Obsession Gets Officially Overtaken as 2026’s Highest Rated Horror Movie

For most of the year, Curry Barker’s Obsession looked untouchable. The tiny Blumhouse horror film became a box office phenomenon and the best-reviewed scary movie of 2026. But it finally has company at the top. As of October 11, 2026, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil now holds a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes from 296 reviews, edging out Obsession‘s 93% from 330 reviews.

That’s a huge deal for a franchise that critics have rarely been kind to. So, how did Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, pull it off? Instead of retelling a game, he built a fresh story around Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, an ordinary medical courier stuck in the Raccoon City outbreak.

At just 94 minutes, it’s lean, gory, and surprisingly funny, and critics agree it feels closer to the games than any earlier film. While critics have given it the crown, audiences still lean toward Obsession, which holds a 94% audience score compared to Resident Evil‘s 91%.

Is Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Better Than Curry Barker’s Obsession?

Plenty of viewers who loved both films are picking Resident Evil. It is a perfect 10/10 movie for many viewers. The zombie thriller doesn’t stop at just terrifying its viewers, but it also builds a great character out of Austin Abrams’ Bryan. The movie tackles his personal struggles head-on, including his fear of facing his problems.

That take on growing up is a big reason the film connects. Many fans also loved the mix of horror and comedy, with the jokes giving viewers just enough time to breathe before the next scare. However, there were others who felt that the humor went too far in the final act and took away the sense of dread.

Still, Obsession has strengths. Inde Navarrette’s performance as Nikki is widely seen as the best acting in either film. While Michael Johnston’s Bear is a gripping character, viewers spend most of the movie rooting against him, which makes him a tough lead to love.

In the end, Obsession is the tighter horror experience, but Resident Evil gives fans more to think about.

Resident Evil Has Topped Franchise’s Domestic Box Office

Austin Abrams in Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil | Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

Great reviews have turned into big money, too. Resident Evil opened with $60 million in the U.S. and Canada, the best debut the franchise has ever had. Globally, it opened with $108.3 million, crushing the previous series record of $70.6 million set by Resident Evil: Retribution in 2012.

In fact, that opening weekend alone made more money than the entire runs of the 2002 original and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. The film didn’t slow down after that. By its second weekend, it had earned around $103.4 million domestically, becoming the first live-action Resident Evil movie to cross the $100 million mark in North America.

Worldwide, the film has collected about $253.9 million so far, on a reported budget of $75 million. That pushes it past Retribution ($240.2 million) into third place for the franchise, trailing only Afterlife ($300.2 million) and The Final Chapter ($312.2 million).

The global record isn’t out of reach yet, either. The movie opened in Japan on October 9, and a release in China is still to come. If those markets turn up, Cregger’s Resident Evil could soon become the franchise’s biggest movie. However, it is nowhere close to Obsession‘s $522.2 million box office.

What are your thoughts on Resident Evil becoming the best-rated horror movie of 2026? Let us know in the comments below!