out of 10
The short version
Our Resident Evil review starts with a confession: we walked out of the theater a little breathless and grinning like fools. Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) isn't the sprawling, lore-heavy mess some earlier movies in the series turned into. It's lean and mean, built like a long night with a survival-horror game: one more locked door, one worse hallway, and never enough bullets. It's also much funnier than we expected, and the gore doesn't flinch. Not everything lands. The pace sags when the story stops to catch its breath, and the last stretch loses steam. But the scares, the monsters, and Austin Abrams' scrappy lead performance carry it a long way. This is the franchise's best shot at a good movie, and we're giving it 8 out of 10.
What Resident Evil Is About
The setup is simple. Bryan Hodukavich (Austin Abrams) is a medical courier who takes a last-minute delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital, high in the snowy Colorado mountains. It should be an easy, boring job. It isn't. This is a reboot with an original story. There's no Leon Kennedy, no Albert Wesker, and no Alice from the earlier film series. Cregger has said the story runs alongside the events of Resident Evil 2 rather than retelling them. You don't need to know the games to follow it, and that's a smart choice.
What Works
The best thing about this movie is that it understands what playing a Resident Evil game feels like. Bryan is no hero. He's a regular guy who is terrible at this, and the film lets you feel every bad decision, every clumsy reload, and every moment of "please, just let this door open." Watching him slowly get braver, and a little better with a gun, plays like a skill tree in real life. When he finally gets something right, the audience cheers. The horror and the comedy share the same breath, and that's the movie's secret weapon. Cregger previously made Barbarian and Weapons, and he clearly knows how to mix dread with awkward laughs. Here the laughs never let the air out of the tension. You're scared one moment and giggling the next, which is exactly how these games have always felt. Cregger has compared the tone to Evil Dead II, and we can see why. The creatures are a highlight. They borrow from the games but go to wilder, grosser places, and a lot of the effects look hands-on rather than digital, which makes the violence hit harder. This is an R-rated movie for strong bloody violence, gore, and language, and it earns every bit of that. The craft is solid too. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski gives the snowy roads, farmland, and hospital corridors a clear, creepy look. The score by Ryan and Hays Holladay keeps your nerves on edge. At roughly 90 minutes, the movie also respects your time. It moves from one memorable set piece to the next with barely a pause to breathe.
What Doesn't
The same speed that makes the movie fun also exposes its weak spots. When the film slows down, the story feels thin. Outside the big set pieces, there isn't much holding it together, and a few of the quieter scenes just fill space until the next scare. Some critics noted that the film is more goofy than truly terrifying, and we partly agree. If you want pure, unrelenting dread, the humor may undercut it. The film also sometimes explains its own jokes. The game-style gags are best when they're left alone. The last act is the weakest part. The action keeps getting bigger and louder, but it also gets a little tiring. We won't spoil the Resident Evil ending, but it's a bold swing, and you may leave feeling like the story isn't quite finished. Longtime fans should also know this is not a lore-heavy adaptation. If you were hoping for Leon, Wesker, or a deep dive into Umbrella's secrets, you won't get much of that. We didn't mind, but some players might.
Performances
This is Austin Abrams' movie, and he's the reason it works. He plays Bryan as a panicked, funny, completely believable regular guy. He sells the fear, the stubbornness, and the small victories, and he holds the whole film together. Abrams also appeared in Cregger's Weapons, and the two clearly work well together. The Resident Evil cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser, who play Umbrella-connected characters. They get less to do, since the film stays locked on Bryan's night. Cherry brings welcome comic energy, but this is not an ensemble piece.
Is Resident Evil Worth Watching?
Yes, if you like horror that's fast, bloody, and a little silly. It's a great fit for fans of the games, anyone who liked Cregger's earlier films, and viewers who enjoy horror-comedy in the spirit of Evil Dead II. It's also a good pick for a Friday-night crowd that wants to scream and laugh together. Skip it if you hate gore, strong language, or jump scares. It's also not for kids, and it's not for anyone who wants a serious, slow-burn story. And if you need a deep, faithful retelling of one of the games, this isn't that either.
Resident Evil Review: Final Verdict
This is a short, sharp, gleefully gross survival-horror movie that actually feels like a Resident Evil game. The story is slight and the final stretch wobbles, but the scares, the humor, and Abrams' great lead performance make it easy to recommend. Critics have been warm too, and we understand why. It's a fun, nasty good time at the movies.
Movie Details
- Title: Resident Evil (2026)
- U.S. theatrical release: September 18, 2026 (Los Angeles premiere on September 15)
- Runtime: roughly 90 minutes (listings range from about 85 to 97 minutes)
- Director: Zach Cregger
- Writers: Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten
- Main cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser
- Genre: Horror, sci-fi
- Rating: R, for strong bloody violence, gore, and language
- Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
- Where to watch: In theaters. A streaming or home-release date hasn't been confirmed.
