RESIDENT EVIL:
A NEW ERA OF EVIL
I have been waiting for Resident Evil to become frightening again. The older movies gave us some fun moments, but the survival-horror DNA started getting buried under bigger action. Now Zach Cregger — director of Barbarian and Weapons — is walking into Raccoon City. BABY, I AM READY!
Written by Ali Hyman • August In Theaters September 18, 2026
OH BABY — RESIDENT EVIL IS READY TO SCARE US AGAIN!
Let me start right here: I am VERY excited about this movie. I have been with Resident Evil long enough to remember when the movies felt dangerous, weird and new. The original series gave us wild action and made Milla Jovovich's Alice an action-horror icon, but for me the later movies drifted farther from the survival-horror DNA that made Resident Evil special: being trapped, underpowered and scared to open the next door.
“You give the director of Barbarian and Weapons Raccoon City, zombies, Umbrella and survival horror? OH BABY! Get my popcorn and keep the lights OFF!” — Ali Hyman
Zach Cregger brings his modern horror instincts to Resident Evil.
WHAT IS THIS NEW RESIDENT EVIL?
This is a new story inside the Resident Evil universe. Austin Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier whose routine delivery becomes one catastrophic night of survival. That setup has my attention because it sounds like a Resident Evil GAME: one ordinary person, one terrible night, limited information, something horribly wrong — now survive.
The snowy production imagery gives the reboot a visual identity of its own.
A NEW HERO — AND THAT MAY BE A GOOD THING
Some fans wanted Leon, Claire, Jill or Chris. I understand that. But Bryan doesn't walk into this nightmare as a superhero. He can discover the horror with us. Resident Evil is at its best when you don't feel like the strongest thing in the room.
WHY ZACH CREGGER HAS ME EXCITED
Barbarian showed that Cregger can manipulate space, expectations and fear. Weapons showed that he can handle a bigger, stranger horror story without losing tension. Now he gets the Resident Evil universe as his playground. I don't need a photographed game walkthrough. I need the FEELING of playing Resident Evil: three bullets, health flashing red, and something moving in the hallway.
The new ensemble includes Zach Cherry and Kali Reis, alongside Austin Abrams and Paul Walter Hauser.
THE OLDER MOVIES: FUN, BUT THEY STARTED TO LOSE ME
I give the earlier films their credit. The 2002 movie had atmosphere, the franchise had memorable monsters and Alice became its own icon. But as the series grew, spectacle increasingly replaced vulnerability. Welcome to Raccoon City moved closer to the games visually, but recognition alone isn't enough.
“I don't just want to point at the screen and say, ‘HEY, I REMEMBER THAT!’ I want to grip the armrest and say, ‘DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!’”
Resident Evil returns to theaters September 18, 2026.
THE TRAILER FEELS LIKE SURVIVAL HORROR
A medical delivery. An isolated route. A bloody hospital. A snowy road. A disturbing house. A night getting worse by the minute. Game fans can also watch for familiar visual language, including survival supplies and typewriters. Those touches work when they strengthen the atmosphere rather than substitute for a story.
A physical, practical production approach could bring back the grime Resident Evil needs.
WHY GAMERS SHOULD CARE
- Original story: Even longtime players don't know exactly what is coming.
- A horror director: Cregger arrives with a recent track record in suspense and unpredictability.
- Vulnerable protagonist: Bryan appears overwhelmed rather than superhuman.
- Resident Evil DNA: The movie aims for the feeling and iconography of the games.
- IMAX: The film is part of the Filmed for IMAX program.
For WWLTP, Cregger is the biggest reason this reboot feels worth waiting for.
ALI HYMAN'S EARLY VERDICT
I cannot give an unreleased movie a final review score, so this is my WWLTP Hype Rating: 9.5/10. A director I trust with horror, a franchise I love, a vulnerable protagonist and a story willing to get ugly, bloody and frightening? I'm in.
“ZACH CREGGER HAS THE BALL, THE CLOCK IS RUNNING, RACCOON CITY IS INFECTED — AND BABY, I THINK THIS MAN IS ABOUT TO HIT THE HORROR BUZZER-BEATER! SEPTEMBER 18, I AM THERE!” — Ali Hyman