Resident Evil is one of the biggest surprises of the year. It’s unbelievably well-crafted from top to bottom, and Austin Abrams deserves unlimited compliments for his performance. Zach Cregger has staked a major claim in the horror genre, and is one of the voices bringing horror to the mainstream.

The first words that come to mind when I think of “Resident Evil” are fun, schlock, and badass. In my journey towards Resident Evil (2026), I have watched five of the six Milla Jovovich films thus far. I’m glad they exist because of their unique silliness, but based on my newfound knowledge of the world, it seems they never fully captured the potential the games presented. Before I get pitchforks coming toward me, I must admit I’ve never played the games, but it left me open to director Zach Cregger’s vision. That being said, I was totally invested in Bryan’s story and his ridiculous choices.

Bryan (Austin Abrams) is a courier for organ transplants. When he accepts another run for overtime pay, he is tasked with taking an unknown package to a remote hospital in Raccoon City. As he begins his trek through the snowy forest, he hits a woman with his car, but it quickly becomes clear she is no longer human, but something else. This is the first encounter of many disgusting creatures and abominations to come. He soon learns that what he’s carrying is more important than he originally believed, forcing him to push on when so many people would turn back (understandably so). Bryan has no sense of self-preservation, no knowledge of how to work a gun or how to fight. He is everybody at the beginning of the video game with no skills or knowledge, which is what makes him the relatable underdog the story needs.

The unique part of Zach Cregger’s work is the tone he is able to create. He’s the king of horror-comedy. His particular brand of humor is very much inline with my own, thankfully. As someone who grew up not allowed to watch horror films, and was frankly too scared to even try to sneak them, Cregger’s work is the perfect level for me and for many others who are hesitant about the horror genre.

Cregger reuniting with Weapons star Austin Abrams for Resident Evil was a brilliant choice. Abrams is underrated as a whole, but between these two films, he’s established himself as a bona fide star. Nobody has made me laugh more in the past year. While he was a supporting character in Weapons, he IS the movie Resident Evil. As cool as the creatures and visual effects were, it wouldn’t matter if the lead wasn’t hilarious. Abrams manages to encapsulate so many different sides of Bryan in 90 minutes. When a character makes such dumb decisions so often, I usually start to tune out because it becomes unbelievable, but Abrams’ charms kept me rooting for him. He’s sweet to the point of stupidity, but it felt plausible in this situation.

As much as Abrams and Cregger have been praised for the parts they played in creating the film, the production design and visual effects were astounding as well. There were so many unique locations brought to life, with creatures I’d never seen before in a Resident Evil film. I was lucky enough to catch Resident Evil in Dolby, which only heightened the experience even more. The revolting imagery was captured terribly beautifully. Also, the visual effects and the makeup worked perfectly in tandem with each other to bring the movie to life. The makeup is bloody and gross. I’d love to learn where it ends and the visual effects begin at certain moments. 

The only time me not playing the video games hindered my experience was the very ending. I’ve seen a few different interpretations, and while I understand the thought process or vision, it was brutal, an immediate deflation considering how far Bryan had made it and how desperately I was rooting for him. While sunshine and rainbows were out of the question, such a bleak ending felt like a punishment. This is where I would assume the film would diverge from the video game experience, but instead it doubles down on it. Metatextually, it’s very cool, but I wasn’t putting my thinking cap on in the theater. I was experiencing the gut punch of emotion.

Resident Evil is one of the biggest surprises of the year. It’s unbelievably well-crafted from top to bottom, and Austin Abrams deserves unlimited compliments for his performance. Cregger has staked a major claim in the horror genre, and is one of the voices bringing horror to the mainstream. Resident Evil is accessible for anyone of any knowledge base to watch and enjoy, and any gamers will find themselves relating hard to Bryan’s turbulent experience navigating through Raccoon City. Cregger is three for three in my eyes. 

Grade: A

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should Be Considered: Best Visual Effects, Best Make-up & Hairstyling

Where to Watch: In Theaters