Resident Evil (2026) Review: Zach Cregger's Original Hero Bryan Had Me Hugging My Knees

Resident Evil follows Bryan, a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action packed, non stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses all around him in chaos. I am giving this one a catch opening night rating because it had me squirming in my seat and left me a ball of anxiety from start to finish.

When I first watched the trailer, my first thought was, what makes this a Resident Evil movie? Once I learned more about the behind the scenes reasoning from director Zach Cregger about why he wanted to make this movie, his intention with it, and what he wanted to bring forth, it started to click even without notable characters from the games such as Leon.

Following Bryan Instead of Leon Gives Resident Evil a Fresh Take

What I really like about this movie is that it does not follow one of the main characters from the games. There have been so many Resident Evil films in the past, and the games already tell Leon and everybody else's story really well. Instead, this new story follows a character we have never met before, Bryan, a medical courier who happens to stumble into this horrific night of the virus outbreak.

Having the movie centered on a character who simply lives in the world of Resident Evil is what makes it work so well. Bryan has one goal, to get an important satchel to Raccoon City General as fast as possible. Along the way he stumbles upon little hints about the outbreak, and it gets more and more apparent that something is very wrong.

Austin Abrams Plays a Bryan Whose Solo Survival Adds to My Anxiety

Austin Abrams did a fantastic job with this character. For a lot of the movie it is mostly him alone, which adds to my anxiety because he cannot lean on other characters for protection or survival. It is all on him, and it makes me feel like I am telling him, okay buddy, you have got to do this next thing to survive, and then the next, and then the next. My anxiety kept building and building throughout the film.

What makes it great to follow Bryan is that he is not a trained military guy, he is not a pro with weapons, and he is not particularly athletic, but he has a job to do and he is going to do it. He does not always make the best decisions to survive, but he is willing to fight and do whatever he needs to do to get to the next thing. That is where Cregger's love for the games and their gameplay really comes through in the character.

Essentially, it feels like watching someone play through Resident Evil who is not a game pro, someone who makes the decisions you or I might make, or is unwilling to turn the next dark corner because it is scary. We know the story of Resident Evil as the audience, but Bryan has no idea what is happening, and things get weirder and more horrific as it goes on. I found it so fun to watch.

The Humor Gives Just Enough Breathing Room From the Tension

There is a lot of humor added into this movie, and I appreciated it because I had not been this stressed in a horror film in a while. I was hugging my knees a lot during this one.

One example that stuck with me is Bryan trying to load a shotgun while something is approaching. He is rushing, dropping bullets everywhere, and I was practically yelling at the screen to pick them up and just load the gun. It made me stop and ask myself if I could do better than Bryan in that scenario, and I have come to the conclusion that I could not. I do not think I would make it past act one, to be completely honest.

That struggle is part of what I love about horror films, the way they make you feel that edge of your seat anxiety, willing the character to just get to the next safe spot or the light at the end of the tunnel, only to find more horrific things once they get there.

The Body Horror Creature Designs Are Straight Up Nightmare Fuel

The monsters and their character design are straight up body horror. If you have seen Barbarian and Weapons, I would say this leans a little more Barbarian than Weapons, since Weapons did not really have anything that body horror heavy while Barbarian definitely did. I do not know what goes on in Cregger's mind, but these designs look absolutely crazy, and those images are definitely going to stick with me for a bit.

The First Person POV Gameplay Nods Are Used Sparingly and With Purpose

There are definitely nods to the games beyond just the gameplay feel, and there is some first person point of view footage used in the story, but it is utilized well to make a specific point, with context behind it. It adds more to the movie than just being a fan service moment for people who will love seeing that first person perspective. It is not like that at all, everything has a purpose and it is done well.

It is also not used the whole time, and I am glad for that because I do not think I would have liked it as much otherwise. It is really meaningful when they do use it. I think the nods to the games in general are subtle rather than in your face, which I like a lot, and I think that is what will make this film easier to digest for anyone who has never played Resident Evil or watched anything related to it. They can go in knowing basically nothing and still feel like they are not missing out.

My Final Rating: Catch This One Opening Night

This movie had me squirming in my seat and I was a ball of anxiety all the way through. There were jump scares that got me completely by surprise. I had a lot of fun watching it because the humor was well placed and gave the film some needed breathing room.

Hats off to Austin Abrams for the way he played Bryan. I think he is the perfect lead for this movie, and I can completely see why Cregger felt it needed to be him. He totally delivered, and I had so much more fun than I expected. I am giving Resident Evil a catch opening night rating.

Whether you are a Resident Evil fan or not, how did this one work for you, especially if you know the games well?