Resident Evil (2026) becomes best-reviewed video game film on Rotten Tomatoes
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026) holds a 97% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes from 91 reviews, the highest critic score for any film based on a video game.
The figures were reported on 17 September 2026. On Rotten Tomatoes, that score means 97% of counted critics gave the film a positive review. Video Games Chronicle
The previous leader was Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). It holds an 86% critic rating alongside a 94% audience rating. That is an 11-point gap in critic score.
The count has moved as more reviews were added. Forbes reported on 16 September 2026 that the film sat at 98% with over four dozen critic reviews in. The later tally puts it at 97% from 91 reviews.
Early critical response points to pace and tone. Rotten Tomatoes' first-reviews coverage says critics describe the film as briskly paced, surprisingly funny, and pure escapist fun true to the spirit of the franchise. The site's film page describes it as a thrilling and terrifying reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise from the filmmaker behind Weapons and Barbarian. Rotten Tomatoes
It is also Cregger's best-reviewed directing credit to date. Resident Evil sits ahead of Companion at 93%, Weapons at 93% and Barbarian at 92%.
The result stands out against the franchise's screen history. The highest-rated entry in the previous six-film live-action Resident Evil series was Resident Evil: The Final Chapter with 39%. Cregger's film is recognised as the highest-scored Resident Evil movie.
Rotten Tomatoes has also published a Cregger interview covering Weapons, Barbarian and Resident Evil. It includes discussion of what inspired Aunt Gladys and how Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II influenced his work.
What makes this stand out is the distance travelled. For fans, this means a familiar horror property arriving with a very different critical reception from past live-action entries.
