While Resident Evil could have began as a online game franchise with among the finest zombie video games, Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich helped carry the sequence to the massive display with a movie sequence that spanned seven films. The movies function characters and villains from the video games, however they inform their very own separate tales and star Jovovich as a newcomer to Resident Evil lore. It’s top-of-the-line zombie film franchises on the market.
With a brand new Resident Evil film reboot within the works, you may wish to try the place the online game diversifications began off. If you wish to watch all of the Resident Evil films in chronological order from the start, we now have some superb information for you. All the movies function sequels to their earlier entries, that means there isn’t any distinction between watching them in launch order vs. chronological order.
With all that being stated, here is a (largely) spoiler-free take a look at how one can watch the Resident Evil films in chronological order.
There are a complete of seven live-action Resident Evil films, however solely the primary six are a part of the unique timeline. There are additionally 4 feature-length animated movies —Resident Evil: Degeneration, Damnation, Vendetta, and Death Island — although we now have not included these within the listing beneath. Over the final two years, Netflix has taken a stab at Resident Evil as each a live-action and animated TV sequence. The live-action Resident Evil present was canceled after one season, whereas the animated sequence, Infinite Darkness, didn’t make a splash.
Resident Evil: 6-Film Collection
How Long to Watch the entire Resident Evil Movies?
If you are trying to watch all 6 of the unique Resident Evil films, it should take over 9 and a half hour to complete the sequence. If you embody Welcome to Raccoon City, that adverts a a further 107 minutes to your film marathon.
Where Does Resident Evil: Death Island Fit on the Timeline?
The most up-to-date movie within the Resident Evil franchise is Resident Evil: Death Island – a pc animated movie that launched in 2023 – and you might be questioning the place it matches on the timeline. Well, it is a sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta (which befell in 2014) and is ready in 2015, which locations it between Resident Evil 6 (set in 2013) and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (set in 2017).
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: Death Island
The Resident Evil Movies in Chronological Order
1. Resident Evil (2002)
2002’s Resident Evil launched the world to Alice (Jovovich), an authentic character created for the movies who awakens with amnesia earlier than remembering she is a non-public safety operative for the Umbrella Corporation. This first movie exhibits how the genetically engineered T-virus, which causes useless folks to return as zombies, was launched in a lab known as The Hive. It additionally reveals how the lab’s AI safety system, the Red Queen, killed each residing factor contained in the lab to attempt to include the virus.
The plan didn’t work and the zombies escaped the lab. Alice and her staff should attempt to include the outbreak by discovering an anti-virus that’s thought to nonetheless be within the Hive.
This first movie included a number of references to the primary two Resident Evil video games, not the least of which was the primary tease of the enduring Resident Evil 3 villain, the terrifying, rocket-wielding Nemesis.
Read our assessment of Resident Evil.
2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a direct sequel to the unique movie and brings again Jovovich’s Alice to as soon as once more take the combat to the undead. Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson didn’t return to direct this new movie because of different commitments, however he did keep on as a producer whereas Alexander Witt took the helm. Apocalypse sees Alice making an attempt to flee Raccoon City earlier than it’s attacked by a nuclear missile that’s making an attempt to cease the spreading T-virus plague.
Nemesis can also be an enormous a part of this second movie and he’s seen terrorizing the survivors all through it, however that’s hardly the one nod to the video games. There are many influences pulled into Apocalypse, together with characters Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and sure photographs that have been recreated for live-action, together with a shootout at police division to start with that’s harking back to Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and a scene in a cemetery that very a lot harkens again to Resident Evil CODE: Veronica.
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
2007’s Resident Evil: Extinction reveals that the T-virus has unfold internationally. In addition to the return of Alice, the storyline additionally follows a number of makes an attempt by the Umbrella Corporation to clone her, in hopes of replicating her powers. As the story progresses, the first Alice and different survivors are working their approach towards Alaska in an try and outrun the ever-expanding zombie apocalypse.
Extinction continues to herald extra points and characters of the video games, together with Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and Albert Wesker (Jason O’Mara).
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: Extinction.
4. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Resident Evil: Afterlife is the primary movie after the unique to see Anderson again within the director’s chair, the place he stays for the remainder of the sequence. Set one yr after the occasions of Extinction, Alice and her clones work collectively to assault Umbrella Headquarters HQ and Albert Wesker. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go as deliberate and Alice finds herself with out the powers which have assisted her so nicely on this zombie apocalypse.
Afterlife continues the streak of bringing in characters from the video games, and this time it is Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller) that will get the invitation.
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: Afterlife.
5. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
2011’s Resident Evil: Retribution picks up after the occasions of Afterlife. Alongside introducing such recreation characters as Leon S. Kennedy (Johann Urb), Ada Wong (Bingbing Li), and Barry Burton (Kevin Durand), Retribution additionally sees Alice teaming up with Wesker in an try and cease the reactivated Red Queen AI from the primary movie, who now controls Umbrella and desires to get rid of all life on earth.
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: Retribution.
6. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)
The aptly named Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the final function movie within the sequence to contain husband-and-wife staff Anderson and Jovovich. It follows Alice as she returns to Raccoon City and the Hive with a view to cease the Red Queen and Albert Wesker, but in addition reveals extra of the origin of the T-virus and who is actually behind all of the chaos that has been constructing because the first movie.
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
Bonus: Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Directed by Johannes Roberts, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a reboot of the franchise and requires no prior data of the films. Along with the brand new director comes a brand new solid and a narrative that extra carefully follows the occasions of the primary two Resident Evil video games. Several acquainted characters from the video games and earlier films return, together with Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia), Ada Wong (Lily Gao), and extra. The movie’s story is ready in Raccoon City and tells the early days of a zombie outbreak.
Read our assessment of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Resident Evil Movies in Order of Release
- 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: Death Island (2023)
The Future of Resident Evil Movies
Although Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City wasn’t obtained notably nicely by audiences, rumors have been swirling for years about one other film. Those rumors have been lastly confirmed in January, with Barbarian director Zach Cregger set to direct the latest instalment. Instead of carrying on the prevailing film timeline, the at the moment untitled film will reboot the Resident Evil film franchise. Deadline studies that Sony has additionally set a launch date for the movie: September 18, 2026.
Adam Bankhurst is a information author for IGN. You can observe him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
