Will the virus kill you, or will god save you?
2022
Experimental film
3:23 short
"will the virus kill you, or will god save you?” is a non-fiction experimental film, that is an account of some of the most gruesome murder scenes from gameplay of the Resident Evil franchise sourced from fan accounts on youtube. All clips end in a continue screen pronouncing the player dead with an option to continue or not. Death, in the dynamics and structures of video games, is not a finite concept. I’m interested in the embodiment some video games have to transcend death, the ability to time travel, redo, and replay, surpassing the Christian connotation of judgement and control being in the hands of god. I find it even more relevant in the context of Resident Evil — a game whose premise is set in the realm of biohazard virus horror. This film feels like a strange reflection of the politics discourse surround the COVID-19 pandemic.
Special thanks to youtube users Nivan Field, Help Me Leon, Andrew Louis, GameOverContinue, Jekavac TV, GamerrZOMBIE, aTRUEwommerONE, cakechieveables, and Redplanet1271’s Video Game Corner for uploading the fan videos and research.