Resident Evil Audience Reviews: A Fun, Fantastic, Immersive Thrill Ride for Fans and Newcomers Alike
Audiences say Zach Cregger captures the essence of what it feels like to play the games, with genuine scares, spooky ambience, and even some laughs.
After seven live-action Resident Evil films — including a not-so-well-received 2021 reboot — writer-director Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) stepped in and said, “Hey, I’m a fan of the video games. Let me give it a shot.” The result has been a critical winner, as Cregger’s Resident Evil earned a Certified Fresh 95% on the Tomatometer and broke multiple franchise and box office records.
Fans have also been enthusiastic in their praise for the film, propelling it to a Verified Hot 91% on the Popcornmeter. Audience reviews call it a great mix of humor and thrills that feels like an immersive play-through of the source material, even if it doesn’t directly adapt any of the games. They say it’s a fantastic ride, and while there are plenty of Easter eggs for fans of the games, you can go in cold and still have a blast. See what audiences are saying below, and leave your own reviews here.
95%
91%
These reviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.
“This is THE Resident Evil experience. The screams and laughs I had during this movie were identical to the ones I had when I played the games over the last couple of decades. The atmosphere felt awfully unsettling, I hated peering around corners, and every jump scare was well-earned. I loved the progression, I loved where we went. We never stopped. Thank you.”
— Austin 
“THIS FILM IS WHAT THE RESIDENT EVIL SERIES NEEDED!!!!! Zach Cregger delivers an amazing horror experience SO reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing in every aspect. Cast and plot was on point with a thrilling and terrifying twist. 11/10 WILL WATCH AGAIN.”
— Isaac 
“Not exactly movie of the year but definitely a hilarious and fun time. This film will be in heavy rotation for my spooky season playlist!!”
— Jerrelle 
“Cinematography was great, the writing could’ve been better. I liked the humor but placing it in moments filled with tension will cause mixed reactions, unsure ending.”
— Devonte
“Remove the title Resident Evil completely and it would get a higher score as a movie of its own. It has some connection to Resident Evil but it’s very loose. It has laughs and jump scares with the occasional nods to Resident Evil, but if you never played the games you would miss it… The explanation you do get for why everything happening is laughable, literally. The movie does not expand the lore of the RE universe and I would go as far to say it’s a spin-off like the Netflix series, but an even less authentic version. It would be better as its own horror movie without the RE title and RE story elements.”
— Rob 
“Felt like I was playing the game again but with a friend who was just as bad as I was playing the game. It was a fun ride that I didn’t feel like I could predict the outcome. The scares, the dialogue and the story were really satisfying. Worth the watch.”
— Nina Fam
“Fun and gory, has GREAT scares and lots of funny moments too. Nice nods for fans of the game, but no prior knowledge required for this one.”
— Joshua 
“I don’t think there is a better dedication to one of my most beloved video games of all time. If you loved any of them, you MUST watch this!!”
— JoeAngel
“Absolutely incredible. The atmosphere, action, horror, and overall Resident Evil feeling were everything I wanted. It actually felt like the world of Resident Evil came to life on the big screen. The suspense had me hooked, the visuals were insane, and there were so many moments that had me on the edge of my seat. If you’re a Resident Evil fan, this is a MUST-WATCH. Easily one of the most fun movie experiences I’ve had in a long time. I need the sequel ASAP!”
— Domingo
“What a wild, gory ride from start to finish. Great tension, pacing, and humor as the funny, bumbling protag goes from horror to horror. Great creature designs, jump scares, and nods to the video games that video game fans will love. Zach Cregger really understood the assignment here.”
— Shane P
“Survival instincts of a Pop-Tart.”
— Ernesto 
“Holy crap that was awesome. Full on screamed, jumped outta my seat. It was a blast.”
— John S
“Don’t go into this movie thinking it’s a 100 percent lore accurate retelling of a Resident Evil game. Go into the movie thinking about what would happen if you were dropped into a Resident Evil game, not knowing anything. It nails the experience of playing the games, jumping and panicking. If anything, the director aka Zach knew he wasn’t gonna be able to please all fans by retelling RE1, 2, and 3 in a movie, so he went about capturing the experience of the games instead, instead of butchering the RE lore.”
— Kevin
“This movie is absolutely amazing, I really loved it. This movie genuinely works for me on every level… The core of this film that really pulls everything together is Austin Abrams as Bryan. You really care about his character all throughout the film and I loved how he was handled. He’s making mistakes, missing shots, not always saying the right thing, it just really makes you feel for him and Austin delivers it all perfectly. Then you have the action which is phenomenal and all really well shot. I also loved the world building in all aspects; I thought it was satisfying and did a really nice job of immersing me into the world. I also loved the cinematography and camerawork all throughout the film, it makes for a fun experience that really sucks you in. I loved all of the different creatures and things like that, I thought it was all so interesting and really creatively done. I also loved how the film looked. From the snow to the city, it was all really atmospheric. Then you have where the film goes by the end which I really didn’t expect but leaves a pit in your stomach. All around an amazing film that really sucked me in on every level.”
— Zackary
“Scary and surprising funny. It’s a must watch 10/10. Movie of the year. Has romance action horror, every emotion.”
— tin
“Even if you’re not a hardcore fan of the Resident Evil universe… you will love this movie. Spooky, slow, scary, POP moments… moments that make you laugh. At times I forgot this was even an RE movie and was sat just thinking ‘This is an amazing horror movie.’ I think all fans of horror/RE will love this.”
— Brandon
Resident Evil is now in theaters. Buy your tickets on Fandango.
