IGN has compiled a viewing order for the eight live-action Resident Evil films. The release order matches the chronological story order, so viewers can simply watch them by their release year without needing to adjust the sequence.
Of the eight live-action films, six belong to the same timeline with several recurring characters, while the other two are later standalone reboots with their own stories and character settings. Although the series borrows characters and villains from the games, the films have independent narratives and center on the original character Alice, played by Milla Jovovich.
The six mainline films are: Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017). Each film continues from the events of its predecessor, meaning the story progression follows the release order.
The first film follows Alice as she loses her memory and gradually recalls her identity while investigating the T-virus leak at the Hive laboratory. The story then expands to Raccoon City and a wider viral crisis, with game characters such as Jill Valentine, Carlos Oliveira, Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, and Ada Wong making appearances.
The film series involving Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich concluded with Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Subsequent releases include the 2021 standalone reboot film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, whose story and characters do not follow the timeline of the Alice-centered films.
This list only includes live-action films and excludes the four animated features: Resident Evil: Degeneration, Resident Evil: Damnation, Resident Evil: Vendetta, and Resident Evil: Death Island. The live-action series and the animated series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness are also not included among these eight films.