Fantastic Fest 2026 opened with Resident Evil, and for me, it was a fun way to begin the festival. I’d never played the video game, so I went in with little knowledge of the franchise or any particular expectations. What I found was a fast-moving, bloody, highly visual action film that immediately set the tone for several days of the strange, excessive, and unexpected movies that make Fantastic Fest what it is.
Directed by Zach Cregger, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who accepts a final delivery to Raccoon City on a snowy night. The seemingly straightforward job thrusts him into a rapidly spreading outbreak filled with infected creatures and few safe places. Bryan must keep moving as he tries to understand what is happening and survive long enough to complete his increasingly dangerous trip.
I have never played a Resident Evil video game, so I approached the film without attachment to its characters, mythology, or previous storylines. I saw the Milla Jovovich versions but hardly remember them. Even without that background, the basic plot is easy to follow. Cregger keeps the story direct and lets the action and visual design do much of the work.
Resident Evil definitely looks and feels like a video game. Bryan moves from one dangerous location to another, encountering new threats, searching for a way forward, and shooting almost anything that gets in his path. The film features a great deal of gunfire, fast-paced action, bloody violence, and increasingly strange creatures.
The cast is solid, with Abrams carrying most of the film as an ordinary man trapped in an extraordinary situation. He gives Bryan enough personality to keep the character from becoming merely a figure moving through a series of action sequences. The supporting cast also understands the film’s exaggerated tone and fits comfortably into its chaotic world.
The visuals are among the film’s strongest assets. Cregger crafts an appropriately grim and menacing Raccoon City while still delivering the large-scale action the franchise demands. The film rarely slows for long, and its brisk pace keeps the straightforward story from feeling burdensome.
The ending, however, felt rushed and took a different direction than I expected. After spending so much time building the danger and moving Bryan through one escalating situation after another, the final portion arrives and resolves matters too quickly. A little more time could have made the conclusion feel more satisfying.
Resident Evil may offer additional references and details for longtime players, but viewers don’t need familiarity with the games to enjoy it. It is loud, bloody, highly visual, and action-packed. While I enjoyed it overall, I felt there was room for the film to be stronger, particularly in how quickly it reaches the ending and resolves the story. Even so, it was an entertaining start to Fantastic Fest 2026 and a solid opening-night choice.