Movie Review: Resident Evil (2026)
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Review: The Scariest Live-Action Adaptation Yet
When the first Resident Evil movie starring Milla Jovovich dropped back in 2002, I actually enjoyed it for what it was. But as the sequels kept rolling out, much like the Fast & Furious franchise, it became obvious Hollywood was just milking the IP to the last drop. I skipped 2021's Welcome to Raccoon City reboot entirely because it looked like another generic survival-game cash grab covering ground we'd already seen.
So when director Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) was announced to helm a brand-new live-action reboot, promising a grounded, pure survival horror film instead of another high-octane sci-fi action blockbuster. I was genuinely excited.
I caught it on IMAX last Wednesday, and boy, was I spooked.
What Is Resident Evil (2026) About?
Stripping away the superhero tropes of past films, Cregger’s reboot sets its nightmare during a fierce winter blizzard in Raccoon City. The story follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), an ordinary medical courier trapped inside Raccoon City General Hospital just as the T-Virus outbreak decimates the city.
Bypassing traditional super-soldier protagonists like Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, the film focuses on a completely regular guy trying to survive a claustrophobic nightmare against grotesque, infected horrors.
"Game Mode" Cinematography & Grotesque Body Horror
I’ve never been a die-hard gamer, though I played a few Resident Evil titles back in the day. Even without being an expert, I appreciate how Cregger incorporates subtle video game mechanics into the filmmaking.
The film leans heavily into intense over-the-shoulder sequences whenever Bryan aims his gun or cautiously checks dark corners. It genuinely feels like you're watching someone navigate a terrifying survival game, where every room feels like moving to a tougher "level" with increasingly brutal obstacles.
Visually, the creature designs are intensely gory. They aren't exact carbon copies of the games, but they are so grotesquely mutated that I found myself physically squirming in my IMAX seat. In the best way possible, the body horror strongly reminded me of John Carpenter’s The Thing.
Realistic Human Panic vs. Movie Logic
If I have one nitpick, it’s the decisions made by the main characters. I found myself swearing at the screen a few times, frustrated by what seemed like terrible choices.
Reflecting on it later, though, I realized modern cinema has conditioned us to expect hyper-capable, sharp-minded protagonists who make perfect tactical decisions under pressure. In reality, the average human would react just like Bryan. If I were suddenly thrown into a monster apocalypse with super-fast, horrifying creatures, I haven't run for my life a day in my life, I would definitely die within the first ten minutes. Seeing a normal person panic makes the stakes feel far more real.
The Verdict?
Even with creature designs so absurd they occasionally border on cartoonish, balanced out by well-placed beats of dark comedy, this is hands-down the best live-action Resident Evil movie I have ever watched. Zach Cregger delivered a claustrophobic masterclass in survival dread.
RATING 8.5/10: Zach Cregger strips away the sci-fi superhero nonsense to deliver a terrifying, game-inspired survival horror film packed with grotesque body horror and real human stakes.
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