Undead Techno Aggression: How to Watch the Resident Evil Movies in Order

Whether you’re a serious gamer or just a fan of women in tight leather pants packing heavy weaponry, this breakdown of the Resident Evil series (all seven of them) was made special just for you — plus a preview of the upcoming reboot from the director of “Weapons” and “Barbarian”!

How many Resident Evil movies are there?

Sticking to the big-screen entries, the Resident Evil franchise has racked up seven feature films so far, with another one on the way. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger that’s just outrageous enough to make you want to see what happens next.

What are the Resident Evil movies?

If you’re looking for a sure-fire way to flush nerds out of the brush, just bring up the RE franchise at your nearest convention. It’s bound to inspire some thesaurus-level name-calling and one or two slap fights.

The original PlayStation games were intensely cinematic to begin with, so a big screen adaptation seemed to only need a few tweaks.

But writer and director Paul W.S. Anderson sidestepped most of the Romero-inspired horror and played up the Wachowski-era action, kickstarting a continuing series of films released every few years … like booster shots for undead techno aggression.

Those changes didn’t make everyone happy. But they do make for a consistently entertaining experience that follows a linear progression of zombies, mutants, and AI run amok. No typewriter ribbons needed.

In what order should I watch the Resident Evil movies?

Unlike the Resident Evil movies themselves, the answer to this one is remarkably succinct: Watch ’em the way they came out … just like the movie gods intended.

Since Paul W.S. Anderson held the creative reins as a producer on the first six films, the whole Alice saga plays out in order.

You can save “Welcome to Raccoon City” for later or ruin your meal and watch it first because it falls outside of the Paul W.S. Anderson RE universe. Just don’t tell me you’re hungry later!

List of Resident Evil movies in release order

• “Resident Evil” (2002)
• “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” (2004)
• “Resident Evil: Extinction” (2007)
• “Resident Evil: Afterlife” (2010)
• “Resident Evil: Retribution” (2012)
• “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” (2016)
• “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” (2021)
• “Resident Evil” (2026)

“Resident Evil” (2002)

Despite its dramatic deviations from the game, Anderson’s first film is still one hell of a ride. And the song, generally, remains the same.

Deep in an underground lab run by the Umbrella Corporation, the T-Virus gets airborne and turns everyone into undead flesh eaters. Alice (Milla Jovovich) wakes up with no memory but a special set of skills — skills she quickly puts to use, switching off a runaway AI program nicknamed the Red Queen.

There’s a real Aliens vibe at work with Cameron-style commandos (including Michelle Rodriguez) mowing down zombies and dodging undead Dobermans created by convincing practical effects.

Anderson always claimed a straightforward adaptation would be a bore. And, at least for this first installment, he proved to be right.

“Resident Evil: Apocalypse” (2004)

Maybe because of all the “it’s still not as good as the game” backlash, this first sequel loads up on fan service … and falls flat on its pasty face.

Teaming up with a group of survivors in Raccoon City, Alice goes mano a mano with Project Nemesis, a clumsy version of the Terminator dressed up in bondage gear, hiding a bazooka in his pocket (either that or he was just happy to see me, bu-duh-bum).

Original director Anderson tapped out for “Alien vs. Predator” (LOL), so we’re left with a string of clumsy button-mashing action scenes, leftover plot points from “Escape from New York” and a kung-fu recreation of the dance sequence from “Thriller.” It felt like it might be time to foreclose Resident Evil.

“Resident Evil: Extinction” (2007)

Opening once again with upskirt shots of Milla Jovovich in a hospital gown (remember our audience, people!), “RE:3” takes a surprisingly interesting detour to the Mojave Desert as another group of military-grade pilgrims searches for shelter in a world sucked bone dry. It’s “Mad Max” meets “The Birds” meets whatever living dead movie comes to mind.

But new director Russell Mulcahy (“Highlander”) injects a shot of adrenaline, spanking the audience’s ass with swooping camera work and a domesticated zombie hit squad.

Why can Alice, like, suddenly melt eyeballs with her mind? She’s got good genes, Sweeney.

“Resident Evil: Afterlife” (2010)

After a two-film hiatus, original director Paul W.S. Anderson rolled into town, put a ring on Jovovich’s trigger finger and dumped a sack full of 3D cameras on set.

But with or without the glasses, “Afterlife” is, at best, a step sideways for the franchise. The rotating threat of corporate bad guys gets way too much screen time, leaving only scant moments to enjoy guest star Wentworth Miller (“Prison Break”) and a Hodor-sized executioner with a 12-foot axe.

Anderson’s eye for sci-fi begins to assert itself in the Matrix-style fight scenes, but the undead were starting to become supporting actors in their own franchise.

“Resident Evil: Retribution” (2012)

After a lengthy opening recap (Is Alice a clone? Does she have powers? Who’s the bad guy again?), “Retribution” smartly says, “Who gives a fuck!” and retcons just about everything with a series of holodeck misadventures.

We get to see Alice living a life of domestic bliss, Michelle Rodriguez as a suburban soccer mom and, just what we all wanted, another interchangeable commando squad!

For all its creative redundancies, the fifth entry in the franchise adds some variety, camaraderie, and humanity in the form of Ripley’s — I mean Alice’s six-year-old daughter. Just like Newt, she mostly comes out at night.

“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” (2016)

Truth in advertising, this actually is the end of Alice’s story. And it’s hands-down the darkest entry on the list.

I mean, like, it’s actually hard to see what’s going on as Alice leads another gang of chumps to certain death inside the Hive, Umbrella’s only remaining stronghold.

We finally get more bioweapon monstrosities this time around (they crawl, fly, and even swim), but the epileptic editing, not to mention a plot twist pulled right out of Robocop’s shiny metal ass, ensures Project Alice was probably best left to rest.

“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” (2021)

No Alice. No laser grid. No evil computers. Director Johannes Roberts takes Resident Evil back to its roots, weaving creepy Lovecraftian hues into the landscape of Raccoon City, which is, once again, at the mercy of the T-Virus.

The STARS team and a rookie cop meet up at Spencer Mansion, where they do pretty much the same thing as their pixelated counterparts did in 1996.

Here you go! The movie the nerds wanted (mostly). But after an interesting first act, “Raccoon City” becomes the predictable slog everyone feared the first movie would be.

But, hey, at least no one’s picking herbs and collecting typewriter ribbons.

“Resident Evil” (2026)

The next generation of mutation opens September 18. And even with “Weapons” director Zach Cregger at the helm, there’s been much hand-wringing from the RE community as to whether it will remain faithful to the game’s lore. God, let’s hope not!

We know it follows a Raccoon City medical courier who gets caught up in yet another outbreak. The snowy scenery featured in the film’s trailer sets a chilling mood without revealing any particular money shots. And, honestly, that’s got me damn excited!

How to rent or buy the Resident Evil movies on demand

If you’d rather rent the Resident Evil movies on demand instead of subscribing to a streaming service, Prime Video has every Resident Evil film undead and ready to reanimate.

How to watch every Resident Evil movie FAQ