UpdatedFri, September 25, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC
This is the most fun you’ll ever have at a movie inspired by a video game.
This is far from the original “Resident Evil” franchise. I had a great time, and although I noticed a couple of obvious nods to video games I had no way of knowing what Easter Eggs I missed that players will instantly recognize.
I was already a Zach Cregger fan when I walked into the auditorium. His “Barbarian” and “Weapons” are among my favorite recent horror films.
Austin Abrams, who was among the “Weapons” ensemble, stars in “Resident Evil” as a medical courier. He’s the guy who delivers, say, body organs to patients desperately waiting for what could be a life-saving transplant.
He plays Bryan,who is assigned to take a package from a hospital a medical facility in Raccoon City. It’s winter, and the roads are horrible – so horrible, in fact, that Bryan mows down a woman who walks in front of his vehicle on a snowy street.
He finds her some distance from the road, where she appears to be bloodied but alive. With the help of a passing officer, Bryan tries to secure help for the strange-acting woman. But this effort takes a nasty turn.
Still, Bryan survives, only to be chased by a most unusual dog, and then even more ghastly entities. You won’t be a bit surprised that the Umbrella Corporation is part of this terrifying nightmare in which he is set upon by creatures that used to be human but now have becomes … Something Else.
Bryan is a character with a dark sense of humor that emerges more as the film picks up speed. He’s our Everyman who wonders, just as we would, what in the heck is going on and how can he survive whatever it is? Abrams is a terrific actor, and I hope he gets the recognition he has earned when it comes to awards time.
Meanwhile, it won’t matter whether you’ve ever played a video game. If you’re a horror fan, you’ll enjoy this clever race for survival that’s reincarnated “Resident Evil” into a box office hit.
Rated: R for violence, gore and foul language.
Running time: One hour and 34 minutes.
In theaters.
Watch the trailer here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF – OurQuadCities.com.
