Resident Evil (2026) Review: Zach Cregger's Reboot Finally Gets It Right

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Synopsis:

Resident Evil (2026) is a zombie horror film that serves as the second reboot of the franchise, directed by Zach Cregger. The film has a runtime of 97 minutes and was released in Indonesia on September 16, 2026, and in the US on September 18, 2026. It is rated 17+ for graphic violence and rough language. This reboot is not a direct adaptation of the games, but an original story with a timeline that runs parallel to Resident Evil 2. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 100% Fresh (36 reviews as of September 16, 2026) and the average audience score on social media is 7 - 8.5/10.

It follows Bryan, an ordinary medical courier, not a soldier. He is asked to deliver a medical package to a hospital in Raccoon City on a snowy night, and on the way he hits a woman on the road. But the horror starts here, as the woman is not a normal human. He continues his journey and upon arriving in the city, he finds Raccoon City is being ravaged by a biological outbreak from the Umbrella lab. Bryan, who initially just wanted to finish his job, must survive the night against fast-moving zombies with grotesque body-horror designs.

Critics praised Austin Abrams, who is perfect as an ordinary, panicky man, and the balance of horror and dark comedy works well. Many say this is finally a Resident Evil that feels like Resident Evil, not an action sci-fi like the Milla Jovovich's version.

However, the film was criticized by hardcore fans: "the horror is fine, but this is not Resident Evil" because there is no Leon, Claire, Jill, Chris, or Nemesis. The new main character makes it feel like an ordinary horror film slapped with a Resident Evil title. Some also said the ending feels unresolved or like a cliffhanger, and the middle pacing is a bit draggy.

This film stars: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser and more.

In my opinion:

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This is the best Resident Evil film I have ever watched. Since it was established in 2002, the Resident Evil film franchise managed to create its own franchise by releasing 6 films, namely Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Resident Evil:Extinction (2007), Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016). It is quite impressive that the Resident Evil films could release those 6 films, but did they explode in the market? Not really, right? This best zombie-apocalypse game tried to be revived with its reboot film in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021), but unfortunately it failed too. In 2026, Resident Evil tries to be revived again, did it succeed? For me, EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL! This is the Resident Evil I wanted. Forget Claire and Chris Redfield or the beautiful Jill Valentine and Ada Wong, meet Bryan the medical courier.

I think the previous Resident Evil franchise and reboot were too 'tied' to the games, especially in terms of characters. There was probably a fear that if a Resident Evil film was made not in accordance with the games it would disappoint the fans. As a result, none of them truly exploded in the market. If it weren't for the huge number of game fans, I dare to bet this film would have been sluggish. Zach Cregger, the man behind the success of Barbarian and Weapons, improvises and makes Resident Evil truly tense and terrifying. Cregger truly makes these zombies the center of attention. Very scary, disgusting, absurd and intimidating. Who is Bryan, just a clumsy courier who is only trying to make money to live, not a skilled soldier or the result of an experiment. He tries to survive and stays committed to delivering the goods to their destination. Hey Capcom, this is an idea for your new character in the next Resident Evil game, right?

Surprises, jumpscares and the terror of the zombies keep pounding from start to finish. Cregger also adds a touch of humor to the film so the audience doesn't get too tense, resulting in an emotional rollercoaster. No need to doubt the visuals, audio and cinematography, all are top class. I was even very impressed with the camera angles, unique and making me feel like I was inside it. Judging from the ending of this film, I feel there will be a continuation of this film. I hope so, because I will definitely be first in line to get the ticket.

For me this one is 8.5/10.

Knowledge Center:

Left behind on a cold winter night.

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A terrifying figure and one of the iconic creatures in classic or modern horror films. Zombies, are they fact or just myth?

First, let's look at zombies in the fictional world. The modern zombie film concept was born from the film Night of the Living Dead (1968), then popularized by Resident Evil. Its characteristics are dead humans brought back to life by a virus or parasite, aggressive, transmitted through bites, and can only be stopped by destroying the brain. In the real world, there is not a single virus that can bring the dead back to life.

But, there are things similar to zombies and these are real.

• Rabies. It makes sufferers aggressive, afraid of water, hallucinate, and can be transmitted through bites. This is the most medically plausible zombie inspiration.
• Cordyceps or Ophiocordyceps fungus. It infects ants and controls their brains to climb to high places before dying. It does not infect humans, but it became the inspiration for The Last of Us.
• Toxoplasma Gondii Parasite. It can change rat behavior to make them unafraid of cats. In humans the effect is mild, but it shows that there are parasites that can affect the brain.
• "Zombies" in Haiti. Voodoo practices use tetrodotoxin poison from pufferfish which can make people appear dead, then be "revived" in a dazed condition. Not the living dead, but severe poisoning.

Then can a zombie virus like the T-Virus in Resident Evil be created? In theory, scientists could engineer a very aggressive virus that changes behavior. But there is a biological limit that cannot be broken, a virus cannot revive brain cells that are completely dead. Brain death is irreversible. So an outbreak that makes corpses rise and walk around is scientifically impossible. Zombies as the living dead do not exist and cannot exist. But it is very possible if zombies are living humans whose brains are "taken over" by parasites or viruses to become aggressive and unconscious, and simple examples already exist in nature.