Resident Evil Movie Review: picture a Friday night show in a multiplex, the AC turned up too high, a large group of college friends two rows ahead still arguing about which Resident Evil game was the best. Half of them have played every one. The other half just came for the jump scares. The surprising thing about Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil is that it works for both groups. In this review we look at the story, the performances, the direction and music, what works, what does not, and whether this one deserves a trip to the theatre.
Resident Evil at a Glance
- Release date: 18 September 2026 (US and India)
- Director: Zach Cregger
- Writers: Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten
- Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser
- Genre: Horror, with a strong streak of dark comedy
- Runtime: About 1 hour 34 minutes
- Languages in India: English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu
1. The Story: One Courier, One Very Bad Night
Forget everything you remember about the older Resident Evil films. This is a fresh start, based on Capcom’s video games, and it does not continue the earlier movie series.
Austin Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who agrees to make a last-minute delivery to a hospital in Raccoon City. It should be a simple drive. Instead, he ends up in the middle of an outbreak, and the night turns into a desperate race to survive and finish the job.
Fans should know one thing going in. Cregger has deliberately kept the famous game characters out. There is no Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield here. The film tells a side story set in that world, from the point of view of an ordinary man who has no idea what he has walked into. We will stop there, because the fun lies in discovering each new obstacle along with Bryan. A spoiler-free Resident Evil Movie Review has to leave those beats for the dark of the theatre.
2. Performances
Austin Abrams as Bryan
This is a small cast with one main character, so the whole film rests on Abrams, and he carries it with ease. Bryan is not a trained soldier or a superhero. He is clumsy, frightened, often swearing at his own bad luck, and that is exactly why you root for him. Abrams manages to be funny without turning the character into a joke. His panic feels real, and so does his exhaustion as the night goes on. Critics across the board singled out his performance, and it is easy to see why.
The supporting cast
Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser all make an impression, though none of them gets a lot of screen time. That is by design. People drift in and out of Bryan’s night, which keeps the focus on how alone he is. It is a smart choice, even if you may wish you saw a little more of Hauser in particular.
3. Direction, Visuals and Music
Zach Cregger made his name with the horror films Barbarian and Weapons, and he brings the same nerve here. His biggest idea is simple: a Resident Evil movie should feel like playing a Resident Evil game. Bryan starts with almost nothing, scrounges for supplies, gets a little braver with each encounter, and faces nastier threats as he goes deeper. Anyone who has spent late nights with a controller will recognise the rhythm.
Cregger also mixes in shots that mimic the third-person view of a game. It could easily have felt like a gimmick, but it blends in smoothly with the rest of the film.
The cinematography by Dariusz Wolski makes the cold, dark setting feel genuinely hostile, and the creature design is properly grotesque. The music by Ryan and Hays Holladay, who also worked on Weapons with Cregger, keeps the tension humming without drowning out the sound design that horror depends on.
A word of caution: this is a very gory film. Bodies get torn, twisted and stuck together in ways that will make some viewers look away. That is part of the appeal for genre fans, but it is not a casual family watch. If you want another 2026 horror film with the same appetite for gore, read our Evil Dead Burn review.
4. What Works
- The pace: at around an hour and a half, there is barely a wasted minute. It moves from one set piece to the next without the bloated runtimes we have grown used to.
- Horror and humour together: the film is scary and funny at the same time, and the laughs come from Bryan’s reactions rather than silly gags.
- The game feel: the structure captures the tension of survival horror games better than any earlier Resident Evil film.
- Austin Abrams: an easy, relatable lead who makes you care.
- Memorable set pieces: several sequences are so inventive and disgusting that you will be talking about them on the way out.
- No homework needed: you do not have to know the games to follow or enjoy it.
5. What Does Not Work
- The ending: the most common criticism, and one we share, is that the final stretch feels clunkier than everything before it. Cregger is brilliant at building chaos but less sure about how to wrap it up.
- Thin story: outside the action set pieces, there is not much plot. If you want a deep mythology or big revelations about the Umbrella Corporation, you will be disappointed.
- Not always frightening: some viewers may find it more goofy and gross than genuinely terrifying, especially towards the end.
- Missing favourites: fans hoping to see beloved game characters on screen will not get them.
6. Should You Watch It in Hindi, Tamil or Telugu?
According to the official Sony Pictures India page, the film released in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, in regular 2D and IMAX screens. If you are comfortable with English, the original version keeps Abrams’s comic timing intact, and so much of the humour rests on his delivery. The dubbed versions are a good option for parents or friends who prefer their own language, and the visual horror needs no translation anyway.
If you can, pick a screen with strong sound. The film relies heavily on audio to build its scares.
7. Who Should Watch Resident Evil?
- Horror fans who like their scares with a side of dark comedy
- Gamers who grew up with the Resident Evil series and want a film that finally feels like the games
- Fans of Barbarian and Weapons who want to see what Cregger does next
- Anyone tired of three-hour films who wants a tight, punchy night at the movies
It is not suitable for children or anyone uncomfortable with heavy gore and strong language.
Resident Evil Movie Review: Our Verdict
This Resident Evil Movie Review finds a rare video game adaptation that understands why people loved the games in the first place. It is fast, nasty, funny and confidently made, with a lead performance that holds everything together. The ending wobbles and the story is thin, but for most of its runtime this is a cracking horror ride that gets in, scares you, makes you laugh and gets out before it outstays its welcome.
If you enjoy horror, catch it on the biggest screen you can while it is still in theatres. That is the short version of this Resident Evil Movie Review: go for the thrills, and forgive the soft landing.
Rating: 4 out of 5
