Zach Cregger Delivers Franchise Best in Resident Evil (FANTASTIC)

Title: Resident Evil

First Non-Festival Release: September 16, 2026 (Theatrical Release)

Director: Zach Cregger

Writer: Zach Cregger, Shay Hatten

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2026.

Since the first video game was released in 1997, the Resident Evil franchise has produced video game sequels and spin-offs, live action and animated films, television shows, and plenty of other forms of media beloved [and reviled] by millions of fans. With reception for the live action films mixed, a generous statement, it’s fair to say director Zach Cregger has his work cut out for him in his 2026 reboot. Thankfully, he knocks it out of the park.

Wanting to be done for the night but lured in with the promise of double pay for one last gig, medical courier Bryan (Austin Abrams) is tasked with delivering an important package to Raccoon City General Hospital. His trek will take him through the mountains, and even though he doesn’t know what resides in the package, his drive for money and helping out someone in need sufficiently entices him. On his way, he runs into a strange woman in need of help. His decision to stop and assist leads him to take a terrifying journey into a city overrun by zombies and monsters. The fate of the world is in his hands when he learns that the package contains a much needed component to the cure for the T-virus currently wreaking havoc in the city. 

Cregger delivers on gonzo gore and action set pieces in his stripped down take on Resident Evil. 

Taking a back-to-basics approach, 2026’s Resident Evil makes the bold choice to follow just one survivor through Raccoon City’s destruction. Bryan’s journey starts out terrifying and only gets worse from there. Individual zombies only register so much fear when faced with the monsters generating from the core of Raccoon City.

Bryan’s empathetic approach to the apocalypse becomes his greatest obstacle. Every choice Bryan makes in Resident Evil is defined by his care for others but risks his safety more each time. Stopping to help a distressed woman, a fearful child, and risking his life for a cure he has no idea he will benefit from; Bryan is undeterred. At any point, he could turn back or stay paralyzed in fear. Instead, he pushes on, pleading with those around him to consider others as well. In the end, Resident Evil’s choice to make a package courier the potential savior of humanity demonstrates how intentional the project is on its ethos.

It’s also really scary. Action horror films must walk a delicate balance of ensuring the stakes are appropriately elevated without getting repetitive or boring. Thankfully, Resident Evil is constructed in a way that never takes the same steps twice. Bryan is put through the wringer, physically and mentally, as he strives to make the most important delivery of his life. Surviving scrapes with infected dogs, acid vomit, and swarms of sewer rats, Bryan rarely gets a moment to breathe. Resident Evil largely handles the pace with care, ensuring that each set piece feels integral to the story while maintaining that intensity.

It’s all anchored by Austin Abrams’ impassioned performance. Bringing levity to the situation through Bryan’s more relatable scaredy-cat demeanor and the humor that comes from it, Resident Evil balances it well enough with the all-out assault Bryan must survive. Much of the humor comes from Bryan’s clear incompatibility with carrying out important, death-defying directives. His unfamiliarity with a gun or his lack of preparation for what this task entails leads to much of the comedy hitting, even if it does suck some of the scares out of the film’s lungs.

Cregger treats the property with care, ensuring that it looks good while telling the contained story. Its snowy, nighttime setting is captured beautifully on camera juxtaposed against the carnage splattering the countryside and city streets with blood and bodies. The infected and mutants alike look appropriately terrifying, and they move with the intensity that would make any person shit their pants in fear. Buckets of gooey monster makeup and slimy practical effects give Resident Evil its finishing touches marvelously.

While it’s certainly the strongest entry in the franchise, it does have a few stumbling points. Awkwardly paced at times, Resident Evil struggles mostly in its very beginning and end. It takes just a little bit too long for Bryan to make his way from the mountains into Raccoon City and the ending feels just a touch too abrupt for all the action that precedes it.

The best entry in the series, Resident Evil is both a gnarly precursor to the mutant apocalypse and a revival of a beloved franchise. Cregger’s signature action-packed storytelling and sick sense of humor drive the beating heart of the film. Fans of the series and casual cinema goers alike will find much to appreciate here. Excellent monster scares and effects, one fantastic leading performance by Abrams, and Cregger’s laser-focused vision make Resident Evil one of the films to beat this year.

Overall Score? 8/10