Resident Evil (2026) is getting rave reviews — but don't expect a scary movie

Zach Cregger's Resident Evil opens September 18 to some of the best reviews a video game movie has ever received — and also to a wave of fan anger that could complicate its opening weekend. The film sits at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest score in franchise history and likely the highest ever for a video game adaptation. On Metacritic, the score is a more measured 79 out of 100.

The film

Cregger — who directed Barbarian (2022) and the $270M global hit Weapons (2025) — brings a standalone story with no Leon Kennedy, no Ada Wong, and no Albert Wesker. Austin Abrams (Euphoria) plays Bryan, a medical courier dropped into chaos with no game lore to lean on. That choice cuts both ways: newcomers get a clean entry point, franchise devotees lose the nostalgia hook entirely.

Critics describe it as a horror-comedy hybrid that captures the tone of Capcom's games more faithfully than any previous adaptation, including some nods to actual gameplay mechanics and conventions. The cinematography and staging draw consistent praise, as does Abrams' genuinely funny lead performance. Cregger leans into absurdist, even outlandish ideas with confidence — which some critics flag as exactly what makes the film work.

The sharpest criticism targets the humor. A number of reviewers argue there are too many jokes, that not all land, and that the comedy repeatedly interrupts the pacing. Time Out put it plainly: "It looks good, but it doesn't really scare you" — the same verdict the publication gave the original 2002 film. Twenty-six years, eight movies, and a franchise reboot later, the result is faster funny than genuinely frightening.

The divide

The gap between critics and fans is the real story here. Online, franchise loyalists have been vocal — some boycotting the film outright over the absence of iconic characters before a single ticket has been sold. That reaction mirrors what happened with other game adaptations that took liberties with source material.

Cregger's Weapons opened to $43M domestically and grossed $270M worldwide, so expectations for this one are high. Pre-release tracking puts the opening weekend somewhere between $40M and $60M, per Deadline, which would set a new franchise record. Whether fan resistance chips into that number becomes clear this weekend.