Resident Evil (2026)

Resident Evil (2026) is written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously directed Barbarian and Weapons. Cregger brings a strong understanding of tension and horror to the film, relying heavily on jump scares, drawn-out suspense, and carefully executed moments of terror. The movie also contains so many video game easter eggs that fans of the franchise will have plenty to appreciate. While I had heard that Cregger had reduced the amount of humor, the film is still surprisingly funny. The comedy never completely disappears, even when the movie is focused on being genuinely frightening.

Austin Abrams, known for Weapons and Euphoria, carries much of the film as Bryan. The audience spends nearly the entire movie with him, and fortunately, Abrams has the charisma and delivery to make even his smaller moments entertaining. There is something about the way he performs the character that makes you smile, even when the situation around him is becoming increasingly terrifying. He gives the film a likable lead who can balance the horror and comedy without either feeling completely out of place.

The supporting cast does not have much opportunity to make an impression. Most of the movie is spent with Austin Abrams, and the other performers either have limited screen time or characters that are not given enough material to stand out. That is not necessarily a flaw, since the film is clearly designed around Bryan's experience, but it does mean there are not many other performances worth discussing in detail.

Overall, Resident Evil is a strong horror film that understands how to build tension and deliver scares while still maintaining enough humor to keep things entertaining. As a horror fan, I would give it a B+. However, as someone who grew up enjoying the Resident Evil video games, the abundance of easter eggs and attention to the source material makes the experience even more enjoyable. For fans of the games, this is an A-. Take that for what you will. Result: A-

Comments

Hope (2026)

Hope is directed by Na Hong-jin , the same director who brought us The Wailing , and it has a similarly interesting approach to suspense. The story itself is intriguing, but the editing desperately needed some work. The pacing can be all over the place, which makes some sections feel much longer than they need to be. The comedy also comes completely out of nowhere, considering most of the movie is built around suspense and action. Some of it works, but the tonal shifts can be pretty jarring. Hwang Jung-min's character has the best arc in the movie. His character actually changes throughout the story, and watching that progression is one of the film's strongest elements. Ho-yeon's character, she was in Squid Game, on the other hand, is great from the beginning and doesn't really have much growth. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes the contrast between the two characters' arcs pretty noticeable. Zo In-sung, known from Netflix show It's Okay,...

Runner (2026)

Runner is directed by Scott Waugh , the same director who brought us Act of Valor and Expendables 4 , and he knows how to handle action. The action is well directed, and the editing is tight enough that the movie never feels unnecessarily drawn out. The film is pretty straightforward, but it knows what it wants to be and delivers a fun action movie without overstaying its welcome. Alan Ritchson tries to branch out from the role of the giant who beats people up, but he doesn't get very far away from it. He's clearly capable of playing more than the typical physically imposing action hero, but this movie still leans heavily into what he's already known for. Owen Wilson , meanwhile, basically plays himself, or at least a character very similar to the one he played in Wedding Crashers . If you've seen Wilson in that type of role before, you know exactly what you're getting. Rodrigo Santoro , who most people will probably recognize from 300 , plays the main villain. H...

Buddy (2026)

Buddy is written and directed by Casper Kelly , who is better known as an Adult Swim writer. That probably explains why this type of film is right up his alley. The movie tries to be funny, but it tries way too hard. At the same time, it tries to be a horror movie but doesn't try nearly hard enough. It feels like the whole premise is being pushed to its extreme primarily to create something that could go viral rather than because the story actually has anywhere meaningful to go. Cristin Milioti is the main actress in the film, and while she's definitely charismatic, her performance feels a bit overdramatic at times. The child actors are all fine with one exception, although none of them really stand out enough to make much of an impression. Topher Grace is another example of the horrible male characters we've gotten in a long line of that particular trope throughout the 2020s. I can't wait to see what comes next in that line of writing. At this point, it's almos...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog