Directed by Zach Cregger and based on the video game universe of the same name, Resident Evil follows a medical courier named Bryan (Austin Abrams), who is in the process of making a delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital when an outbreak forces him to fight for survival.
When it comes to the many video game adaptations that have existed over the years, none have had a long and very bumpy history like Resident Evil, which is the most iconic horror video game series known mostly for defining the survival horror genre and returning zombies to popular culture. It has had several live-action adaptations made, including a six-film series created by Paul W. S. Anderson from 2002 to 2016, a 2021 reboot film by Johannes Roberts, and a 2022 reboot series by Netflix. Every single adaptation has been universally panned by critics, fans, and general audiences, making Resident Evil one of the most cursed video game franchises when it comes to adaptations.
And now in 2026 we have another live-action adaptation, but this time coming from director Zach Cregger, who aimed to make his own take with a self-contained story set during the events of the second game, Resident Evil 2. After the success of Barbarian and Weapons, this was a bold project for Zach Cregger and his team to take, given how cursed the series is, but he clearly had way more passion and care for the source material compared to others before him. So did his adaptation of the beloved horror franchise finally break the decades-long curse? In my personal view, yes it absolutely does. Even though I am not a hardcore fan of the series, I am well-versed enough to know that this 2026 adaptation of Resident Evil is by far the best adaptation of the series that has ever been made while also being a genuinely fun, thrilling, and well-crafted survival horror that all audiences can enjoy. Cregger created a relentlessly fun and vicious film that both honors the source material while also taking some creative swings.
The previous Resident Evil adaptations always had large ensemble casts of well-known names and faces, but this adaptation chooses to go for a far simpler approach by having an extremely small cast and a large focus on the leading character throughout the whole film, similar to some of the games.
Austin Abrams is given the honor of playing the lead character Bryan, and he delivers a truly phenomenal performance as an immensely relatable protagonist who goes through the worst night of his life. Starting off as a simple courier doing his job, he ends up being thrown right into hell, going on a brutal journey of survival that pushes him to his physical and mental limits that you can’t help but feel immense sympathy for, as well as dread, given how he barely has any room to breathe. He isn’t some badass cop or experienced soldier but just a normal guy in a horrifying situation, being driven by fear and adrenaline much like we would be in his position. Austin Abrams is able to deliver a vast range of emotions through this one performance that can go from being extremely hilarious to extremely emotional to extremely terrified yet remain consistently compelling thanks to his dedicated and strong performance that carries the film immensely.
Since Austin is the primary focus of the film the other cast members don’t get to shine as much as he does, but there were definitely some great performances given by some of them, including Paul Walter Hauser and Zach Cherry as Umbrella Corporation scientists.
Now when it comes to the zombies and mutated monsters of this film adapted from the games, Zach Cregger and his team did a spectacular job bringing them all to life in terrifying ways through phenomenal practical effects and some solid CGI when needed. Rather than depicting the infected as generic zombies and monsters that can easily be killed like in past adaptations, Cregger fully commits to giving us nearly unstoppable monstrosities that are pure Lovecraftian nightmare fuel to look at and have the ability to regenerate, which makes them feel like an actual threat pursuing our lead character. The mutated monsters look disgustingly hideous and disturbing in the best ways possible, and I love how much Cregger and his team were able to bring them to life practically without having to rely fully on CGI the entire time.
This film’s narrative takes the same approach that Amazon’s Fallout does by welcoming in both veteran fans and new audiences to the world of Resident Evil through the perspective of a relatable protagonist that is living the in-universe canon event of the games, which is the fall of Raccoon City to the T-virus outbreak. It’s a very stripped-down, simplified, and self-contained story set within the Resident Evil universe that manages to capture everything narratively and tonally about the games without the need of heavy lore dumps or cameos from major characters to make it engaging. This film is a pure pedal-to-the-metal adrenaline rollercoaster from the very moment the first infected steps in, and it is executed magnificently with a lot of great thrills, scares and surprising amounts of humor that I didn’t expect.
There are a lot of great moments of grotesque horror and well-executed jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat, but there are also some absolutely hilarious moments in between that really made the film even more fun. It has a very clever incorporation of game mechanics interwoven through the story to add to thrills and humor while also being able to perfectly transition between a haunting small-scale atmosphere to an intense and epic bloodbath much like some of the Resident Evil games have done. There are also plenty of easter eggs and references from the games for fans to enjoy, as well as some hilarious inside jokes such as the inclusion of numerous padlocks, which are infamous amongst Resident Evil players for being these highly annoying roadblocks in the games that can’t be simply broken.
This film takes a lot of creative swings in terms of its direction, and it even manages to have a truly bold ending that stays true to the dark and tragic nature of some of the games. While this film was highly engaging and enjoyable with all it has to offer, it does feel a bit too stripped down and simplified in comparison to Zach Cregger’s previous work with Barbarian and Weapons, which both had layers of themes to be analyzed and explored upon multiple viewings. This film is not mindless entertainment like the Paul W. S. Anderson films, but it’s not some deeply layered narrative film either and is more of a straightforward survival horror much like the earlier Resident Evil games. The only theme I could say this film does adapt from the games is how the limits of human endurance can be tested by showcasing how an ordinary person can find the courage to persevere against impossible, mutating odds.
From a technical standpoint, this film looks absolutely fantastic with its incredible cinematography, terrifying visuals, amazing effects, and phenomenal set pieces that create some truly memorable sequences. From the cold, isolated, and haunting wilderness to the chaotic and hyper-violent city consumed by the outbreak, this film perfectly captures the looks and feels of the games in ways that no other adaptation has been able to do up to this point. This also applies to the fun usage of first-person POV shots with weapons in hand that not only serve as a fun reference to the games but also amplify the high-tension sequences of the film in the best ways possible.
The action is executed with adrenaline-fueled precision and makes full use of some incredible practical effects and sets that really manage to make you feel absorbed into everything that’s going on. And even for such a small-scale story it is presented in a huge manner, especially on IMAX, which I highly recommend watching it in.
Ryan and Hays Holladay serve as the musical composers of this film, and they deliver a stellar score that can range from hauntingly creepy to full-on assault on the senses depending on the sequence.
Zach Cregger and his team did an absolutely fantastic job with this unique take on Resident Evil, finally delivering an adaptation worthy of the franchise that is guaranteed to satisfy fans while also welcoming in newcomers. While there are a few things that hold it back from being perfect in my eyes, I still had a very enjoyable time watching it and I am happy to see Resident Evil get the proper adaptation it deserves from a truly passionate and creative director who actually cares about the source material. So go ahead and see it on the biggest screen possible when it releases this week! I’m going to give Resident Evil (2026) an A- = 93.
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