Nathalia Peralta D., Editor
Spoilers Ahead
With the recent release of Zach Cregger’s 2026 Resident Evil adaptation, there has been a lot of buzz on the internet about the story – both positive and negative. Many viewers enjoyed a new and refreshing take on the world and even felt like it had a true and authentic Resident Evil atmosphere; however, others felt it missed the mark on many things and that, at a glance, didn’t represent any of the elements that make Resident Evil so iconic and nostalgic for many fans. This is understandable considering the track record of many other live-action attempts for the video game franchise, from the S.W. Anderson movies to the very poorly received ‘Welcome to Raccoon City’ adaptation that not only handled the story poorly, but butchered the characters’ stories and personalities to an embarrassing degree.
So, when the first trailer for another RE movie dropped, many fans had mixed feelings about how Cregger would direct and handle the story; would we finally be freed from the curse of video game movie adaptations? Well, we just had to wait and see. That didn’t stop many people on social media from giving their first opinions and feelings prematurely; it was nice to see that many wanted to give the movie a chance and had hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as others were making it out to be.
This is one of those movies you should watch before seeing the online criticism, because I feel like it makes people more hesitant to try or watch new movies. Personally, I enjoyed the movie; as a viewer, it felt like I was an outsider being thrown into a chaotic, dreadful situation — granted, I don’t think I would survive as long as our main protagonist, Bryan, did. The setting was beautiful and never missed a moment in luring you in; the main character was funny and relatable, in my opinion. The subtle references from the game were a nice touch. I also like that it’s a movie you can watch a few times, since on a first watch you might miss a number of things if you’re not paying attention to everything at once or a concept doesn’t click right away.
One of my favorite things about the film is how it shows the game mechanics and how the character starts with nothing and no clue of what’s happening, to becoming competent and resourceful. I also loved the main character; he was funny and relatable, and the story balanced elements of horror and comedy well. It was cheesy at times, but not in a bad way; it works well on its own without having to mention every iconic game character, but I won’t lie when I say it would have been fun to see one of them, or even a quick reference to their presence in Raccoon City.
The ending did feel rushed, but it also felt like it was leading to more, maybe building up to another part. It’s hard to say if we will ever see that come to fruition due to all the negative criticism from online spaces and, to put it bluntly, the miserable and annoying fans of the community not letting people try new things. If they want things to stay faithful, they can always go back to the games.
As of now, the 2026 Resident Evil is one of the better adaptations of the games. Adaptations won’t always be perfect – they can still lack or miss some pieces, but I do think people should sometimes just try to enjoy the media instead of immediately tearing it apart.
