Resident Evil 2026 Review: It Understands the Games So Well

Zach Cregger has quickly become one of modern horror’s most exciting filmmakers. After earning widespread praise for Weapons (2025), he has now turned his attention to the iconic Resident Evil franchise with the 2026 reboot. Despite its success, Cregger has said he doesn’t plan to make another franchise film. 

Here is our version of the Resident Evil 2026 review, exploring what makes Cregger’s reimagination such a compelling and refreshing addition to the survival-horror genre.  

Plot details of Resident Evil (2026)

Cregger’s Resident Evil follows Bryan (played by Austin Abrams), a medical courier caught in the T-virus-infected Raccoon City. He faces horrifying mutated creatures all through the night, including a zombie dog, grotesque conjoined townsfolk, and a naked fat man in a sewer setting. 

Raccoon City is about to become a bloodbath. Watch the trailer here: 

Actors’ performances in Resident Evil (2026)

Austin Abrams portrayed an ordinary, clumsy, and petrified guy and had no elite heroic elements. His fear looked chaotic yet authentic in the moments when he wanted to look cool. I found Abrams’ Bryan unnecessarily funny at times, but Cregger’s background in sketch comedy explains the horror-comedy tone of the film. Instead of making it a hyper-serious horror movie, Cregger adopted a gritty yet comedic approach for the character. 

The other actors had a brief screen presence, such as Kali Reis’s Maxine, a seasoned and fearless mercenary, and Zach Cherry’s Dave, an Umbrella Corporation scientist. Though Maxine was brave, Dave appeared comically incapable of taking action when the syringe fell to the ground, too frightened to get it himself as he repeatedly urged fellow scientists to retrieve it.   

What do critics add to the Resident Evil 2026 review?

The critics are completely swept away by the film, which is evident from the positive critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes:

“Packing unforgettable scares into a sleek runtime while Austin Abrams’ crack comedic timing provides crucial levity, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is a propulsive tribute to the pleasure and terror of playing a truly spooky video game.” [Source]

Fans’ reaction

The fans feel the same way, as they called the film “suspenseful, thrilling, exciting, and unexpectedly funny.” A few declared that the ending didn’t live up to expectations, but the pic was overall entertaining from beginning to end. 

Is it worth watching?

Cregger’s Resident Evil is magnificent on every level, except that the ending wasn’t satisfactory for me. Otherwise, I could’ve given a 10/10 rating in this review. I didn’t like the idea that the character that we have been following the entire film, who managed to dodge the infected monsters in every possible way, wasn’t given a chance to survive. It was frustrating as well as heartbreaking for me to watch the syringe carrying the cure drop to the ground while the entire city was engulfed with the virus, including our Bryan. 

This has been the case with several fans who didn’t like the controversial ending, but the director had his own reason, which is understandable as well. Cregger revealed that an earlier version of the film featured a completely different ending. During test screenings, viewers saw the syringe break, sending Bryan on a killing spree, according to GameSpot. However, the ending reportedly didn’t resonate with audiences and was ultimately removed. The released film instead uses a second sequence that had been prepared as a Plan B—and eventually became the final ending.

On the other hand, the current ending could be perceived as closer to reality within the film’s chaotic reality. Avoiding the virus in a city like Raccoon City feels almost impossible as the outbreak has spiraled beyond anyone’s control, even Umbrella’s scientists. Rather than giving Bryan a straightforward descent into the night’s madness, the final sequence reinforces the idea that in Raccoon City, survival is never guaranteed, which makes sense.  

Though the film is interpreted as one of the best video game adaptations of all time, no one talks about the subtle theme that the film attempts to address. It is the unavoidable transformation and the paralyzing fear of fatherhood, using physical metaphor for growing up and taking responsibility, that no one can escape. The film starts by showing that Bryan is running away from the news of his girlfriend’s pregnancy, and his internal panic is aptly mirrored while he is trapped in a city where bodies mutate.  

Another praiseworthy element of the film was the absence of background music in the majority of parts. The director did not rely on a musical score to guide the audience’s emotions and wanted the actual tension to create tension. It felt like we were left in an abyss without knowing how to react and waiting in silence for what comes next. The feeling itself is more unsettling than the monsters. 

The spot-on cinematography is what made the film a masterpiece. The first-person perspective, the gun raised over the shoulder, switching between weapons, counting every remaining bullet, and scanning every dark corner for the slightest sign of danger all capture the essence of the video game experience. The tension isn’t just on screen; it makes you feel the same anxiety as the protagonist.    

What we liked

• The video game experience
• Austin Abrams’ performance
• Atmosphere and silence 
• Cinematography
• The underlying theme

What could be better

• The ending
• Bryan’s fate
• Dave’s character
• Uneven humor
• Supporting characters 

Here is a detailed breakdown of our rating for Resident Evil (2026):

Story/plot	9/10
Characters and acting	8/10
Direction and pacing	9/10
Visuals and cinematography	9.5/10
Soundtrack/score	10/10
Themes and message	8/10
Emotional impact	8.5/10
Creativity and originality	9/10
Rewatchability	9/10

Our rating: 9/10

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Is Resident Evil (2026) available for streaming?

Sony Pictures has released Resident Evil (2026) (R-rated) in theaters, and it is not available to stream at the moment. 

Genre: Body horror, monster horror, psychological horror, supernatural horror, survival, zombie horror, action, sci-fi

IMDb rating: 7.7

Rotten Tomatoes: 95 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 91 percent on Popcornmeter (audience score)

Cast: Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Kali Reis, Zach Cherry, Johnno Wilson

Director: Zach Cregger

Writers: Zach Cregger, Shay Hatten

Producers: Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, Carter Swan, Asad Qizilbash

Release date: September 18, 2026

Movie runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes