of each main game title when put together! Talk about amazing attention to detail.
The Complete Resident Evil Movie Timeline Uncovered
| Resident Evil (2002) | 2002 |
| Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) | 2002, days after previous movie |
| Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) | 2007, 5 years after Apocalypse |
| Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) | 2010 |
| Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) | 2012 |
| Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) | 2012, weeks after previous movie |
So there you have it, a complete chronology placing each live-action Resident Evil film in the overall timeline! It spans a decade from the early days of the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, to the virus spreading globally, up through mankind‘s last stand against Umbrella‘s stranglehold on the post-apocalypse.
What do you think of how the movies lay out the series timeline? Did I miss any obscure connections or references worth highlighting? Let me know in the comments! And make sure to hit Subscribe for more epic Resident Evil content and survival horror fun!
