Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Reboot Scores Record 96% on Rotten Tomatoes

Zach Cregger’s live-action reboot of Resident Evil opened in Singapore cinemas and IMAX on September 17, 2026, a day ahead of its wide US theatrical release on September 18, after early reviews gave the film a 96 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 126 reviews, according to the film’s official Rotten Tomatoes page. The score makes it the highest-rated live-action entry in the Resident Evil franchise, surpassing the previous high of 39 percent held by Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, according to a report by CBR.

The film is distributed in Singapore by Sony Pictures Releasing Singapore, which lists the title as playing “In Cinemas and IMAX” starting September 17 on its official homepage. Directed by Cregger, best known for the 2025 horror hit Weapons, and co-written with Shay Hatten, the reboot follows Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, who is caught in a viral outbreak in Raccoon City while making a delivery.

Direct answer: what happened and why it matters

Resident Evil, adapted from Capcom’s long-running survival-horror game series, opened to critics on September 16, 2026, and immediately posted the best review aggregate score in the franchise’s film history. Rotten Tomatoes’ editorial team framed the reception in stark terms, publishing a first-reviews roundup under the headline “Not Just the Best Resident Evil Movie, but One of the Best Video Game Movies Ever.” The film opened in Singapore cinemas one day before its US wide release, giving local audiences early access to a title now being discussed as a high point for video-game film adaptations generally.

Critical reception and the franchise record

The film’s 96 percent Tomatometer score, drawn from 126 critic reviews as listed on Rotten Tomatoes’ official Resident Evil (2026) page, stands well above any prior entry in the franchise. CBR reported that the reboot’s reception makes it “the highest-rated horror release of the decade” by some measures, and noted that star Austin Abrams, who also appeared in Weapons, has drawn particular praise from critics.

Rotten Tomatoes’ own editorial writeup, published September 16, 2026, stated plainly that the reboot is “not just the best Resident Evil movie, but one of the best video game movies ever,” according to the outlet’s first-reviews article. That assessment echoes a broader trend this year of first-party video game adaptations receiving markedly better critical treatment than earlier attempts in the genre, a shift also visible in the mixed-to-positive reception of Marvel’s Wolverine, which launched on PS5 on September 15 with a 78 Metacritic score.

Cast, plot, and production details

The reboot centers on Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, who becomes trapped in a viral outbreak in Raccoon City during a routine delivery, according to plot summaries confirmed by multiple outlets including CBR and 25YL. The supporting cast includes Zach Cherry as Dave, Kali Reis as Pauline, Paul Walter Hauser as Carl, and Johnno Wilson as Max. The film is rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, and gore.

How we know: the Rotten Tomatoes score and review count are taken directly from the film’s official Rotten Tomatoes title page and the outlet’s own editorial first-reviews article, both published as of September 16-17, 2026. Budget figures reported elsewhere for the production ranged between $75 million and $80 million depending on the outlet, and have not been uniformly confirmed by the studio, so no single figure is stated here as fact.

Singapore distribution and cinema availability

Sony Pictures Releasing Singapore is distributing the film locally, with its official Sony Pictures Singapore homepage confirming the title is playing in cinemas and IMAX from September 17, 2026, a day ahead of the film’s US wide release. The early Singapore date places local audiences among the first globally to see the reboot on the big screen, following its September 17 premiere at Fantastic Fest.

Background: a franchise history of weak reviews

The Resident Evil film franchise, based on Capcom’s survival-horror game series that began in 1996, has historically struggled with critics despite commercial success. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the previous high-water mark among the franchise’s live-action entries, held a 39 percent Tomatometer score prior to this reboot, according to CBR’s reporting on the new film’s record-setting reception. Cregger’s version marks a sharp departure from that pattern, arriving with critical acclaim rather than the polarized-to-negative reception that defined the earlier film series.

The positive critical run also arrives during a period of renewed scrutiny of video game film and TV adaptations more broadly, an era shaped by projects ranging from prestige television adaptations to major theatrical releases tied to franchises such as Grand Theft Auto VI, whose own release timeline has drawn sustained industry attention throughout 2026.

What to watch next

• Whether the film’s US opening-weekend box office, not yet reported as of September 18, 2026, matches the strength of its critical reception.
• Additional critic and audience score movement on Rotten Tomatoes as more reviews are published following the wide release.
• Whether Sony moves forward with a sequel or expanded Resident Evil film slate following the reboot’s reception.

As of publication, no box office figures had been confirmed for the film’s opening in either Singapore or the United States. This article will be updated if studio or box-office tracking data becomes available.

Sources

• Resident Evil (2026) | Rotten Tomatoes — rottentomatoes.com
• Resident Evil First Reviews: Not Just the Best Resident Evil Movie, but One of the Best Video Game Movies Ever — editorial.rottentomatoes.com
• Critics ‘bow down’ to Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil,’ score it higher than ‘Weapons’ and ‘Barbarian’ — goldderby.com
• Resident Evil Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed; Critics Hail Reboot As "Best Video Game Adaptation Of All Time" — comicbookmovie.com
• The Best "Resident Evil" Ever: First Reviews for Zach Cregger’s Reboot Are In — ixbt.games