Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” reboot is doing something strange: it’s getting praised. Critics are calling it a “cinematic spectacle” and “easily among the best video game adaptations.” The film reunites Cregger with his “Weapons” star Austin Abrams, and early reviews suggest the movie knows exactly what it wants to be: a loud, bloody, funny horror blockbuster.
Cregger Goes Bigger
Tomatometer critic EJ Moreno shared an enthusiastic review on X, writing that the film is one you “have to see on the biggest screen with a big crowd!” He continued: “Zach Cregger goes bigger, scarier, and at his most fun. This is how you make horror into a cinematic spectacle.”
Tomatometer critic Mark Cassidy wrote that “Resident Evil” draws on “into the relentless tension of the games.”, and it is through that connection that the film finds its “Zach Cregger has actually delivered the most faithful take yet. Very bloody, very funny, and it made me jump at least 3 times (no easy task). The fella sitting in front of me hid behind his jacket for most of the movie. Easily among the best video game adaptations I’ve seen.”.
The Survival Horror Pitch
Kellvin Chavez, film journalist and editor-in-chief of SplashReport.com, shared a glowing review on X. “HOLY SHIT!!! #ResidentEvil has its foot on the gas from the opening scene and NEVER hits the brakes,” he wrote. “Zach Cregger delivers relentless suspense, gloriously gory action, and some seriously twisted, Thing-esque creature designs. Pure SURVIVAL HORROR and easily the best ‘Resident Evil’ movie yet. Austin Abrams is terrific. I’ll do a full review tomorrow.”
Tristian Circa ’89 offered a calmer take. “It’s just as intense and horrifying as you’d expect a ‘Resident Evil’ movie to be while integrating some great humorous moments throughout,” he shared on X. “Austin Abrams plays an everyman in way over his head, but his natural charm makes him a lead worth rooting for.”
The 10/10 Review
Jordan Moreau, writing for Variety, was blunt. “Zach Cregger is the fucking man and #ResidentEvil is one of the best video game adaptions ever made, and one of the best horror movies in recent memory,” he wrote on X. “Incredible title drop, Austin Abrams is hilarious to watch stumble around killing zombies, 10/10.”
What the Movie Actually Does
“Resident Evil” follows Abrams as a medical courier who must contend with a zombie outbreak while making a delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital. Cregger wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten. The supporting cast includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.
The film does not feature established characters from the “Resident Evil” video game universe, such as Leon S. Kennedy or Jill Valentine. Cregger aimed to create a new and original story. That decision has rubbed a certain section of the fandom the wrong way, and Cregger has admitted he was “naive” to think he could create an original story in a pre-existing franchise and get away unscathed from fans.
A Long History of Films
There have been six previous “Resident Evil” films, beginning with Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez’s 2002 film. Jovovich went on to lead “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” (2004), “Resident Evil: Extinction” (2007), “Resident Evil: Afterlife” (2010), “Resident Evil: Retribution” (2012) and “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” (2017).
Johannes Roberts stepped into the role of writer and director for the franchise reboot “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City” in 2021. The series has amassed a total of over $1.2 billion in worldwide ticket sales.
The Numbers So Far
Critics have weighed in with their first reactions, and Variety has gathered them together, and the verdict keeps coming back to the same point: Cregger’s approach is doing what it sets out to do.
“Zach Cregger has actually delivered the most faithful take yet. Very bloody, very funny, and it made me jump at least 3 times (no easy task).”
The review in question comes from a person who has actually watched the movie, and what he describes is not a joke about a man concealing himself under a coat; it is proof of the fright.
What Comes Next
Sony Pictures releases “Resident Evil” in theaters Sept. 18, and early reviews are already coming in. Critics are calling it a spectacle and a standout adaptation, and the response so far is strong.
Whether audiences concur or not is still unresolved. What is certain is that the critics have made their voices heard, and they are raising them with force.
The Bottom Line
The reviews are consistent in their praise for Cregger’s direction. The film is being called a spectacle, a faithful adaptation and a standout horror movie. Abrams’s performance is singled out across multiple reviews, with critics noting his charm carries a lead who is clearly out of his depth.
So far, the film’s response points to Cregger having found a winning approach for horror viewers. The verdict on whether that lasts once more people get hold of it will come later.
For now, the critics have spoken, and they are speaking loudly.
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