Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is an original story set in the world of Resident Evil 2, not a retelling of that game’s plot. It follows Bryan, a medical courier caught in a dangerous night in Raccoon City. Cregger has said he wants the film to capture survival horror’s vulnerability and resource management; post-release coverage also describes a mix of tension, dark humor and camp.
Where does the movie take place?
Cregger places the story in the world of Resident Evil 2 and in Raccoon City, the setting he associates with his earliest memory of the series. In an April 30, 2026 Q&A with the PlayStation Blog, he said the film would make “a couple of little shifts for dramatic license.” That describes a setting framework, not a promise that every game location or event appears exactly as it did on screen.
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The official Sony Pictures synopsis calls it an “all-new story” and identifies its central character as Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a medical courier swept into an action-packed struggle to survive during one horrifying night.
Is it an adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s plot?
No. Cregger has described the film as a new story with a different protagonist on a mission through the Resident Evil world. Its connection to Resident Evil 2 is the setting and the experience of moving through escalating danger, rather than a screen version of Leon’s story or a direct retelling of the game.
#1 Best Overall
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- Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily scared, representing a new type of character for the Resident Evil series. Grace will experience horror from the same perspective as the player as she learns to overcome her fears throughout the course of the story.
- For the first time ever in Resident Evil history, players will be able to freely switch between both first- and third-person perspectives throughout the game.
- An Anniversary to Remember: With March 2026 marking the Resident Evil series’ 30-year anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem marks its own milestone in the franchise.
- Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem are now open, with the bonus of Grace’s costume: Apocalypse. Please note that the picture weapon does not come with the costume, but it can be obtained in-game.
That distinction is useful for viewers deciding whether to play the game first: knowing Resident Evil 2 may help make the setting and game references familiar, but the film’s premise centers on Bryan. Cregger has also mentioned visual and thematic Easter eggs, as well as recognizable details such as weapon and healing-item progression; those comments do not establish that every game mechanic or reference is reproduced exactly.
What kind of survival-horror experience did Cregger want?
Cregger has described adaptation as translating the feel of playing a survival-horror game into a movie. He recalled the attention Resident Evil 2 demands: counting bullets and healing items, choosing what to carry, and moving deliberately because danger can make a seemingly capable character vulnerable. He summarized his story approach this way: “I wanted to do a movie that was following a character from point A to point B, because that’s what those games do so well.”
Rank #2
- FEAR COMES HOME -- Fear, combat, exploration, and item management: these are the four pillars of survival horror, a genre that has never been more masterfully executed than in the gameplay of Resident Evil. The horror continues in the ground-breaking Resident Evil 7. Step into the new Isolated View and experience true survival horror in a world created by the all-new RE Engine.
- DEEP IN THE BAYOU - When Ethan Winters opened his inbox, the last thing he expected was to find an email from his wife; she had been missing for three years. The message was simple: "Come get me," and an address in Louisiana. This leads Ethan to a decrepit mansion in the heart of the bayou. The place has a seriously creepy vibe, but Ethan continues his search – until a stranger attacks him and knocks him unconscious. Ethan has no idea what awaits him when he wakes up...for he is now in the clutches of the Baker family.
- A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- In RESIDENT EVIL 7, we're changing the way you interact with the world. For this next major entry in the series, play from a first-person point of view, dramatically increasing your ability to become fully absorbed in the world we have created.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
Scarce resources and a vulnerable lead
Bryan is an ordinary civilian, not a trained combatant. Cregger has emphasized finite ammunition and healing supplies, injury, and the pressure of deciding how to use limited resources. He also described a weapon progression from pistol to shotgun to MP5. These are elements of his stated approach; they should not be mistaken for a complete inventory of the finished film’s mechanics.
A journey through changing dangers
The point-A-to-point-B structure sends Bryan through different environments as the danger escalates. Cregger has described each new location as bringing a distinct threat, with the kinds of encounters players recognize from the games. The setting’s outbreak is tied to the franchise’s Umbrella Corporation and T-virus, with zombies and mutants among the dangers.
Rank #3
- TERRIFYING ZOMBIES WAITING AROUND EVERY CORNER -- Driven by insatiable hunger, these creatures act on instinct, gnashing their teeth, ripping at flesh, and devouring their victims. The new immersive camera lets you feel their fangs as they sink into your flesh.
- RACCOON CITY, REBUILT IN INTRICATE DETAIL -- The characters, environments, and story have all been rebuilt from the ground up to create a terrifying world that feels both nostalgic and new.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
How does the finished film’s tone compare with that intent?
Before release, Cregger’s comments emphasized survival-horror tension, resource scarcity and dread. In a September 25, 2026 interview and account of the released film, The Atlantic also characterized it as grounded and resource-conscious, while noting dark humor and camp. That later description adds tonal texture to his stated aim: the film is not framed only as unbroken grimness, though Cregger’s pre-release remarks focused on making the survival-horror experience work on screen.
For a companion game, Resident Evil 2 is the most directly relevant starting point because Cregger identified its world as the film’s setting framework. The movie nevertheless follows Bryan on a separate story rather than adapting the game’s plot.
Rank #4
- CLASSIC RESIDENT EVIL GAMEPLAY -- Overcome chilling encounters in a relentless fight for survival that ratchets up the intensity through nail-biting exploration and gripping puzzle-solving.
- EXPLORE RACCOON CITY FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE -- Get even closer to the action with an over-the-shoulder camera and updated control scheme, drawing you into every bloodcurdling encounter.
- SURVIVE TOGETHER IN THE MULTIPLAYER MODE -- Bring up to four friends into the carnage with Resident Evil Resistance, a multiplayer survival horror experience included in the Resident Evil 3 package. Available as a PlayStation 4 title compatible on all PlayStation 5 devices. Includes code necessary for redemption, requires additional download not on disc.
- NEW FOR PLAYSTATION5 – Upgraded features new to the PlayStation5 version of the game include a higher frame rate, 3D audio, added ray tracing, and engaging DualSense support for Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers.
When was the film released?
Sony and Constantin Film listed the theatrical release date as September 18, 2026. That date is a production release fact; showtimes and viewing availability can vary by location and date.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Reawaken a Classic – Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, now reconstructed using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine to deliver realistic visuals and additional narrative depth to the iconic story that was not possible at the time of the original release.
- Modernized Gameplay – The team from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 returns to build upon the series’ modern approach to survival horror. Engage in frenzied combat with the Ganados villagers, explore a European village gripped by madness, and solve puzzles to access new areas and collect useful items for Leon and Ashley’s constant struggle to survive.
- Overwhelming Hordes – Face hordes of rabid enemies that threaten to overwhelm Leon with even more diverse methods of attack than in the original release.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
- Survive on a Knife’s Edge – Years of intense training have taught Leon new ways to use his knife, helping to even the odds against the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. By parrying enemy attacks, you can avoid debilitating damage and evade lunging enemies seeking to grab Leon and hold him in place. Make smart use of scavenged knives to deliver precise finishing moves on vulnerable enemies, and even use the element of surprise to quietly dispatch unsuspecting foes before they break.
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