There is a moment early in Resident Evil when it becomes clear that Zach Cregger is not interested in simply dusting off another familiar horror property. His new film does not arrive burdened by a grand mythology lesson, nor does it expect viewers to memorise decades of games, movies and television adaptations.

Instead, it throws one deeply unprepared man into a terrible night and watches him scramble to stay alive.

That straightforward approach proves to be the reboot’s greatest strength. Following the inventive unease of Barbarian and the carefully controlled chaos of Weapons, Cregger gives this exhausted franchise something it has needed for years: a genuine sense of momentum.

An ordinary courier enters a very abnormal nightmare

The film follows Bryan, played with anxious, everyman charm by Austin Abrams. He is a medical courier making one final delivery through a dangerous snowstorm, tempted by the promise of extra money despite having neither the vehicle nor the confidence for such a journey.

His destination is Raccoon City.

Before Bryan can fully understand what is happening, a mysterious woman appears on the icy road and his routine assignment collapses into a desperate fight for survival. A viral outbreak linked to the sinister Umbrella Corporation is transforming people into grotesque, violent creatures, while the package Bryan is carrying may be far more important than he realises.

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It is a clean, almost video-game-like setup: move from one location to another, survive increasingly dangerous enemies and somehow protect the mission-critical item.

Cregger, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten, understands that simplicity can be an advantage. Rather than getting trapped in exposition, the film keeps moving. New threats arrive before Bryan—or the audience—has time to feel comfortable.

Austin Abrams is the reboot’s secret weapon

Bryan is not the kind of hero audiences usually encounter in a zombie blockbuster. He is not a trained soldier, fearless police officer or unstoppable action machine. He hesitates, panics, complains and makes mistakes that occasionally leave viewers wondering how he has survived for so long.

That is precisely what makes him interesting.

Abrams plays Bryan as a fundamentally decent but spectacularly ill-equipped young man. His nervous muttering and flashes of misplaced confidence bring humour to the story without completely puncturing its tension. Even when surrounded by monsters, Bryan remains worried about the smaller indignities of his increasingly disastrous night.

It would have been easy to turn him into a one-note joke. Abrams finds something more recognisably human beneath the clumsiness. Bryan keeps trying to help people even when doing so makes his situation considerably worse. He may be hopeless with a weapon, but he is not without courage.

The supporting cast—including Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser—adds personality to the madness. Still, this is largely Abrams’ movie, and his performance gives the relentless action a surprisingly warm centre.

Cregger turns the movie into a playable nightmare

Visually, the reboot embraces its gaming origins without feeling like a collection of empty references. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski frequently keeps the camera close to Bryan, following his eyeline and placing viewers just behind his shoulder as he investigates dark rooms, narrow corridors and abandoned spaces.

The perspective creates the uncomfortable sensation of controlling a character who has entered a dangerous level without learning the buttons.

Cellphone lights, car headlights and dim artificial illumination cut through the darkness, revealing just enough to make every unexplored corner feel threatening. The film’s snowy opening soon gives way to bloodier, more claustrophobic environments as Bryan moves deeper into the outbreak.

Cregger also proves that the traditional jump scare is not dead. The film uses several, including at least one beautifully timed shock that feels earned rather than mechanically inserted.

This version of Resident Evil gradually moves beyond conventional zombie horror and becomes a full creature feature. The mutations grow stranger, the encounters become more elaborate and the practical-looking physical effects give the monsters a satisfyingly unpleasant presence.

The humour helps—until it begins competing with the horror

Cregger’s background in comedy remains visible throughout the movie. Bryan’s exhausted reactions often generate laughs precisely because the danger surrounding him is so extreme. For much of the film, that combination works beautifully: the humour releases tension without destroying it, allowing the next scare to land even harder.

The balance becomes less precise in the second half.

As the film grows louder and more action-heavy, Bryan’s constant commentary occasionally weakens the fear that Cregger has worked so carefully to create. Some viewers may enjoy the increasingly playful tone, while those expecting an uncompromising horror experience could find that the comedy arrives too frequently.

The finale also feels slightly abrupt. Bryan is given the outline of a meaningful personal journey, but the film stops before fully completing it. After spending so much time turning him into a character worth caring about, the story appears more interested in reaching its final set piece than examining how the night has changed him.

It is not a disastrous ending, but it prevents a thrilling movie from becoming a truly great one.

A reboot that finally understands the assignment

Based on the celebrated survival-horror games created by Capcom, Resident Evil has previously produced six films starring Milla Jovovich, the 2021 reboot Welcome to Raccoon City and a short-lived Netflix series.

Cregger wisely avoids trying to recreate any of them.

His movie tells an original story inside the recognisable Resident Evil world, using the games’ atmosphere and progression rather than merely repeating their plots. Long-time players will notice familiar imagery and ideas, but newcomers are never made to feel as though they have arrived halfway through the story.

Produced by companies including Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures, the film is scheduled to reach theatres on September 18, 2026.

Cregger may not have delivered the deepest film of his career, but he has created one of the most enjoyable Resident Evil adaptations yet. It is lean, gruesome, energetic and anchored by an endearing lead performance from Abrams.

After years of diminishing returns, this is a franchise that finally feels dangerously alive again.