Movies
The Resident Evil Movies, Ranked
Ranking the Resident Evil live-action movies starring Milla Jovovich! From the thrilling Afterlife to the lackluster Final Chapter, see why this zombie franchise shines with continuity and action, perfect for horror fans seeking fun.
This might be a surprising concept, but Resident Evil is one of the most robust zombie movie franchises out there. Especially in terms of continuity, it has all the competition beat, considering the fact that each installment of George Romero’s zombie movies or the Italian Zombie franchise have next to nothing to do with one another. To the point that one of the Zombie movies is technically a sequel to Dawn of the Dead.
So, it’s time to face facts. Resident Evil is where it’s at if you’re looking for a zombie movie franchise, for better or for worse (for better if you’re looking to have fun, for worse if you’re looking for a zombie franchise that is 100% about zombies and doesn’t constantly distract itself with other types of mutants and monsters and whatnot). As the resident ranker of things here at Horror Press, I’m here to rank every last Resident Evil. I mean, every last live-action movie. I mean, every last live-action movie that stars Milla Jovovich as the indefatigable Alice. Look, we’ve got to draw the line somewhere. Between video games and animated movies and reboots and television shows, this franchise is simply too sprawling to be wrangled if we don’t set some ground rules.
Ranking All the Mainline Resident Evil Movies
#6 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
This movie is the last in the continuity and the last in our hearts. It’s full of little fan service moments, which can be very fun, but the exact fans it is servicing sure aren’t me, because nothing it dredges up from the past movies is treated with any kind of respect. Including the cliffhanger ending of the previous installment. The ending of Retribution promises that we are about to see the most epic battle in the entire franchise, and this one (presumably in a cost-cutting move) opens with that battle already having been concluded.
So basically it starts with a big wet fart and then proceeds to tell a choppily edited story that is too busy and loud to really allow you to take a beat and indulge in its best moments.
#5 Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
Retribution might be the second-lowest in the ranking, but there is a wide gulf between it and The Final Chapter. This installment absolutely has its moments, especially when it comes to its main setting, an Umbrella Corporation facility that recreates different urban and suburban environments from around the world. It’s basically a twisted Epcot Center, and it allows for some very cool action setpieces.
Unfortunately, this facility is really only a core feature of less than half of the runtime. And the rest of the movie isn’t quite up to the task of buoying itself, especially because the supporting cast is among the most stilted of the franchise and the editing among its most frenetic.
#4 Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
This is Resident Evil in Mad Max drag, and for that reason it is a very fun movie. It is also a very stupid movie, and only half the time in a way that is satisfying to watch. But it’s easy to forget every last quibble you’ve had with it when you’re watching Alice tromp around in her glorious “dystopian Barbarella” garters + duster costume.
#3 Resident Evil (2002)
And here we arrive at the original movie! This is how you know it’s a franchise worth ranking. When a series is spawned from an iconic, well-regarded classic, it’s hard to ever rank the first movie anywhere but No. 1. Halloween? Jaws? Psycho? Ranking any sequel or remake up top is close to heresy. But it also makes writing such a list much less interesting.
Meanwhile, 2002’s Resident Evil doesn’t aim to be a classic or well-regarded. It just wants to have fun, explore the rhetorical and artistic value of how hot Milla Jovovich is, and be very 2002 while it does both of these things. It accomplishes all of these goals, in spades. It’s certainly a success, but some of the movies that followed simply did more interesting things. This is especially true when it comes to zombies, considering the fact that the first movie is isolated to a single underground facility and only hints at the very interesting wider world around it.
#2 Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Resident Evil goes outside! This is a huge expansion on the original movie, following through – more or less – on the promise made by the ending of the first film. It’s apocalyptic on a much broader scale, even though it is still limited to a single cityscape rather than a single underground facility. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun, with major “Escape from New York but with mutant monsters” vibes.
#1 Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Maybe this is where my personal bias comes in, but part of the reason this one is so gosh darn fun is the fact that it actually operates like a zombie movie. While the assorted non-zombie mutants and monsters featured here do fit the narrative in an unusually satisfying way for the franchise (both in terms of its themes and the flow of events), this is the movie where the core story could most fit into a George Romero universe. Here we follow Alice and her newest hangers-on as they hole up in a prison while they attempt to find a way to survive long-term and escape to greener pastures.
It somehow has the gumption to be an actual character drama in the middle of a video game movie franchise where the priorities are action, action, and action, in that order. Speaking of… The action sequences here are, of course, pretty sweet as well. That coin gun sequence? Glorious. It’s the best of all worlds.
Movies
The Best Horror You Can Stream on Shudder in November 2025
Halloween season is over, and many streamers have forgotten about us horror kids. While they take their 11-month hiatus from the genre, we can be grateful that we still have an app that cares. We are so lucky that Shudder remains that girl year-round. Whether you’re finishing their new original show Guts & Glory, catching up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, or running at some of their deep cuts like I am, Shudder has your best interests at heart. As usual, she has quite a few titles fighting for our attention. Which is why I am here with five titles I think should be at the top of all of our watch lists this November. So, cancel your holiday plans and pick up your remote because we have got horrifying things to watch.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Habit (1995)
An alcoholic unwittingly enters into a relationship with a succubus in New York City. If you ever wondered what Larry Fessenden was getting up to in his youth, you need to see this ’90s gem. I lucked out and caught it at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year, and I lived my best life. While watching it on the small screen will not be the same, I plan to hit play anyway. Mostly because I love to see 1990s succubi leaving their mark on men…and also the horror genre. Shudder is also adding The Last Winter and Depraved, so we can spend a whole day with Uncle Larry’s work.
Sew Torn (2024)
A seamstress happens upon a failed drug deal and steals a briefcase. She soon finds herself caught in a deadly situation where all roads lead to death. I caught Sew Torn at SXSW last year and have been wondering what happened to it. So, I am very happy this odd little bird has found her way to Shudder. I cannot wait to make my friends who are looking for something cute and deadly watch. I knew nothing when I hit play on this, and I encourage you to know as little as possible, too. I fear I have already written too much in this blurb to be completely honest.
You can watch Sew Torn on November 1st.
The Retreat (2021)
A couple goes on a pre-wedding retreat and unwittingly becomes targets of a group of serial killers. We have seen too many movies about retreats, and I thought this one would be more of the same. This title does not completely reinvent the wheel, but it does set itself apart within this oversaturated subgenre. The Retreat is a surprisingly fun and tense little thriller that feels made for the winter watches. Come for the lesbian characters leading the film, and stay for the violence. I also encourage you to check it out while it is on Shudder, because it is usually on apps with ads.
You can watch The Retreat on November 1st.
The Creep Tapes (Season 2)
Peachfuzz returns with more tapes, chaos, kills, and WTF moments. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have reentered the TV arena and are making things weird again. If award shows were real, this duo would be leading the Emmys charge. I saw the first three episodes, and Josef/Peachfuzz is still the serial killer after our own hearts. Our Wolfie is still cutting up (literally and figuratively) in the most amazing ways. Guest stars in danger this season include David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Katie Aselton (The League), and Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House).
You can watch The Creep Tapes (Season 2) on November 14th.
Krampus (2015)
A kid accidentally summons demons during the holidays in this horror comedy. Krampus remains one of the top-tier Christmas horror titles for me. It is also my favorite Michael Dougherty film. Not only because it has the star power of Adam Scott and Toni Collette, either. This movie is wicked, and even the kids are in danger. I do not have many holiday horror movies I revisit every year, but Krampus is one of the very few. It still holds up, and I cannot wait to rewatch it with a festively boozy beverage.
You can watch Krampus on November 15th.
Those are a few reasons I am grateful for Shudder this holiday season. While the rest of you are fighting with your family and friends, I will be parked in front of my TV. You can have your turkey because I would rather gorge myself on episodes of The Creep Tapes anyway.
Let me know what Shudder shenanigans you have got your little eye on. I am nosy and want to make sure I am not missing anything on my favorite streamer.
Movies
The Best Horror You Can Stream on Netflix in November 2025
The year is winding down, and I don’t know about you, but I am trying to pack in as many 2025 horror movies as I can. Is this because I love making end-of-the-year lists? Yes. Is it because I am an unhealed overachiever? Also, yes. So, I am assuming some of you are also cruising the streamers to see what you may have missed. While Netflix has had my favorite new slasher Heart Eyes for a bit, and I have mentioned that in previous streaming guides, they also have other new horror titles to show you.
I do not talk about them as much because I did not have a good time with them. However, that does not mean you won’t enjoy some of these titles. That’s why I am taking the high road and finding something to be grateful for about each of them. That way, you will know there is a silver lining if you do watch them. Allow me to help you figure out what to prioritize this month and what to skip. Check out this chaotic Netflix hitlist below!
The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month
28 Years Later (2025)
A group of survivors on a small island has built a fortress to protect them from the rage virus. However, a young boy discovers what is really outside the walls of their community and sets off to find a cure for his sick mother. We all loved 28 Days Later, and some of us liked 28 Weeks Later. So, 28 Years Later was never going to live up to the hype with almost thirty years of anticipation. While I didn’t love it, I did enjoy seeing Danny Boyle helm another zombie installment. What he does in the subgenre is top-tier, and we are welcome (even if the script left me wanting more). That might have gotten buried in all the talk about the dicks seen in the movie, though.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
A group of girls competing for prom queen starts disappearing, leaving the underdog to figure out what is happening to her competition. I had a lot of thoughts about this lackluster installment in Netflix’s Fear Street adaptations. As someone who grew up reading Fear Street books and wanting to adapt them myself, I do not understand how this movie came out so badly. Which made it hard to find something nice to say about this title. However, the soundtrack slaps, and it is not the soundtrack’s fault that it was wasted on a low-energy bottom-tier slasher. So, if you hit play on this, you can at least look forward to hearing some retro bangers selected by music supervisor Nora Felder. If you are familiar with her work on Yellowjackets and Stranger Things, you know Felder does not miss.
Maa (2025)
To battle a demon’s curse, a mother transforms into the legendary goddess Kali. As usual, Netflix did not advertise an international horror movie that seemed to have some potential. If they had told us Maa was an Indian Hindi-language mythological horror movie, most people who yell for intersectionality and originality would have run at it. Instead, we had to find out about it months later while looking for something we hadn’t already seen on the app. This movie is too long, and I cannot say it is good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it also made me realize how little I know about the goddess of destruction. If you are a nerd like me, this might lead you down a cool rabbit hole. You can also say you gave a view to a horror movie starring Brown people. Who knows, maybe you could be one of the few who enjoy this chaotic film.
Until Dawn (2025)
A group of friends find themselves trapped in a time loop where they keep getting killed in gruesome ways. I love the video game and was so bummed this adaptation was so bad. However, the practical effects are very cool and should be celebrated more. I think the stuff that the SFX team pulled off might be the only reason to watch the movie personally. I’m happy the actors whose work I enjoy got paid, and that’s another positive thing I can say. However, if we want to see young people in deadly time loops, we have so many movies that do it better. Excuse me as I look right at Happy Death Day and all of the movies that have tried to copy her.
Ziam (2025)
A Muay Thai fighter battles through a zombie apocalypse to save the woman he loves. Netflix fumbled the advertising for this one too, because who doesn’t want to see a Thai zombie film? So, I was excited to watch it, but then sad I did not like it. However, I think this one is on me. It is an action-horror with a lot of heartfelt moments, and that’s not my bag. I wanted more violence and zombie action because I am a broken and heartless ghoul. So, Ziam might be the only movie on this list that does not deserve my bombastic side eye. I am waiting for other people to watch it and let me know if they have a better time with it, though.
While I was not the audience for these movies, I am assuming some of you will dig them. Worst-case scenario, you cross off a few more 2025 horror movies and have something to talk about at Friendsgiving. Happy Horrordays! I will see myself out now…


