What actually happens
A computer with a very short temper
Under Raccoon City sits the Hive, a genetic research lab run by the Umbrella Corporation. A thief takes the T-virus, which was engineered in a lab, and releases it inside the facility. The lab's artificial intelligence, the Red Queen, responds by sealing the Hive and killing everyone in it so the virus cannot reach the surface. Above ground, Alice comes to in an empty mansion's bathroom with no memory. Someone tackles her just before a group of commandos led by One breaks in. The man who tackled her says he is Matt Addison, a cop who just joined Raccoon P.D. The commandos take Alice and Matt down to the Hive and find a second amnesiac, Spence, hidden on the train. They explain that everybody but Matt works for Umbrella, and that Alice and Spence were placed at the secret entrance as a married couple.
Reading this instead of watching it is the correct decision. Scaredy Cat makes that decision automatic, for free.
The Red Queen asks nicely
The big early shock is the laser defense system outside the Red Queen's chamber. It kills One and three other commandos, and it is the first major death in the Hive. After that, the Red Queen begs the group to leave. Kaplan shuts her down anyway, which cuts the power and opens every door in the Hive. The zombified staff are released, along with the Lickers, which are creatures made through experiments with the T-virus. The horde attacks, and J.D. is killed while the team scatters. Rain loses her keys, and Matt uses the chaos to sweep them away and escape his handcuffs. Alice's memories begin to return, and Matt finds his sister Lisa, who is among the zombies.
The marriage was a cover story
Alice rescues Matt. He explains that he and Lisa campaigned for the environment, and that Lisa went undercover at Umbrella to smuggle out proof of illegal experiments. Alice remembers that she was Lisa's contact inside the Hive, and she does not tell Matt. The survivors regroup at the Red Queen's chamber with one hour until the Hive locks them in for good. Alice and Kaplan turn the Red Queen back on to find a way out and set up a remote shutdown so she behaves. In the maintenance tunnels, zombies ambush them, and J.D., back from the dead, bites Rain, who then shoots him. Kaplan is bitten and gets separated from the others. Alice remembers an anti-virus in the lab, but it is gone. Spence's memory returns, and he is the thief who released the virus on purpose, after hiding both the virus and the cure on the train.
Till zombification do us part
Spence turns on the group, but a zombie bites him, and he still locks the survivors in the lab anyway. He gets the anti-virus and a Licker kills him. Then the Red Queen proposes sparing Alice and Matt if they get rid of Rain, who is now infected. A power outage hits, and Kaplan shows up, since he switched the Red Queen off to get the lab doors open. Everyone heads for the train. Alice retrieves the anti-virus there and has to kill Spence a second time, since he has come back. On the train, Rain and Kaplan get injections. The Licker attacks, claws Matt and kills Kaplan, and Alice subdues it. The cure did not work on Rain, who turns and attacks Matt, so he shoots her. Back at the mansion, Matt's wound starts to mutate, and before Alice can inject him, Umbrella scientists capture both of them. They say Matt will go into something called the Nemesis Program and that the Hive will be reopened for an investigation.
The ending, explained
Alice wakes up strapped to an examination table at the Raccoon City Hospital, escapes, and walks out to find the city in ruins. She takes a shotgun from an abandoned police car. Of the team that went into the Hive, only Alice and Matt make it out, and Matt is in the hands of Umbrella as part of the Nemesis Program. That is where the movie stops.
The post-credits ruling
There is no post-credits scene. You can leave when the credits start.
✓ Spoiled safelyDog status: not fine, because the zombie Dobermans get shot.
Questions people ask at 1am
Is Resident Evil scary?
Resident Evil is a 4 out of 10 with low dread. It has plenty of jump scares, zombies and Lickers, but it plays like an action movie, and the fear is gone by the end of the credits.
How does Resident Evil end?
Alice and Matt escape the Hive, but Umbrella scientists capture them at the mansion. Alice wakes up in a hospital and finds Raccoon City in ruins.
Does the dog die in Resident Evil?
Yes, dogs die in Resident Evil. Zombie Dobermans attack people in the Hive and are shot.
Is there a post-credits scene in Resident Evil?
No. Resident Evil has no post-credits scene, so you can leave when the credits start.
Who is the Red Queen in Resident Evil?
The Red Queen is the artificial intelligence that runs the Hive. When the T-virus leaks, she seals the facility and kills everyone inside to keep it from reaching the surface.
