Critics Praise Cregger's Gory, Faithful Reboot
Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Weapons and Barbarian, has stepped into studio franchise filmmaking for the first time with Sony's Resident Evil, and initial buzz indicates his flair for wildly intense frights is unchanged. Press members have called the reboot a cinematic spectacle and ranked it among the finest video game adaptations. Tomatometer critic EJ Moreno posted a rave on X, urging viewers to watch it on the largest screen with a packed audience and labeling it a genuine horror blockbuster, adding that Cregger pushes bigger, scarier, and more fun than before.[S1]
Fellow Tomatometer critic Mark Cassidy wrote that the film captures the relentless tension of the games. He said Cregger has delivered the most faithful take yet, describing it as very bloody, very funny, and capable of making him jump at least three times, which he noted is no easy task. Cassidy also mentioned that the person sitting in front of him hid behind a jacket for most of the movie, and he called it easily among the best video game adaptations he has seen.[S1]
Kellvin Chavez, a film journalist and editor-in-chief of SplashReport.com, likewise posted praise on X. According to him, the movie accelerates from its very first scene and never lets up, and he credited Cregger with unrelenting tension, delightfully bloody action, and creature designs that twist in ways recalling The Thing. Chavez described it as pure survival horror and, in his view, the strongest Resident Evil film so far, singled out Austin Abrams as terrific, and said a full review would follow the next day.[S1]
Critic Tristian Circa '89 wrote on X that the film delivers the intensity and terror he anticipated while also weaving in strong comedic beats. He observed that Austin Abrams embodies an ordinary guy far out of his depth, yet his innate likability makes him a protagonist audiences can get behind. Variety's Jordan Moreau posted on X that Cregger is the man, calling Resident Evil among the greatest video game adaptations ever and one of the best recent horror films, praising an amazing title drop and Abrams's funny turn bumbling through zombie kills, and awarding it 10/10.[S1]
Original Story and Casting Choices
The film pairs Cregger once more with Austin Abrams, his Weapons lead, who portrays a medical courier tasked with delivering to Raccoon City General Hospital amid a zombie outbreak. Cregger penned the script alongside Shay Hatten. Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser round out the supporting players. The movie deliberately omits familiar game figures like Leon S. Kennedy and Jill Valentine, since Cregger wanted a fresh, original narrative. That choice upset part of the fanbase, and Cregger has conceded he was naive to believe he could tell an original story inside an established franchise without facing backlash.[S1]
Six Resident Evil movies came before this one, starting with the 2002 entry starring Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez. Jovovich then headlined Apocalypse (2004), Extinction (2007), Afterlife (2010), Retribution (2012), and The Final Chapter (2017). In 2021, director Johannes Roberts wrote and directed the reboot Welcome to Raccoon City. Across all installments, the series has earned more than $1.2 billion worldwide. Sony Pictures releases Resident Evil in theaters on September 18.[S1]
