Resident Evil's Netflix show asked reviewers not to mention politics

From Oval Office meetings to black helicopters coasting over the Middle East, Resident Evil's latest Netflix adaptation is packed with charged imagery—but please don't suggest it has any political ideas if you happen to be reviewing it, says Netflix.

Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness' first season is out now, and by all accounts it sounds like a pretty decent show. But when reviewers examined their embargo materials that clarify when reviews can be posted, they noticed the unusual request from the series' producers.

Promoting his own review on Twitter, Gizmodo staff writer Charles Pulliam-Moore noted that part of the embargo included not mentioning the show's pointedly political themes. Having been sent a copy of the embargo email, I can confirm that it does indeed ask that reviewers not link the "fictional" show with any real-world political topics. Capcom and Netflix both declined requests for comment.

Actually thought Resident Evil: Infinite Dark’s story was one of the better entries in the franchise outside of the games. But the studio’s ask that reviews not at all talk about real-world events or politics ended up casting a shadow over the entire movie for me https://t.co/IBsPzLO6tEJune 30, 2021

Nevertheless, Pulliam-Moore's review does very much cover the political situation of a show that supposedly covers the US occupation of a fictional Middle-Eastern nation, Penamstan, alongside more heightened government conspiracies surrounding viral outbreaks.

"What’s also likely to feel quite reminiscent of our reality is Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness’ larger story about domestic politics, international relations, and war," Pulliam-Moore writes. "At a time when the world is still in the midst of a global pandemic that’s left millions dead, all zombie stories hit very, very differently, but some of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness’ specific geopolitical details do feel like pointed pieces of commentary about the real world."

Sounds rather political to me. But then, I'm not writing a review, am I?

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.