Resident Evil (2026)

Resident Evil (2026)

• When Zach Cregger wants to make a film, there are three things to do: 1) Give him the keys to the studio, 2) give him a pre-signed blank check, and 3) make sure that Austin Abrams’ schedule is cleared. From now (and probably going forward), Cregger is easily the greatest horror director of this decade, and with only four years until 2030, everyone else will have to do some crazy work to do what he’s been doing. Now for starters, I’ll let you know that I have not played any of the Resident Evil games, nor do I know a single thing about them. That being said, this film is extremely digestible and fun for those who haven’t played the game. Obviously, I’m not going to understand or notice any easter eggs or references, but even then, I had so much fun with this. Even though it takes an extremely common horror topic (infection/zombies), it feels unlike any film I’ve seen before with that horror genre. I honestly can’t even explain why it feels so different, it just…does. I think it’s because there’s a lot more focus on the main character, as opposed to showcasing all these hundreds of zombie things running around. Yes, there’s large, scary antagonists, but it’s the focus on Bryan that truly makes this film. The story is a quick 90ish minutes, and it gets straight to the point, so you don’t have to settle in and wait for things to build. You just jump right in, hang on while you fly to the end, and have a great time. And again, it’s digestible for those who haven’t played the game. The story is its own, using elements from the games, rather than being a storyline from the game (from what I understand). Plus, the ending was absolutely amazing, and (spoiler!!!) I REALLY love it when the “villain” wins (or the film ends in the opposite of what you want). The cast is very limited, but every performance is pretty solid, with Austin Abrams EASILY delivering one of the best (and funniest) horror performances of the decade. He’s insanely relatable and just an average Joe, yet he’s so memorable and all around awesome. Who needs Scorsese and de Niro when you have Cregger and Abrams? Just give him (both Zach AND Austin) an Oscar already. The sound and score were extremely well put together and edited, and though they aren’t one-of-a-kind or anything like that, they’re still very good at building tension and delivering scares. The production design was peak, the aesthetic is unmatchable, the VFX and practical effects all blend together beautifully, and the entire filmmaking process for this film is generational. Whatever Zach Cregger wants to do, you LET HIM DO IT. Overall, this is an excellent piece of horror filmmaking, it’s very hilarious while still very gruesome, and I know I’ll be thinking about it for the next several days. Oh yeah, and there’s a great cameo from Baron Harkonnen! I would recommend this to all horror fans, even if you haven’t played the games, because you’ll still absolutely love it. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!