Resident Evil review: is it worth watching

Netflix's Resident Evil series from 2022 is not worth your time. It landed with a 4.2 from IMDb users based on more than 50,000 votes, got canceled after one season, and disappeared from the conversation almost as fast as it arrived. If you're deciding whether to give it a shot in 2026, the answer is no—there are better ways to spend eight hours.

What Is the Resident Evil Series?

This is Netflix's live-action take on the Resident Evil franchise, the survival-horror game series that defined the genre in the 90s on PlayStation. The show follows two timelines: one in 2022 with sisters Jade and Billie Wesker as teenagers discovering their father's secrets at the Umbrella Corporation, and one in 2036 with adult Jade surviving a zombie-overrun world. Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart and Siena Agudong star. Andrew Dabb created it. It ran for eight episodes before Netflix pulled the plug.

Watch it: Resident Evil 2 Remake - PS4 on Amazon (The article recommends this game as a better way to experience RE; it's the survival-horror classic that defined the fra)

What Critics and Audiences Say

The scores tell the story. IMDb users gave it a 4.2 out of 10 across more than 50,000 votes. That's harsh, and it's consistent: audiences did not like it. Reviews called out weak writing, a confusing dual timeline that never clicks, and characters who make baffling decisions even by zombie-show standards. Fans of the games complained it barely felt like Resident Evil—the tone, the lore and the scares were all missing. Netflix canceled it after one season, which is the studio's way of saying it didn't work.

What Works and What Doesn't

There's not much in the "works" column. The 2036 timeline has some decent zombie action and a few tense moments, but it's buried under a teen-drama storyline in 2022 that drags and feels like it belongs on a different show. The two timelines don't build on each other—they just interrupt each other. The dialogue is clunky, the characters are hard to root for, and the show leans on melodrama instead of horror. If you came for the mansion, the puzzles, the typewriter saves and the dread of the original games, this isn't it.

Who Is It For?

Honestly, nobody. It's too slow and talky for action fans, not scary enough for horror fans, and too far from the source material for Resident Evil fans. If you're curious about the franchise, play Resident Evil 2 Remake or watch the 2002 Paul W.S. Anderson movie—both are miles better. This series was a swing and a miss, and the one-season cancellation proves it.

Where to Watch It

It's still on Netflix as of 2026, but there's no reason to seek it out unless you're a completist who has to see every adaptation. Even then, you'll wish you hadn't.

Quick answers

Is the Resident Evil Netflix series worth watching in 2026?

No. It scored a 4.2 from IMDb users, got canceled after one season, and barely resembles the games fans loved.

Is the Resident Evil series scary?

Not really. It leans on teen drama and a confusing timeline instead of horror, and the scares are few and forgettable.

How many seasons of Resident Evil are there?

One. Netflix canceled it after eight episodes in 2022.

Should I watch the Resident Evil series if I loved the games?

No. Fans of the games say it misses the tone, the lore and the atmosphere that made the franchise great.