Resident Evil is a staple of horror video games, and it’s been adapted for television and film many times over the years. However, everything from the Mila Jovovich movies to the more recent Netflix adaptation has left out most (if not all) of the meat of this series. Its entries span decades, each further developing the world after the T-Virus and those forced to respond to the outbreak. Even though it’s a dark story, it maintains a goofy and almost playful tone at times, perfectly balancing the horror elements with all the excitement of a first-person shooter.
While Tyler and I are both hopeful about Zach Cregger’s new take on Resident Evil, we’re sharing some of our favorite game moments that we’d love to see on the big screen.
Resident Evil 0: Save Room Theme
As an addendum to the events preceding the Spencer Mansion incident in the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil Zero places us in the (likely slimy and bloody) shoes of Rebecca Chambers and outlaw Billy Coen as they survive another catastrophic Umbrella mishap. Exploring a train, a mansion, and eventually a treatment plant all infested with various forms of the undead, Resident Evil Zero has some set pieces that would be wild to see in live-action. Still, its zaniness may fall into the pit of Resident Evil spectacle without substance (like all seven live-action adaptations so far). So, instead of a scene or set piece, I’ll be choosing the save room theme music from this game. A staple of the franchise, these rooms and the eerily calming music that accompanies sets a perfect tone for the danger that hasn’t fully subsided, but a moment of respite. In this one especially, it remains the most memorable thing from this game for me and is something I’d be very interested to see work its way into the movies.
–Tyler Harner
Resident Evil: Jill Sandwich
The first Resident Evil game deserves a lot of credit. From the first zombie we see, the game sets up an environment of dread that lingers through the slow door openings, weird camera angles and the maze of hallways and rooms that is the Spencer mansion. It also sets up the franchise’s other mainstay: corny one-liners. After triggering a trap that causes the ceiling to begin descending, Jill Valentine calls to S.T.A.R.S. agent Barry Burton, who kicks down the door before she gets squashed. Barry immediately exclaims, “That was too close…You were almost a Jill Sandwich.” It’s a goofy line, but one that lives in infamy throughout the fandom, and even spawned references in other games like Dead Rising and Five Nights at Freddy’s. The entire game is memorable and genre-defining, but the Jill Sandwich line is one even non-fans will recognize.
–Valerie Morreale
Resident Evil 2: The Raccoon City Police Department
While the Spencer mansion still looms large in the Resident Evil fanbase, no setting is as iconic as the RPD itself. From the first time Leon (or Claire) enters the building, it becomes clear this is no ordinary police station. The opening lobby is huge, with elaborate statues and art pieces visible in the distance. Balconies of the other floors are visible on the far walls and ceilings, showing three floors to explore. Originally, this is explained by Chief Brian Irons being an art collector, but the more understandable explanation of the station itself being a former museum is added in subsequent games. Of all of the Resident Evil games, this is by far the most fun to explore (and the one, I think, we’re most likely to see in Cregger’s new film). Exploration is so rewarding as you find more keys to unlock new areas, new creatures, and eventually start being stalked by Tyrant (Mr. X). It’s maybe one of the best video game areas of all-time, and obviously folks were excited to see it come back in the most recent title.
–Valerie Morreale
Resident Evil 3: Final Nemesis Boss Fight
If you’ve played Resident Evil 3 or its remake, you know it’s a tightly-packed game. It takes only about six hours to complete, and balances the series’ familiar FPS horror elements with a stronger turn towards action sequences. The final boss Nemesis appears multiple times throughout the game but arguably his final form is just really dang fun. It’s not that original (shoot weak spot, push buttons, repeat) but its execution is what makes it both a great action set piece and an exciting conclusion to a great game. While I personally found myself frustrated with the mechanics of some of Nemesis’s other fights, this one is just a great time.
–Valerie Morreale
Resident Evil 4: Leon Kennedy
Resident Evil 4 is a near-perfect masterpiece of a game. Frankly, Tyler and I were back and forth on this one because so many sections are worthy of a shout-out. The boss fights, the level design, the Bingo line! However, the thing that takes the game to the next level is simply its main character, Leon Kennedy. Returning from Resident Evil 2, he’s no longer the green, somewhat timid cop traumatized on his first day at work. He’s grizzled, quippy and ready to kick some ass. It’s his interactions with the world and the other characters that really make this game special, and he’s the franchise’s most beloved protagonist for a reason. I mean, who else is gonna respond to two zombie ladies attacking with chainsaws by saying “I am flattered, but I’m a one-lady type of guy?” Iconic.
–Valerie Morreale
Resident Evil 5: “Seven minutes is all I can spare to play with you.”
As the franchise began to delve a bit more into action-horror than survival-horror, Resident Evil 5 still remains a bit mixed in reactions amongst fans. Adding in the co-op gameplay element and throwing our heroes into the African sun was a jump over the shark for some, but also has its admirers, myself included. With series icon Chris Redfield at his beefiest and newcomer Sheva Alomar kicking a whole lot of zombie butt, there’s a lot to love and enjoy with this more action-packed entry. For its movie moment, I long to see the day when a proper Albert Wesker is portrayed in live-action, since this game shows him as the threat he’s meant to be. If there were to be one scene, I’d have to pick his iconic “seven minutes” fight. Unlike a lot of other RE bosses, Wesker remains in his human form the entire time. Still, that doesn’t stop him from using lightning-fast reflexes to masterfully dodge your bullets and shoulder-check you into next week. It can be both scary and a bit silly, but never forgettable. Of course, honorable mention to the boulder punch.
–Tyler Harner
Resident Evil 6: Piers’ Sacrifice
SPOILERS FOR RE6
If you ask most fans, I can’t imagine many of them wanting to pull much from this series sixth entry for a movie. With its bloated four-part campaign and a crazy overreliance on action insanity, Resident Evil 6 was an apple that fell way too far from the tree. Still, it’s not without a few standout moments that are essential to the history and development of our beloved heroes. Most important, I’d claim, is Piers’ sacrifice at the end of Chris’ campaign. Grappling with his mistakes and wrecked by guilt after the loss of his squad mates at the hand of an Ada Wong clone, Chris Redfield finds a suitable and capable partner in his BSAA teammate, Piers Nivans. After some grueling chapters of zombie helicopter pilots, cricket-men hybrids, and a giant invisible snake, the two reach the underwater Umbrella base with Piers fighting off an unstoppable C-virus infection. Knowing his ultimate demise, Piers chooses to stay behind the collapsing base, allowing Redfield to escape to the surface. It’s a wallop of unexpected emotion that will have you slightly forgetting the massively frustrating level that came before and stands as a powerful moment in a sometimes laughable story.
–Tyler Harner
Resident Evil 7: The Baker Family Dinner
Arguably the scariest and most horrifying of the franchise, Resident Evil 7 really focused on the scares right from the jump. After the game’s heart-pounding introduction, our protagonist Ethan Winters is knocked out by patriarch Jack Baker and wakes up tied to a chair in front of a horrific cannibal feast. The whole family (father, son, and mother) seated is certainly meant to evoke Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre and boy is it effective. My skin was crawling through the entire cut scene right up until the chair is knocked over and it becomes a stealth mission. It does a great job at communicating just how dangerous this family is, and how screwed you will be if they find you. Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed this very table (along with the overturned chair and pot of slop) in Cregger’s Resident Evil trailer. While this is likely just an easter egg, seeing the Baker family on the big screen would be a truly terrifying addition.
–Valerie Morreale
Resident Evil 8: House Beneviento
For the second entry into the Ethan Winters duo-logy, we’re ripped away from the swampy horror of the Baker’s Louisiana household into the snowy mountains of a decrepit Eastern European village. While finding a mysterious new setting for the franchise, Resident Evil: Village felt like a return to form in the way Biohazard was a major course correction. But instead of just zombie-like enemies, Village holds vampires, lycans, fish-men, and most horrifically, a telepathic puppeteer. As a horror set piece, House Beneviento (where you’ll meet said doll-lover) remains one of the best the franchise has to offer. As you enter this quiet home, you’ll make your way to the basement, where all your weapons and tools will be lost. Instead of shooting and knifing, you’ll have to solve the mysterious puzzle laid before you that concerns Ethan’s wife, Mia, and the birth of their child, Rose. After a tense brainteaser (with no enemy interruption), you think you’ve finally made it to the end. That’s when the homeowner, Donna Beneviento, unleashes her greatest trick yet. Ethan now must escape multiple rooms with a gigantic, slimy, disfigured, wailing baby that’s determined to stuff Ethan down its gullet. It functions both as this demonic representation of the fear of fatherhood and as a way to develop the game design of the franchise outside of its norm. Standing as one of the series’ scariest moments that carries pure terror, I’m hoping Zach Cregger can meet this energy.
–Tyler Harner
Resident Evil 9: Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center
Much like how the gameplay and design of Resident Evil 7 & 8 brought the franchise back from the action overhaul and back into the survival-horror medium, Resident Evil: Requiem boasted its balance in both genres as a true blend of what this series had offered before. With fan favorite Leon Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft in the mix, Capcom decided on a campaign that would be survival-horror focused with the inexperienced and cautious Grace and then ballistic action with the much more experienced Leon. This led to a strangely paced game that would take you back and forth, but had some really stellar moments in both camps. My personal favorite would be Grace’s section at the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. This is the closest we’ve come since the early days of the franchise to something like the Spencer Mansion. Choosing either to sneak through quickly or attempt to take out everything in your way, each playthrough can vary depending on how risky you’re willing to be. With some clever tools and limited ammunition, Rhodes Hill is a perfect encapsulation of how the roots of the original created a genuine survival horror experience. If only it had a few more puzzles!
–Tyler Harner
BONUS: Favorite Resident Evil (2026) Trailer Moment
Zombie baby. Need I say more?
–Tyler Harner
Any favorite moments from the trailer or the games we didn’t mention? Shout-out in the comments below.
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