Resident Evil reboot delivers scares and laughs in equal measure

This is the seventh film based on Capcom's popular video game series, directed by Zach Cregger. Cregger was previously known for acclaimed films like "Barbarian" and "Weapons," so expectations for this reboot were already high. Led by Austin Abrams in the lead role, the film released on September 18, 2026. The cast also includes Jack Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser. The film runs 95 minutes and has been given a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

Six or seven films have already been made based on this game series, and each time audiences had the same complaint: that they showed only gunfights and zombies, with the game's real sense of dread going missing. So when it emerged that Cregger, known for jolting films like "Barbarian" and "Weapons," was making a reboot of this franchise, doubts were natural. But those doubts are proven wrong within the first fifteen minutes.

The story begins with a medical courier named Brian (Austin Abrams). His girlfriend has just told him she is pregnant, and his reaction is not a good one. Caught up in this turmoil, he sets out to deliver a parcel to a hospital in Raccoon City, because that delivery always pays double. But audiences already know something is bound to go wrong in Raccoon City, and that is exactly what keeps happening without pause for the next 90 minutes.

Cregger's biggest achievement is that he has brought the exact feeling of playing the game onto the screen: the racing heartbeat while opening a door, the constant tension of how many bullets are left, the fear of something appearing at any moment. The film affects both those who have played the game and those who have not equally, because it is not overloaded with old references or stuffed with unnecessary Easter eggs. A straightforward, distinct story and a thoroughly frightened hero are enough.

Austin Abrams deserves special mention. He never looks like a hero at any point, he runs, he gasps, he screams, he cries, and audiences feel all of it along with him. Being completely ordinary is his strength, and that is exactly why the moments of fear feel more real. What is interesting is that the film makes you laugh just as much as it scares you. Cregger's comedy background, he was earlier part of the comedy group "The Whitest Kids U'Know," is clearly visible here. Even in the scariest moment a funny line arrives and the theatre bursts into laughter, but instead of reducing the effect of the fear, it only increases it.

Of course, the film is not entirely perfect. Its structure is a little straightforward, jungle, then farmland, then city, sewer, hospital and finally lab, it feels like a journey from one level to the next, as if one were really playing a video game. Some viewers will enjoy this, others may find it repetitive. Also, the blood and violence are at an extreme level, heads burst, limbs are shown hanging, so those with a weak stomach should be careful, the film has not got its R rating for nothing.

Even so, on the whole, this is without doubt the best "Resident Evil" film in many years. It is quite different from the action-packed spectacle of the older films starring Milla Jovovich, and it stays completely faithful to the true spirit of the game. If you want to go to the theatre for a genuine scare, with a bit of laughter along the way, this film could be the best pick of the week.