The latest Resident Evil movie has delivered a major milestone for the long-running video game franchise. The movie adaptation of one of the most iconic video games has received an unusually strong response from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The outcome sets the reboot apart from the other movies that came before it.
Resident Evil, the 2026 reboot, has debuted with a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It is also the highest Tomatometer score among all of the theatrical movies in the franchise so far. The critical rating is a significant change from that of the previous live-action films.
Paul W. S. Anderson’s six-movie series, starring Milla Jovovich, never reached 40% on the Tomatometer, with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter earning 37%. The 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, currently stands at 30%.
Directed by Zach Cregger, who previously made Barbarian, the new R-rated movie has drawn praise for its suspense, dark atmosphere, and creature effects. Critics have also appreciated its focus on horror rather than relying heavily on large-scale action sequences.
The new Resident Evil movie has more going for it than its Rotten Tomatoes score
Cregger has taken a different approach to the material for the new Resident Evil movie, focusing on the elements that made the original games popular. Instead of building the story around familiar characters such as Leon S. Kennedy or Jill Valentine, the movie follows a new protagonist who’s caught in a dangerous outbreak.
Austin Abrams plays a medical courier who becomes trapped inside an infected area. Paul Walter Hauser and Zach Cherry also star in the reboot. The story follows the courier as he tries to survive while facing limited resources, dangerous creatures, and an increasingly hostile environment.
Resident Evil runs for 97 minutes and maintains gripping tension throughout. Its approach draws from the survival-horror mechanics of the original Resident Evil game. That includes the importance of limited ammunition and making difficult decisions under pressure.