Zach Cregger's Resident Evil is earning strong reviews from critics, and its Rotten Tomatoes forecast is defying Kalshi’s pre-embargo forecast of 82%.
Kalshi traders now forecast the film will end up with a Tomatometer score of 95%, one point below where it currently sits on Rotten Tomatoes.
For informational purposes only. Not trading advice. See full disclaimer below. Kalshi is not affiliated with Resident Evil or Sony Pictures.
What is Resident Evil about?
The new Resident Evil is a standalone adaptation of Capcom's video game series and is not connected to the previous film franchise. The film also tells an original story rather than featuring the protagonists from the games.
The film stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier who finds himself running for his life through Raccoon City as it is overrun by zombies and other creatures.
Cregger told Polygon that he wanted to capture the dread and tension of playing the original games.
“I wanted that slow pacing the games have perfected, where it’s like, you’ve gotta go into this environment that you know is gonna attack you, and you can’t go backward,” Cregger said. “I know it’s snowing and it’s 2026 and all those things, but it just felt like spiritually right. This is a peripheral activity that’s happening alongside everything else that’s going on with Raccoon City.”
The reviews
Critics have overwhelmingly reviewed the film positively, helping Resident Evil earn its current 96% Tomatometer score.
William Bibbiani of The Wrap praised Cregger's approach to adapting the games, calling the film “a great movie.”
“It’s an explosive horror experience which, unlike every other Resident Evil adaptation, captures the strange dichotomy of this popular video game series,” Bibbiani wrote. “It starts out terrifying, gradually becomes ridiculous, and totally gets away with that tonal shift. It may not be a faithful adaptation of a classic Resident Evil storyline, but it’s a faithful adaptation of what it feels like to play a classic Resident Evil game.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck wrote that Cregger’s adaptation of the video game was clearly made by someone who appreciates and recognizes the style and experience of the Resident Evil franchise.
“Forgoing the characters seen in the games and the previous films (a decision that caused some consternation among longtime fans), Cregger very much makes the film his own while displaying his obvious affinity for the source material,” Scheck wrote. “He’s crafted a propulsive, simultaneously terrifying and hilarious thrill ride that showcases both his cinematic chops and perverse sense of humor.”
The A.V. Club’s Jacob Oller praised Cregger’s decision to make the movie something that audiences experience rather than passively watch. He also wrote that the movie offers a nice mix of practical and computer effects, jump scares, and plenty of humor.
“Cregger, who co-wrote the film alongside frequent Zack Snyder scribe Shay Hatten, keeps the escalating problems inescapably linear – like a good video, it’s so elegant you can unconsciously admire the guardrails,” Oller wrote.
The strong early reviews have Resident Evil sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, just one percentage point above Kalshi traders' current 95% forecast for its final Tomatometer score.
The takeaway:
Kalshi markets now predict
Resident Evil’s predicted Tomatometer rating: 95%
Follow Danny Gallagher on Instagram: @writerdannygallagher
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