With so much debate online about how Zach Cregger's Resident Evil pays homage to the long-running video game franchise, I made a point to see this one as soon as it hit the 2026 movie schedule. While I can confirm, and even Cregger will admit, that he took some creative liberties when telling the story, I think he captured the spirit of the games so well that the zombie games should be lucky he attached his name to it.
What I love most about this was the approach and how it differed from other successful video game adaptations. I can't say I ever felt like I was playing Sonic or Super Mario Bros. when watching their movies, but I certainly felt that way watching Resident Evil.
Resident Evil Provides The Jump Scares And Vibes Of Playing The Games
Zach Cregger said he doesn't usually get scared, but playing the 8th installment in VR really freaked him out. I'm grateful for that, because I feel one of the biggest strengths of Resident Evil as a movie is how it recreates the exact way I feel every time I play one of the games.
The unexpected jump scares the moment you feel safe, the haunting locations you know you have to venture into to progress the game, and having limited ammunition against a bunch of super-powered zombies. It'll drive your anxiety right through the roof, to the point where I get that feeling in the back of my head telling me to just quit and do something else.
It's overwhelming, but as I pointed out when I first saw the trailer, that's exactly how someone would feel if they were in the world of Resident Evil. I'm not going to roll into this situation feeling as cool, calm, and collected as Leon Kennedy or Chris Redfield. I'm going to be screaming, missing shots, and scrambling like Bryan, and gonna be scared as hell until it's all over.
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Shows There's More Than One Way To Make A Video Game Movie
The new Resident Evil movie isn't a shot-for-shot recreation of any specific entry in the franchise, but it's still good and way more faithful to the source material than the original string of movies. Not only that, I daresay Zach Cregger's ideas that he's added to the universe warrant incorporation into the games, and they'd be better if some of those monsters were included.
I do hope that makers of other upcoming video game adaptations are taking note and realizing that there is more than one way to make a celebrated movie. Sure, an animated movie can make a thousand references in one movie and still make a billion dollars, but there's value in bringing the vibes to the big screen.
Resident Evil thrives in evoking that feeling without putting a game controller in your hand, though I wish I had one to reverse some of Bryan's stupider decisions. I'm still not sure why he threw that ladder, but it did briefly break the tension in a hilarious way.
Resident Evil is in theaters right now, and worth seeing if you're a fan of the franchise. I encourage anyone who loves the Raccoon City Incident to go and watch, and cross their fingers that we'll get another movie out of this.
