The Reel Review
A medical courier making a special delivery during a snowstorm to Raccoon City General Hospital finds himself fighting to stay alive when a viral outbreak spawns a series of increasingly horrific mutant creatures. Austin Abrams stars in this dark comedy sci-fi/horror based on the popular video game.
Finally – we get a video game movie that actually captures the essence of what it feels like to play the video game. Hallelujah! Director/co-writer Zach Cregger (Weapons) blends just enough wry humor with all the iconic game visuals – including weapons upgrades, both third and first person shooter action, problem solving and some super gruesome monsters – in this gnarly, gory thrill ride. Fans paying attention will delight in seeing all of the Easter eggs.
Like the video games, there isn’t much story – just non-stop shoot ‘em up action, jump scares and visuals that drop gamer fans right into the melee. Abrams is perfection as the hapless courier saying out loud what the viewer is thinking in each scene. Sorry Milla Jovovich, we love ya but this Resident Evil reboot is an instant classic – by far the best of the franchise and perhaps even the best horror of 2026.
REEL FACTS
• 2005’s Resident Evil 4 is widely considered the most popular video game of all time.
• Director Zach Cregger says one of the exploding bodies in the film’s falling rooftop sequence landed just inches from Austin Abrams and would have killed him had it landed on him. Kregger kept that shot in the film.
• Austin Abrams (The Starling Girl, Do Revenge, The Walking Dead) co-starred in Weapons as James, the drug addict who inadvertently helps solve the mystery of the missing children.
Video & Photo
