Resident Evil (2026)

The improvement in the videogame adaptation has been well documented in recent times and most have performed well at the box office or on TV streaming.

Zach Cregger’s reboot of Resident Evil isn’t a straight adaptation of any of the games but as a ‘videogame film’ might just hew the closest to the tradition.

We’ve had the lot recently.

Want an authentic retelling of the game’s story? Watch The Last of Us.

A new tale that feels authentic to the world and the lore? Go with Fallout.

A completely different and fresh spin whilst retaining a nostalgic feeling? Detective Pikachu or Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.

Somehow adapting a story with very little to go on and making it work? The Super Mario Bros. Movie. or Mortal Kombat.

This latest Resident Evil is the true ‘videogame’ experience, feeling like a ninety-minute playthrough in an arcade.

It’s an immersive, fun and scary thrill ride, a classic cinematic experience.

As our hapless hero Bryan, a medical courier, takes a package into Raccoon City we the audience know everything that may befall him.

He does everything wrong in the stereotypical horror film sense. He invites the creepy, zombie-like figure he hits with his car into the passenger seat. He goes into the deserted house with the open door. He then even goes upstairs in the deserted house with the unlocked door!

However, it’s so comical and acted impeccably by Austin Abrams that it doesn’t matter. We want Bryan to get things wrong so he can overcome them. We’re not just with him, we are him, like in a videogame.

Cregger uses the classic Resident Evil ‘over-shoulder’ camera angles, switches sometimes to first person shooting and does impeccable things with a phone torch.

It feels like a game without being gratuitous or any sort of ‘experiment.’ It always comes back to, fundamentally, being an experience to scare you, keep you moving towards the destination and wanting to know what happens next.

Everything unfolds over one night and we’re given a bit of backstory about Bryan’s home life that creates more meaning to what unfolds in more ways than one.

There are nods to the games but, again, these are subtle and often played for laughs. Humour is a core and key component to the film but, don’t worry, there’s still the requisite shocks, gore and moments to jump you out of your seat.

The ending slight spoiler will potentially be a little divisive. It’s certainly bold, unique and, in many ways, befitting to the games and tone but it’s also perhaps a step too far into darkness.

So a fantastic ‘videogame-like’ experience as a film. Scary, fun and a proper rollercoaster. Probably not one to reward repeat viewings but a super thrilling cinema experience.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️