Resident Evil defies the odds, becomes highest rated video game movie of all-time

After backlash from fans regarding its modern twist on a beloved franchise, the Resident Evil film by Zack Cregger is looking like a banger, as it becomes one of the highest-rated video game films ever made.

Spoiler-free reviews of the live-action Resident Evil film have finally materialised online, and initial thoughts are overwhelmingly positive.

Rotten Tomatoes currently has it sitting pretty at 97% fresh after 90 reviews in total, though keep in mind this is critic reviews only.

It’s a positive sign though. The film has now surpassed the likes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and all other cinematic video game adaptations.

Hopefully it doesn’t get too comfortable though, as The Legend of Zelda film drops next year…

Zack Cregger’s Resident Evil apology tour

Despite the film’s current successes, the build-up to its release has been rough for its director, Zack Cregger. After previous wins like Barbarian and Weapons, fans were confident Cregger could produce another fantastic horror flick, but when the first trailer dropped, it was polarising for many long-term fans of the series.

While its resemblance to Resident Evil is uncanny, Cregger has been adamant that the film pays loving tribute to the games that inspired it, whilst telling its own unique story.

You probably won’t see Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield, but you’re meant to believe they could be somewhere else in the city having their own adventure.

Cregger has described his press tour as more of an apology tour, adding that he was “naive” to believe fans wouldn’t want a 1:1 recreation of the games as a film.

Nevertheless, it seems to have worked out in the end, as those critic scores don’t lie. Now we just have to wait for the film’s debut on September 18 to see what the fans think.

What’s Resident Evil (2026) about?

The new Resident Evil film follows Bryan, a medical courier who’s tasked with delivering an organ to Raccoon City, but as you’d expect, things don’t go according to plan.

In the trailers, we see some distinct forms of infected that you wouldn’t find in the games. This take on zombies seems to be faster, with twistable limbs and their own special mutations, such as the big guy we see lurking in the sewer.

Cregger has said the Resident Evil influences come into play as Bryan navigates the city and tries to figure out what’s happened. First-person segments inspired by Resident Evil 7: Biohazard have been teased, and we’ve already seen Bryan aim and miss at a lock he was trying to shoot. We’ve all done it.

All in all, it’s looking like a bold reinvention of the Resident Evil we know and love. Sure, it’s different, but different is good. In my humble opinion, Cregger was right to do his own spin on the franchise, as there was a better chance of creating something good and bespoke than there was of remaking a story we’ve heard a hundred times through a better medium.