Resident Evil

Review

Date Watched: September 19, 2026
Where Watched: Theaters
Adaptation? Yes — Video Game

Quick Hook (First Impression)

Video game adaptations are a very tricky type of film to make. Sometimes they can turn out great, such as the Sonic the Hedgehog films and Detective Pikachu, while other times they can turn out poorly, such as Doom and Borderlands. Unfortunately, the Resident Evil franchise has traditionally fallen more into the latter category. After watching several of the previous Resident Evil films, I have to admit that the franchise as a whole has been a disappointment.

However, when I heard that Zach Cregger was directing a reboot, I immediately became more interested. After watching the film, I can confidently say that Cregger has done it again and has added another great horror film to his resume.

Story / Concept

The film follows Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a medical courier who is tasked with delivering an important package to Raccoon City General Hospital. However, during his journey, Bryan encounters a viral outbreak and suddenly finds himself fighting for his life against a variety of mutated monsters.

While the story itself isn't overly complicated, the film does a good job of putting Bryan into a situation where the audience can experience the chaos and horror alongside him. One of the things I appreciated most was how much the movie actually felt like a Resident Evil video game rather than simply using the name and characters of the franchise.

The camera work especially helped accomplish this. There were several shots throughout the film that made me feel like I was watching someone actually play one of the games. My favorite example was when Bryan was aiming his gun and the camera would transition into a first-person shooter perspective. These moments made the video game influence feel natural rather than forced.

Performances

The true highlight of the film for me was Austin Abrams. Bryan is a very relatable protagonist because, unlike many horror movie characters, he doesn't suddenly become fearless once the danger starts.

In most horror movies, the protagonist begins the film scared and eventually transforms into a true hero as the story progresses. Bryan, however, is scared to death for basically the entire movie, and honestly, that's exactly how a typical person would probably react if they were suddenly thrown into a viral outbreak and surrounded by mutated monsters.

I enjoyed that aspect of his character because it made him feel more believable. Instead of constantly making the perfect decision or acting like an action hero, Bryan reacts like a normal person who has absolutely no idea what he's gotten himself into.

The supporting characters also provide some surprisingly funny moments, which helps contribute to the film's horror-comedy balance.

Pacing / Flow

At only 1 hour and 37 minutes, Resident Evil moves at a pretty quick pace. For the most part, I didn't have an issue with this. The movie gets into the action fairly quickly and doesn't spend too much time slowing down the story.

My biggest issue with the pacing comes toward the end. While I thought the overall 90-minute runtime worked fine, the ending felt extremely abrupt. It almost felt like the movie was rushing to get to the credits, and because of that, the conclusion didn't give me the payoff I was hoping for.

I think if the ending had been given just a few more minutes to breathe, the final moments would have hit much harder.

Themes / Meaning

One of the biggest surprises for me was how well the movie balanced its horror and comedy.

Going into Resident Evil, I expected the film to be scary, but I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it was. Bryan's reactions and quips to certain situations gave me several good laughs, and even some of the minor characters had moments that genuinely made me laugh.

Normally, adding this much comedy to a horror movie can potentially dilute the horror. However, I thought Resident Evil handled the balance really well. The humor doesn't completely take away from the scary moments, and the scary moments don't prevent the movie from being funny.

The creature designs are another major strength. I've seen people compare the movie more to The Thing than Resident Evil, but personally, I don't see that as a negative at all. The Thing has some of the best practical effects in filming history, and Resident Evil is definitely in that conversation as well.

The creatures are creepy, horrifying, and genuinely impressive to look at. My favorite was the little girl Bryan discovers in the trailer. The creature work gives the movie a very tangible horror element that makes the monsters feel like something physically present rather than just computer-generated obstacles.

The jump scares were also surprisingly effective. Jump scares are obviously a typical part of modern horror, and after watching enough horror movies, you eventually learn to recognize when one is coming. Once you know the scare is coming, you would think that would completely ruin the payoff.

But Resident Evil somehow manages to make you jump anyway.

Even when I knew a scare was coming, the movie did a good job of building enough tension around it that I still reacted when it happened.

Final Thoughts

Resident Evil may not have the highest bar when it comes to video game adaptations, but Zach Cregger still did a phenomenal job bringing the feeling of Resident Evil to the big screen.

The movie succeeds because it doesn't just feel like a horror movie that happens to have the Resident Evil name attached to it. The camera work, creature designs, first-person shooting perspective, outbreak setting, and overall atmosphere make it feel like an actual Resident Evil experience.

My biggest complaints are the abrupt ending and the lack of deeper lore surrounding the outbreak. If you're familiar with the games, you may already know what caused the outbreak and what Umbrella's involvement is, but the movie doesn't spend much time explaining it.

Umbrella is technically present in the film, but outside of its name being mentioned earlier, the company doesn't feel like a major part of the story.

Even with those problems, I had a great time watching this movie. It's not only one of the best horror films I've seen this year, but also one of the best video game adaptations I've seen.

Who is this for? If you're a fan of horror, practical creature effects, Resident Evil, or video game adaptations, this is definitely worth checking out. It's especially worth watching if you enjoy horror movies that aren't afraid to have some fun and comedy mixed into the scares.

Who should skip it? If you aren't a fan of horror, creature features, or video game adaptations, there probably isn't much here that will change your mind.

One-Sentence Verdict: Zach Cregger delivers a creepy, funny, and surprisingly faithful-feeling Resident Evil reboot that stands as both one of the year's better horror films and one of the better video game adaptations.

What Worked

• The camera work and lighting, especially the first-person shooting sequences.
• Austin Abrams' relatable performance as Bryan.
• The creepy and impressive creature designs.
• The balance between horror and comedy.
• Effective jump scares.
• The overall Resident Evil video game feeling.

What Didn't

• The ending felt rushed and abrupt.
• The film doesn't provide enough lore about the outbreak.
• Umbrella doesn't feel as important to the story as it could have.

Adaptation Notes

Faithful? Mostly.

The movie captures the feeling of the Resident Evil games particularly well through its atmosphere, creature designs, camera work, and gameplay-inspired sequences. However, the limited explanation of the outbreak and Umbrella's role leaves some of the franchise's lore underdeveloped.

Optional Gut Check

Rewatchable? Yes

Would I recommend this casually to a friend? Yes