On Understanding the Assignment: ‘Resident Evil’ (2026) Spoiler-Free Review

The Mission is Clear There is a vast difference between what a piece of media is saying and what it is doing. This is rarely as evident in the gaming sphere as it is with the Resident Evil (Biohazard, in Japan) series. On the surface, the series reads like Jurassic Park had a head-on collision with every George A. Romero movie ever, and there were no survivors. Pun intended. (Image via Capcom) Underneath the zombie blasting, though, was and has always been a scathing critique of unfettered capitalism and the dangers of endless access and single-minded ambition.  Zach Cregger’s 2026 adaptation of Resident Evil understands both what the series says and what it aims to do and brings its essence to the big screen while evoking shockingly little in the way of direct references to the lore of the games. Not a whole lot more than this. (Image via Sony) Our story follows Bryan. Is Bryan a daring adventurer or a rookie cop having a rough first day or a mad scientist? Nope! Bryan is a courier. In his own words:  “I’m a glorified Postmates driver.” That quote, honestly, sums up the feeling that this move evokes: it is boots-on-the-ground, claustrophobic, survival horror. What makes that game genre so appealing isn’t the horror aspect. Not really. It’s the survival, the feeling that something is always waiting for you, and the suffocating atmosphere that kind of tension creates. I feel entitled to compensation for these journals. (Image via Capcom) Throughout the movie, Bryan i…