Resident Evil (2026)

Yes, it's another movie set in the world of Resident Evil, which means another trip to Raccoon City, this time directed by Zach Cregger, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten. But, as you may have already heard, this isn't the most straightforward adaptation of the source material. Cregger isn't interested in faithfully recreating locations or characters from the videogame world. That doesn't mean that he isn't interested in giving people a fun and scary Resident Evil/videogame experience though.

Viewers spend the runtime following Bryan (Austin Abrams), a courier who is qualified to transport medical supplies/organs. He's just finished his last job, just in time to get home and have a very important conversation with his pregnant partner, but is then offered a tempting bonus for one last delivery that is outside the standard delivery range. Unfortunately for Bryan, it's to be delivered to Raccoon City General Hospital, and something has just gone very wrong in Raccoon City. 

There are zombies here, there's at least one vicious dog, and there are a number of impressively huge and angry mutations. If you don't think the character design here is in line with the Resident Evil games then I would argue that you haven't really played many of the games. There's a lot here that feels influenced from elsewhere too (The Thing casts a big shadow over this), but Resident Evil itself has never been the most original property. It's scientists running before they could walk, it's lots of monsters, and it's a great blend of fun and tension. That's what Cregger and Hatten keep running throughout their screenplay. They're also very much aware of the videogame structure, in terms of upgrading weaponry, having areas locked off until certain objectives have been met, and moving from one small location through a number of bigger locations en route to the expected setting for the grand finale.

The propulsive score by Hays Holladay and Ryan Holladay helps to maintain the sense of urgency, the cinematography by Dariusz Wolski is impressive, perfectly keeping things in shadows when needed, but never obscuring anything that's meant to be seen, and many of the shot choices will help to remind you of the dark nights spent nervously directing your videogame character through a doorway or around a corner that could contain some new and challenging horror.

Abrams is excellent in the main role, and he's helped by the fact that he's playing someone who seems genuinely considerate and good-hearted. He makes a big mistake at the start of the film, but this weighs on him for the rest of the runtime, even as the main event takes precedence and makes it increasingly unlikely that he will ever reunite with his partner. I found this hugely refreshing for a horror movie, considering how often we're shown people with flaws and/or secrets that can make things more acceptable when the grim reaper is slashing ever-closer to them with their big scythe. Constantly moving, and constantly muttering or swearing at the madness around him, Abrams is believable and easy to stay alongside. Aside from some characters who appear towards the very end of the movie (which allows for a brief appearance from Zach Cherry), there are very few other characters who stick around for long. Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser appear in time to deliver some exposition that sets up the third act, but the latter suffers from being asked to act comedically in a way that doesn't work at all with the rest of the film.

I'm still not sure if I love or hate the ending, but it's one of a number of bold choices that Cregger makes, and comes along after a scene set in a maternity ward that is impressively wild. It also feels in line with the way things always pan out in the videogames. While the whole thing may not be a perfect film, it's almost a perfect horror movie to enjoy at the cinema, with Cregger really knowing how to move between the tension and the brief moments of light relief that allow you to laugh at your own nervousness. Gatekeepers may want to try telling others what does and doesn't count as a Resident Evil movie, but everyone else should just be happy that we have such a wide variety under the one big Umbrella.

9/10

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Weapons (2025)

If you somehow went along to see Weapons without realising that it was written and directed by the man behind Barbarian then it wouldn't take you too long to figure it out. There may be less dark humour throughout (it's definitely there though), but it makes use of some horror elements to comment on some societal issues, it has moments of sudden and unpleasant violence, events are shown in main chapters that jump between timestamps and characters, revealing a bit extra with each subsequent section, and there's fantastic tense atmosphere that you could cut with a knife. Not that Zach Cregger is the only person capable of making films with these ingredients, but there are certainly touchstones here that show him using some familiar tricks as he tries to present audiences with something arguably more unusual and unsettling than his last film.

As infuriating as it might seem to those trying to decide on whether or not they want to watch Weapons, it's a film that shouldn't be described in anything but the vaguest terms. Things begin with almost an entire classroom of children leaving their homes at two seventeen in the morning, and none of the parents have any idea where they went. Alex (Cary Christopher) is the one child left behind. Justine (Julia Garner) is the teacher who starts to be viewed with suspicion by the worried parents. Archer (Josh Brolin) is one of those worried parents. Other people who end up involved in the main narrative are a police officer named Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a petty thief/drug addict named James (Austin Abrams), and a visiting relative named Gladys (Amy Madigan).

Where Cregger excels here is not only in his use of the main concept to work as an analogy for an ongoing problem that has affected modern day life in the USA for a few decades now, but also in the way that viewers can put their own interpretative spin on things. Whether you are sympathetic to the general state of parents who find their children suddenly absent, moved by those who seek to point a finger of blame at anyone, because an easy answer is better than no answer, or afraid of the kind of events that have previously left classrooms as distressingly empty spaces in the real world, Weapons provides a lot of food for thought. But it also provides some great atmosphere, very effective jump scares, and a surprising selection of familiar horror movie moments that feel a bit fresh and unique because of the way they are dressed up.

While the cast all do good work, and I really couldn't fault any one of the main performers named up above (also worth mentioning are Benedict Wong, Whitmer Thomas, Callie Schuttera, and the narration from Scarlett Sher), this is a film that works as well as it does thanks to the care and skill of Cregger and his behind-the-camera collaborators. The score works brilliantly, the cinematography from Larkin Seiple remains gorgeous and keeps everything visible even in the darkest of scenes, and the constant mix of creepiness and shock is handled expertly by everyone involved.

I was worried that this wouldn't live up to the hype, because that has certainly been building since the advertising campaign ramped up a little while ago, but it absolutely does. People will have different moments they may find a bit less satisfying, and some will start to amplify their negative opinion if they want to push back against the majority who seem to love it, but I am struggling to find any fault with it. The runtime could have been trimmed down slightly, but I can't even think of where I would want some time shaved off. Okay, maybe I would have preferred some other kind of explanation for what is ultimately revealed during the finale, but it's easy for me to sit here and say that without thinking of anything that would have been better. Those are very minor things something stopping me from rating this as an absolutely perfect film. It comes damn close though.

9/10

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Barbarian (2022)

Written and directed by Zach Cregger, Barbarian is an excellent horror film that may put off many viewers with a structure that almost places it in the category of anthology movie. Jumping between various points in time, and various main characters, the first viewing may leave you feeling a bit bewildered until everything starts to knit together, but stick with it and you will be rewarded with a very dark and twisted piece of work.

Things start with Tess (Georgina Campbell) turning up to stay at a house she has rented, only to find that the property has also been rented to someone else by mistake. That person is Keith (Bill Skarsgård). He seems lovely and considerate, but he also brings the baggage of being Bill Skarsgård, and this whole section has Cregger using lighting and camera angles to keep viewers as wary as Tess. Once this episode plays out, we then join AJ (Justin Long), a cocky actor who finds out that his career is about to suffer from an accusation of rape. Desperately pooling his money and resources for the legal battles ahead, AJ travels to a property that he has had an agency renting out on his behalf. Yep, it’s the house that Tess and Keith stayed in. The neighbourhood seems to have gone to pot, but AJ’s house could still have some value. One more jump back in time shows us a previous resident of the house (played by Richard Brake) and then it is time to connect everything together for an intense and entertaining final act.

Mixing a number of familiar horror movie standards into something that feels new and bang up to date, Cregger proves himself a smart and confident helmsman with Barbarian. You get tension, scares, and some great gore moments, but you also get thought-provoking commentary on gentrification, class division, abuse, and the danger in the world around us that just keeps encroaching on any lone female. None of this stuff brings the film to a halt, and the fact that it’s all woven so well through the script is testament to Cregger’s talent, although his cast also help with pitch-perfect performances.

Campbell is a very likable lead, and viewers are on her side as soon as things start to feel tense (which happens within the first few minutes). Skarsgård is also very likable here, his manner and thoughtfulness at odds with the threat we perceive in him, which is how Tess perceives him. Then you have Long, delivering a brash and unpleasant turn that has you rooting for his character to meet a sticky end. Although he isn’t a good person, he is there to provide a very interesting juxtaposition and comparison point with someone even worse (Brake, doing well with his short amount of screentime).

It’s hard to write about this while preserving the element of surprise. Those who have already seen the film will know the elephant in the room that I haven’t tried to describe. Those yet to see the film may not be convinced by my selective summary, but I hope you give it a go and enjoy a surprise or two. There are a couple of moments here that sit quite high on any list of great moments from horror movies released within the last few years, and Cregger paces everything perfectly as viewers are moved between gruelling moments of unpleasantness and more entertaining bits of horror movie “fun”. Absolutely brilliant stuff.

8/10

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