Resident Evil (2026) – Review and Summary

Jump scares galore, light comedy, and a borderline unhealthy amount of frustration definitely make this take on Resident Evil stand out.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“Resident Evil” Film Details

  • Director(s): Zach Cregger
  • Writer(s): Zach Cregger, Shay Hatten
  • Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 30 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (In Theaters): September 17, 2026
  • Genre(s): Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
  • Content Rating: Rated R
  • Primary Language: English
  • Images © of / Courtesy Of Columbia Pictures

Movie Summary

Brian is a medical courier, and after dropping off one package, an organ, he gets the lucrative opportunity to deliver something to Raccoon City. Now, as many know, Raccoon City is secluded and requires going through the mountains and the woods to even see the outskirts. Which is why Brian doesn’t realize what he is driving and later walking into.

Cast and Characters

Bryan (Austin Abrams)

Bryan (Austin Abrams) in Resident Evil
  • Character Summary: Bryan is a courier just trying to make ends meet, keep his girlfriend happy, and make extra money whenever possible. In fact, as shown by the movie, his desire to do his job and make an extra buck might be one of the few things that make him more than ordinary.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

You Get Invested In Bryan [82/100]

The wonderful thing about Austin Abrams is that he doesn’t look like he’s an action star, and in Resident Evil, he isn’t treated as an action hero. There are no abs, there isn’t this military skill set with guns, and his survival instincts are a bit shaky too. Below, we even go as far as to say that you’ll be annoyed by Bryan throughout the movie.

But at the same time, you may have seen zombies and monsters on a screen, but imagine encountering that in real life. You might be in awe, confused, and dumbfounded enough to do something stupid. Which is why you may as often forgive Bryan as you do get frustrated.

However, no matter what happens to him, you want to see him succeed, and even if the movie is one and done, you hope he gets to survive and live to see another day.

Jump Scares Galore [84/100]

I haven’t seen a horror movie that does jump scares in a long time. They’ve been gory, but every 15 to 20 minutes, having your whole nervous system react? That hasn’t happened in a while, and it made me glad no one was sitting next to me during Resident Evil. I got to be embarrassingly frightened, multiple times throughout the movie, in peace, without someone giving me a look.

Now, to note, do the monsters look terrifying? No. But when they pop out of nowhere, or something suddenly attacks, it will scare the bejesus out of you.

On The Fence

Bryan Is A Frustrating Character Sometimes [77/100]

Bryan sometimes gets cocky, stares too long, or instead of fight or flight, just freezes for a moment. It’s part of his appeal, as someone not accustomed to zombies and monsters chasing him, but other times it can feel like he is a dodo bird. He knows he is in danger, but ponders a little too long about how much danger. He has a route to escape, but he decides to explore or make a pit stop, if not sometimes wait for something to happen.

Again, giving him the benefit of the doubt, it is hard to say what I would do in his shoes if I encountered the things he did. However, after a certain point, I couldn’t imagine being as curious as Bryan or committed enough to deliver something to Raccoon City, especially after the first time I got attacked.

The Ending [76/100]

I’m going to put it to you this way: the ending will not appease everybody. However, because the movie is only an hour and a half, you may not get as upset as you could with how Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten decided to end the movie. But I will say, compared to many of the other Resident Evil films, the ending for this one felt the most realistic.

Overall

Our Rating (79/100): Mixed (Divisive)

What the latest Resident Evil has going for it is that it focuses more on being a horror movie than being an action/sci-fi movie. With that, you’re reminded how frightening the idea of a zombie apocalypse is. You get the sense of what it would be like for you or me to be in a situation like Bryan, as opposed to yet another well-trained, nearly infinite-bullets hero. And ultimately, the best and sometimes worst part of Resident Evil is that it is rooted in reality. You can never discount the extraordinary circumstance Bryan is in, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, you can also appreciate how the world isn’t prepared if something like the T-Virus ever got out.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.