“Hey. No sweat.” – Bryan
Resident Evil (2026) is a horror comedy written by Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapters 3 & 4 and Ballerina) and Zach Creggers (Barbarian and Weapons) and also directed by Creggers and also an adaptation of the video game franchise of the same which follows a medical courier named Bryan (Austin Abrams) who must deliver a special package to Raccoon City General Hospital while the infamous infected outbreak ravages the city.
Video game adaptations currently have the reputation that superhero movies used to have and they’re going to approach the status of what superhero movies have now according to Hollywood: they’re opportunities to milk dry until they run stale and Hollywood will look for something else to do. The solution in the meantime is to actually make good films first and this? This is a great adaptation. I’m no huge Resident Evil fan, but there are things to admire about the games and their influence on the industry. Known for more than just the zombies, they have some wild concoctions of grotesque creature who want to take down the protagonist(s) of every game. From giant men in trench coats to freaking T-Rexes, that franchise has done some weird things. Making any movie of the source material seems almost impossible because of how wacky the series gets, but with any good filmmaker, they can make it work. No, we are not talking about you, W.S. Anderson movies. Creggers has seemingly free reign after his monster hit, Weapons and boy howdy, was this a ride that anybody could get behind.
The film starts right out of the gate faster than expected. We quickly get introduced to Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier on his last run before he needs to have a hard conversation with his girlfriend about their future together. After being offered to be paid double for a run that’s a little outside his normal route, he decides to take a special, but unknown package to Raccoon City General Hospital. Immediately, we are thrust into the chaos of the outbreak that is going on in Raccoon City with the injured in the ER. We are given glimpses of what’s to come and there are already stakes involved with this character because you can already draw your own conclusions.
Through Creggers’ direction, it certainly feels like the most video game movie we’ve ever gotten. It is unashamed of its source material by hovering over Abrams’ shoulder, emulating that third person perspective known from the games. As the film steps on the gas to move the film forward, it seems like it only wants to slow down to deliver exposition or to rack up the tension to deliver one of two things: a scare or a joke. With Creggers, you never which is which and neither cancels the other out. An incredible balancing act of both. In fact, the third person perspective adds to the terror. Then you get the factor that this is not some action hero who is kicking zombies’ heads in or mowing them down, this guy is just an average dude. He’s never held a gun before this moment and it leads to both some hilarious and scary moments. You never know when a monster is right around the corner and that’s due to the claustrophobic and dark places the character goes. The scares are there. Creggers never goes for the cheap scare. The smaller jumpscares make sense because a character is already on edge and there is a measure of threat for the bigger ones. We know they’re coming because something happened in the scene before or the surroundings give hints to set up the scares. But since this is also Creggers and him being a fan of the games, he puts in crucial elements that make up the Resident Evil or rather, the survival horror game experience.
By putting us in the shoes of an average joe like Bryan, he adds on humor that is relatable to us. Some guy who misses a lot of his shots and cursing a lot constantly is relatable and that’s where the humor comes in. His reactions to things aren’t something out of a video game protagonist to react, but rather how we, as players, respond to the really scary situation. Putting an average person in this terrifying situation is very funny.
While there are some clear stars here, the Holladays’ score is awesome. Trickling in with the piano keys and other elements to keep us on edge, they know what they’re doing. The film moves at an incredible pace. Not really stopping to keep the film trucking along. It’s edited and I’ve already talked about the cinematography so that has gotten its praises, but another clear star here is Austin Abrams as Bryan. He’s incredibly funny and is really on Creggers’ wavelength in terms of timing. It’s easy to see why he’s become his muse after Weapons and this should solidify him as a comedic superstar.
The film does have an underwhelming third act where it gets a little messy and the ending is pretty bleak in spite how much of a blast the rest of the film in all of its grotesque and gory glory, but I really do like the ending. It feels very in line with the themes of the games. But I say, you’re all going to have a blast with this one. I saw this in IMAX and my audience really loved it. It’s clearly the best video game movie ever made and I hope Zach Creggers continues to make any movie he wants. He’s really freaking good at this kind of thing.
RATING: 4.25/5