Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Becomes Highest-Rated Video Game Movie Ever

Zach Cregger's new Resident Evil movie has launched to critical acclaim, claiming the title of the highest-rated video game movie ever made. Ahead of its official release in theaters, the film secured a 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 80 reviews, alongside an 80 Metascore on Metacritic. According to Metacritic metrics, the project sits well ahead of other recent video game adaptations like Exit 8.

Directed by Zach Cregger, who is known for his work on Weapons and Barbarian, the original adaptation follows a medical courier played by Austin Abrams. The character takes on a job that leads him to Raccoon City, where everything quickly goes wrong. GameSpot awarded the movie an 8 out of 10 in its review, praising it for capturing the breathless terror of the source games. Critics have noted that the film successfully honors its source material without feeling beholden to it.

Despite the strong critical reception, the movie has faced some pushback from a portion of the fanbase. Because Cregger chose to tell an original story rather than adapting an existing game plot or featuring characters like Leon Kennedy, some fans expressed disappointment. Cregger admitted in interviews that he did not anticipate the high demand for a Leon-led narrative and felt like he was on an apology tour due to the negative fan reactions to his creative choices.

The production origins trace back to a hiatus following the 2021 release of Welcome to Raccoon City. Constantin, which has held the movie rights since the 1990s, originally planned to pause the franchise. However, Cregger pitched his original concept following the success of Barbarian, leading Constantin to greenlight production. Although Constantin was not contractually obligated to consult Capcom, the studio worked alongside Capcom to ensure the intellectual property was treated with respect.