RESIDENT EVIL

Resident Evil (2026)

Directed by: Zach Cregger

The story is easy to follow, even if the flow is fast-paced. The shifts between first-person and third-person perspectives are handled smoothly. The title card comes in at just the right time, getting you ready that the game is about to start.

Different varieties of monsters are being featured, which is great, but the way the main character interacts with them is underwhelming.

He mostly just looks at them, then runs away. If ever he decides to confront them, which is quite rare, the battles don’t last for more than a minute.

There are more side comments than actual action, much like there’s more buffering and loading than actually playing the game.

It’s common for the lead to make dumb decisions along the way for entertainment’s sake, but some of them seem deliberately written just to prolong the adventure rather than driven by the character’s natural instincts.

Like a game that increases its difficulty as it progresses, the film steadily raises the stakes.

The main player, however, barely adapts to the growing challenges. While the monsters around him continue to evolve, his survival skills remain stagnant.

It’s nice to see the weapons and the upgrades that come with them, but most of them aren’t put to good use. There are plenty of sighs and missed opportunities along the way.

A higher percentage of luck and little strategy is at play, which is disappointing since, in a survival game, having a strategy to defeat enemies should always be at the top of the list.

If only reset is applicable here, it would have been used countless times.

The film banks on entertainment, but in doing so, it downplays the value of a game and its player. Even by the end, the lead is given little chance to prove his worth.

Evil resides in how the film makes the character suffer — even when the game leaves more room for strategy than failure.

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋

Cast: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, Johnno Wilson

Screenplay by: Zach Cregger & Shay Hatten

Based on the Resident Evil video game franchise by Capcom

Presented by: Constantin Film, Vertigo Entertainment, PlayStation Productions, Columbia Pictures, Davis Films

Release Date: September 16, 2026 in Philippine cinemas nationwide

A Movie Review by: Goldwin Reviews