A small group of people, wholly unprepared for the situation they’re about to face in an old mansion surrounded by a forest. As they move further into the ornate but dilapidated building they unravel more of the mystery deep underneath.
The inspiration that Sweet Home’s premise and location provides to the original Resident Evil is clear and frequent. Separating them may make for a more unique review, but they’re so intertwined that I’ll tread the same trail that many reviewers have likely been down.
With nineteen games, eleven films, and two TV series under my belt, it’s safe to say that Resident Evil is a big deal for me. I’ve long known that the first game was initially conceived as a remake of Sweet Home, a Famicom/NES titles released simultaneously with the film in 1989.
The similarities are immediate. Old keys! The forest! Mysterious rooms and corridors! Overacting! The biggest difference is how the main threat. The overall threat is paranormal rather than biological, but there’s plenty of the same unnerving horror. Sweet Home is commendable for its use of practical effects, with everything from false floors through to animatronics used to provide some truly gross scenes. It doesn’t do loads of it, but really commits when it does.
Sweet Home may have inspired RE, but it’s drawn on plenty itself. Evil Dead camera movement, story beats from Poltergeist, and more than one Checkov’s Gun. It all pays off. There’s a lot of interest onscreen, with the at times ludicrous acting adding to things. The OTT nature of it all works.
As a lover of RE, it’s really cool to see Sweet Home. Put that aside however and you’ve still got a solid horror film.
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