The Best Horror Movie Of 2026's Worst Predecessor Is A Streaming Sensation

Published Sep 21, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

The best horror movie of 2026's worst predecessor has quickly grown into a streaming sensation, despite having an unfortunate review record. There have many many horror movies in 2026 that have helped bolster the genre to new heights, delivering terrifying scares and important messages within their foreboding stories. This includes the likes of Obsession, which became a box office juggernaut, and Backrooms, which took a YouTube series and brought its world to the big screen. But there has been another horror movie that's quickly risen the ranks, becoming the best of the year.

That film is Resident Evil. Based on the video game series of the same name, the movie is directed by Zach Cregger, best known for creating Barbarians and Weapons. The story focuses on Bryan (Austin Abrams) a medical courier trying to make a delivery in Raccoon City during the viral outbreak that defines the games. Reviews for Resident Evil have been stellar, the film scoring a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, becoming the first positively-reviewed adaptation of the franchise. But it's not the only movie based on the series seeing success right now.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse Has Been Resurrected As A Streaming Hit

The other notable success is Resident Evil: Apocalypse, the second movie in the original film series starring Milla Jovovich and written by Paul W.S. Anderson. Loosely based on the games, the movie follows Jovovich's Alice as she and a group of survivors attempt to escape Raccoon City, which has been overrun by zombies. Now, Resident Evil: Apocalypse has risen the ranks of AMC+, becoming the Number 5 most-watched movie in the world on the platform as of September 21, 2026.

The movie's success on streaming mirrors that of the newest film, both taking place in Raccoon City and both focusing on survivors attempting to escape an outbreak. Whereas Cregger's rendition has been a critical hit, the older movie suffers the same fate as every other Resident Evil movie adaptation. According to Rotten Tomatoes, Resident Evil: Apocalypse holds an 18% critic score, the lowest of any movie in the franchise. And yet, it seems interest in older movies has grown over the weekend, as proven by its sudden streaming success.

Its Return Comes At An Interesting Point For The Franchise

Resident Evil: Apocalypse's return to the public eye is impressive, and arrives at a rather compelling point in the franchise's ongoing evolution. Not only has a new film adaptation breathed life into the series on the big screen, but the latest game, Resident Evil Requiem, was a critical and commercial success. Video game developer Capcom is also continuing to bring the franchise new installments, with Resident Evil: Veronica, a remake of the 2000 game Resident Evil: Code Veronica, slated for release in 2027.

The horror franchise has been holding strong for almost a decade, having becoming a resurgent success following the release of 2017's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The resurgence of Resident Evil: Apocalypse on streaming, coupled with the new movie in theaters, are just two of the many positive outcomes for the franchise in the last nine years. It goes to show every facet of its world is doing well, and will seemingly continue to captivate audiences well into the future.