About the film (courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing):
From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
A lifelong passion for the groundbreaking survival-horror video game franchise that started on the original PlayStation back in 1996 gives anyone plenty of reason to appreciate its enduring cultural impact. Decades later, memories remain vivid of launching a controller across the room out of sheer panic and adrenaline from an unexpected jump scare early in the Spencer Mansion. To make matters even more intense, Capcom eventually unleashed a “Director’s Cut” that turned into an absolute must-play. Developers jazzed up graphics and rearranged key items, but the real stroke of genius was subtly remixing where and when classic terrors appeared.
Looking back on Hollywood’s prior attempts, Paul W.S. Anderson kicked off the cinematic era by casting Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil (2002), turning Alice into the action-heavy face of the series. While those early installments never reached masterpiece status, they certainly carried popcorn entertainment value at the box office, even if labeling them genuine cult classics feels generous. Now, modern horror visionary Zach Cregger takes the helm with Resident Evil, steering the property toward pure, claustrophobic dread.
Fresh off the massive buzz surrounding Weapons (2025) and the boundary-pushing thrills of Barbarian (2022), Cregger shifts gears from purely original concepts to tackle legendary IP. What the filmmaker delivers to Resident Evil is the exact brand of unhinged creative energy, razor-sharp pacing, and relentless tension that transformed him into one of horror’s most sought-after directors. Instead of bogging down proceedings with bloated lore or convoluted corporate conspiracy subplots, the production leans heavily into survival instincts.
Clocking in at a lean, mean 93 minutes, Resident Evil wastes zero momentum on extraneous setup or sluggish backstories. The pacing hits the ground running and refuses to let up until the end credits roll (of which there are no post credits scenes…your bladder can thank me). Austin Abrams anchors the madness as Bryan, an overworked, wisecracking medical courier just hoping to survive an exhausting overnight delivery route. That routine assignment rapidly spirals out of control, throwing him directly into an escalating nightmare where death lurks behind every corridor corner. Abrams turns in a remarkably grounded, charismatic performance, giving audiences a relatable everyman anchor to root for amidst the chaos.
Hardcore purists will appreciate a steady mix of subtle visual cues alongside blatant, crowd-pleasing Easter eggs honoring the source material. Beyond fan service, the uncompromising hard-R rating of Resident Evil is on full display from the opening sequence onward. Practical gore, sickening sound design, and relentless creature encounters showcase a director executing shocking horror without pulling punches.
Ultimately, this cinematic revamp delivers a chaotic, adrenaline-fueled blast of fun that makes its runtime fly by. Resident Evil easily earns the crown as the strongest screen adaptation in the brand’s history, even if its exact place along the franchise’s canon timeline feels intentionally loose.
Catch Resident Evil when it invades theaters starting Friday, September 18th, because this terrifying thrill ride demands to be experienced with a packed, screaming opening-night crowd.
