Resident Evil (2026)
Full disclosure: I have never played the Resident Evil video games, and I've only seen either the first two or three of the previous (and rotten) Resident Evil movies. This new version, directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons), isn't connected to the other films. This is a fresh start for the series.
With the promise of double the pay, exhausted medical courier Bryan Hodukavich (Austin Abrams) agrees to travel through a vicious snow storm to deliver a package to Raccoon City General Hospital, which is located in the Colorado mountains. Before you can say "Milla Jovovich," Bryan is fighting for his life during a serious outbreak of infected mutant monsters in the heart of Raccoon City. That's pretty much it: Bryan must deliver his important package while trying to outrun monsters.
Comedy and screams come in equal measures in this tightly packed 97-minutes, and Abrams is a likable protagonist. His high-pitched screaming and sarcasm during terrifying situations garner big laughs.
The practical special effects combined with CGI create some really gnarly creatures and imagery. This is a seriously gross movie. The film also has a cool John Carpenter-esque music score by Hays and Ryan Holladay.
Resident Evil is mostly goofy gory fun, but it's the pesky
nihilistic non-ending that severely disappoints.
