[Review] Resident Evil: A Good Horror Movie, But Is It Really A Resident Evil Movie?
A real good horror movie, just not quite enough Resident Evil in it.
- Resident Evil (2026) is a genuinely entertaining horror film, but it largely ignores the rich lore and iconic characters fans know and love.
- Subtle Easter eggs like the typewriter and green shotgun shells are highlights, offering clever nods without feeling forced or over-the-top.
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There was something slightly strange about watching Resident Evil (2026) as someone who has spent years playing the games.
On one hand, this is a pretty darn entertaining horror movie.
On the other, I walked out wondering: where’s all the Resident Evil?
Directed by Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, the new Resident Evil is a fast, bloody and occasionally hilarious horror ride that does plenty of things right.
But for fans who have followed the games for decades, it may also feel like a missed opportunity.
A Good Horror Movie First
The first thing to say is that Resident Evil is not bad. Far from it.
Cregger knows how to create tension, and there are plenty of moments where the movie feels genuinely creepy and uncomfortable. The monsters are suitably disgusting, the violence gets pretty nasty, and there is a nice balance between horror and dark comedy.
Austin Abrams also works surprisingly well as Bryan, an ordinary medical courier who finds himself caught up in a nightmare in and around Raccoon City.
Rather than giving us another super-soldier or experienced zombie hunter, Bryan is basically just a guy who has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.
And honestly, that works.
His journey through abandoned buildings, limited ammunition and increasingly horrifying creatures does capture something important about the games: that feeling of being completely out of your depth while desperately searching every drawer for something that might keep you alive.
That gameplay influence has also been noted by other reviews, particularly in the film’s mission-like structure and dwindling supplies.
But Where Is The Lore?
This is where I struggled with the movie.
As someone who has played all the Resident Evil games, I went in hoping to see more than just zombies, monsters and the occasional reference.
Instead, the film largely creates its own story and characters.
There is no Leon Kennedy. No Jill Valentine. No Chris Redfield. No Claire Redfield.
And while I understand why Cregger went down this route, it means the movie doesn’t really do much with the incredibly rich mythology that Capcom has spent decades building.
But it often feels like Cregger is using the Resident Evil universe as a playground rather than actually telling a story within its established mythology.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is probably one of the reasons the movie works as a standalone film.
But for a fan who knows the difference between the T-virus, G-virus and the dozens of increasingly ridiculous things Umbrella has been cooking up underground, it can leave you wanting more.
The movie is officially described as an “all-new story” rather than a direct adaptation of one of the games, so the lack of established characters and continuity is clearly deliberate.
The Easter Eggs Are Great
Ironically, some of my favourite parts of the movie are the little things.
The typewriter immediately got my attention.
Anyone who has played Resident Evil knows exactly what that means. Seeing one appear in the movie is such a simple thing, but it feels like a genuine wink to the people who have spent countless hours saving their progress at one of these machines.
Then there is the green box of shotgun shells.
It’s another tiny detail, but one that fans will recognise immediately. The ammunition box deliberately resembles the distinctive boxes seen throughout the games, including Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4.
These moments work because they aren’t screaming, “Look, we made a video game reference!”.
They’re just there.
And that’s exactly how I think fan service should be handled.
So, Is It Worth Watching?
Absolutely.
If you don’t know much about Resident Evil, this is still an entertaining horror movie with plenty of gore, weird monsters, dark humour and some genuinely tense sequences.
For longtime fans, there is plenty to enjoy too — particularly the Easter eggs and the way Cregger recreates certain aspects of the gameplay experience.
Just don’t go in expecting Resident Evil 2: The Movie.
This isn’t Leon and Claire running around Raccoon City trying to survive Umbrella’s latest biological disaster.
It’s something much more standalone, and perhaps that’s both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness.
As a horror movie, I had a good time. As a Resident Evil movie, I wanted more Resident Evil.
I wanted more Umbrella. More lore. More connections. More of that wonderfully convoluted mythology that makes the games so much fun.
Instead, Cregger gives us his own nightmare wearing a very familiar Resident Evil jacket.
It’s a pretty good jacket, too. I just wish there were a little more underneath it.
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