There have now been four Sonic the Hedgehog movies, with a fifth in production for release next year. Mortal Kombat recently delivered its fourth live-action film, while Street Fighter is getting another big-screen attempt this fall. Lara Croft has explored movie theaters at least three times, and Prime Video is developing a new television adaptation starring Sophie Turner as the iconic archaeologist. Yet no video game franchise has generated more major theatrical films than Resident Evil.
With the newest Resident Evil movie arriving in theaters this weekend, Capcom’s zombie-driven video game series has inspired a remarkable eight films. The games may not enjoy the universal recognition of Mario or Sonic, but they have long been praised for their frightening atmosphere, cinematic presentation and immersive design. A movie adaptation was almost inevitable. Since the original game is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, a new film arrives at an especially convenient moment. The bigger question is whether Zach Cregger’s movie is the best place for newcomers to begin.
Version Control has the answer. We compare multiple versions of familiar stories and properties to determine which one deserves your streaming time—or your hard-earned movie money. This time, we’re looking at the three separate cinematic launches for Resident Evil: the 2002 original, 2021’s Welcome to Raccoon City and the 2026 reboot. The ranking comes from the perspective of a movie fan rather than a dedicated gamer. Devoted players have likely watched at least one of these films out of curiosity—or avoided them out of frustration. None belongs among the greatest zombie movies ever made, but each brings a distinct approach to a well-established horror subgenre.
Let’s see which version works best as an introduction, starting with the films in chronological order. Here are the Resident Evil movies ranked:
Video game movies were hardly a reliable bet in the early 2000s. There was no billion-dollar benchmark like the later Super Mario films, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider had only recently become the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever. The only major hit it surpassed was the original 1995 Mortal Kombat, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Anderson was not known primarily as a gaming devotee, but he soon landed another high-profile game-to-film assignment: Resident Evil. The project had already passed through several hands, including those of George A. Romero, the legendary zombie filmmaker who seemed like an obvious choice for an adaptation of a famous zombie-shooting game. The studio ultimately chose Anderson instead. The decision proved fortunate in more ways than one. He helped launch a successful film franchise and met Milla Jovovich, whom he later married. The couple are still together.
That history helps explain why the first Resident Evil is as much about the Anderson-Jovovich partnership as it is about Capcom’s game series. Ironically, some of their later collaborations—both within the franchise and beyond it—are stronger films. Still, the original has an instantly appealing setup. Alice (Jovovich) wakes up with no memory of the mansion around her. She appears to work as security for the Umbrella Corporation facility hidden beneath the house, where a recent breach has unleashed a deadly threat. Joining a team sent underground to investigate, she discovers a virus capable of turning people into zombies, forcing the group to fight for its survival.
The film has several undeniable strengths, including Jovovich’s performance, an early appearance by Michelle Rodriguez and an unforgettable corridor sequence in which members of the team are shredded by a red laser. However, later installments move more decisively toward the action-sci-fi-horror blend that Anderson clearly preferred. The third, fourth and sixth movies, which draw on Mad Max, The Matrix and other genre classics alongside George A. Romero’s influence, are arguably the franchise’s highlights. Even so, the 2002 original remains one of the better video game adaptations of its era.
Stream Resident Evil (2002) on XumoPlay
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Despite taking major liberties with the games, the Resident Evil film series remained a dependable performer at the U.S. box office. Its real staying power, however, came from international audiences. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the sixth film, earned considerably less in North America than its predecessors but still became the franchise’s highest-grossing entry worldwide, powered by $300 million from overseas markets, particularly China and Japan. After that 2017 finale, the property was rebooted with a promise of greater loyalty to the games. The result, Welcome to Raccoon City, opened during Thanksgiving in 2021 and bombed—a puzzling release strategy considering the earlier films’ success in September and the strength of horror movies in October.
I can’t judge Welcome to Raccoon City as an adaptation of games I haven’t played, but as a general tribute to the films of John Carpenter, it works surprisingly well. It may even be underrated. The story follows Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), who returns to her hometown of Raccoon City at precisely the wrong moment: a zombie outbreak is beginning to spread. Her brother, Chris (Robbie Amell), is part of the team attempting to contain the disaster, alongside the familiar game character Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen).
Set in the bleak remains of a once-thriving blue-collar city, Welcome to Raccoon City unfolds through a succession of Assault on Precinct 13-style standoffs and sieges. Director Johannes Roberts, a B-movie specialist who also elevated films such as Primate and The Strangers: Prey at Night, gives the movie a stylish visual identity. The reboot did not generate a lasting series, which may not be a tragedy—John Carpenter was never particularly interested in making endless sequels, either. Although its characters are thin and its action lacks the swagger of the Anderson films, this Resident Evil remains entertaining while it lasts.
Stream Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) on Hulu
Following the failure of Welcome to Raccoon City, the franchise received another reboot sooner than expected. Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, identified Resident Evil as one of the few existing properties he might want to adapt in a career otherwise focused on original stories. His version is both closer to and farther from the games than its predecessors. Cregger aims to recreate the unnerving atmosphere and imagery of the game world, but he avoids specific game storylines and familiar characters. In other words, the film takes place in the universe of Resident Evil without featuring its established cast. Jovovich’s Alice was an original creation, although several supporting characters from the earlier movies came from the games. The new story instead centers on a courier (Austin Abrams) assigned to deliver a package to Raccoon City Hospital. His night quickly spirals into chaos when a zombie outbreak begins. First come a series of seemingly unrelated disasters: treacherous snowy roads, accidentally hitting a woman who runs into his car, a confrontation with a police officer and more.
The plot is much simpler than those of the earlier Resident Evil movies, but it does a far better job of capturing the mission-by-mission structure and fumbling, learn-as-you-go feeling of playing a game for the first time. That concept might have amounted to little more than a clever gimmick without Cregger’s assured direction—and especially without Abrams’ grounded performance. His character is not the bravest, smartest or strongest person in the world, and may not even be those things within his own social circle. Yet he keeps trying to finish an increasingly urgent work assignment as the surrounding catastrophe grows worse. Abrams makes him both comically inept and deeply likable. The result is a Resident Evil that plays almost like a horror comedy, even though Cregger deliberately strips away much of the overt humor. It also feels perfectly designed for a packed multiplex.
THE VERSION CONTROL VERDICT: RESIDENT EVIL (2026)
The 2026 Resident Evil is easily the most accomplished of the three “first” installments. That is partly because it works so well as a complete film and may not need to launch another franchise. For horror fans, it is well worth experiencing in a theater. But if you prefer to watch scary movies at home, the earlier two versions are both worthwhile options.
Jesse Hassenger (@rockmarooned) is a writer living in Brooklyn. He’s a regular contributor to The A.V. Club, Polygon, and The Week, among others. He podcasts at www.sportsalcohol.com, too.