Austin Abrams in “Resident Evil.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Dušan Martinček
Resident Evil, a reimagining of the blockbuster video game-turned-horror movie franchise, from Weapons and Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger, is impressing critics, unlike previous films in the series.
Based on the classic Capcom video game franchise that began in 1996, Resident Evil was first adapted as a live-action feature film in 2002, starring Milla Jovovich and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Jovovich reprised her role as Alice in five live-action sequels following the original film, which was wrapped up in 2016 with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
After that, the film franchise was rebooted in the 2021 movie Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and followed by a streaming series version of Resident Evil, which ran for one season on Netflix in 2022.
In Cregger’s reboot of Resident Evil, which plays in preview screenings on Thursday before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday, Austin Abrams (Weapons) stars as Bryan, a medical courier on his way to a drop-off at Racoon City General Hospital who fights to survive a chaotic night of horror after he encounters people who are infected with an extremely mutative virus.
Rated R, Resident Evil also stars Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.
The review embargo for Resident Evil lifted on Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. ET, and so far the reboot has earned a 98% “fresh” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on 56 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus, Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.
Cregger’s version of Resident Evil scores far above previous adaptations of the video game. By contrast, the 2002 version had a 36% “rotten” critics’ score on RT based on 162 reviews, while 2021’s second reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was splatted with a 30% critics’ score based on 92 reviews. The 2022 TV Resident Evil series fared much better but was still deemed “rotten” with a critics’ score of 54% based on 52 reviews.
Note: The RT critics’ score for the 2026 “Resident Evil” movie will be updated as more reviews are posted on the site.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About The Reboot Of ‘Resident Evil’?
William Bibbiani of The Wrap is among the top critics on RT who give Resident Evil a “fresh” score, writing, “An explosive horror experience which, unlike every other Resident Evil adaptation, captures the strange dichotomy of this popular video game series. It starts out terrifying, gradually becomes ridiculous, and totally gets away with that tonal shift.”
Owen Gleiberman of Variety also praises Resident Evil. Giving the film a “fresh” score on RT, Gleiberman writes, “Is it a good movie? Let’s call it a sweetly executed piece of escapist trivia. It’s got a quirky relatability … for a Resident Evil movie.”
Jacob Oller of AV Club also gives the film a “fresh” score, writing on RT, “Zach Cregger takes the franchise in a winningly focused direction: funnier, meaner, and, at its best moments, smaller.”
In his “fresh” review of the movie David Ehlich of IndieWire writes on RT, “This is I.P. cinema with vision and verve … This is how movies and video games can merge in a way that makes them stronger for sharing their DNA rather than disfiguring them both.”
Also a fan of the new Resident Evil is Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter, who writes on RT that Zach “Cregger very much makes the film his own while displaying his obvious affinity for the source material. He’s crafted a propulsive, simultaneously terrifying and hilarious thrill ride that showcases both his cinematic chops and perverse sense of humor.”
Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence also deems Resident Evil “fresh,” writing on RT, noting it is Zach “Cregger’s most straightforward horror film to date — pure adrenaline, showcasing the director’s real talent for crafting jump scares that truly do shock you without playing as overtly cruel or manipulative.”
Resident Evil plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
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