Resident Evil First Reactions: Zach Cregger’s Horror Film Gets Praise for Gore, Suspense and Austin Abrams
Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil movie is drawing strong early reactions ahead of its September 18 theatrical release, with critics praising its horror, gore, suspense, comedy and Austin Abrams’ performance.
Sony’s new Resident Evil film, directed by Zach Cregger, is receiving enthusiastic early reactions from film critics and journalists ahead of its theatrical release.
Cregger previously directed Weapons and Barbarian, and the Resident Evil movie marks his first time working with a major studio intellectual property.
The early reactions have described the movie as a “cinematic spectacle” and one of the better video-game adaptations, with particular praise for its horror, action, suspense, gore and humor.
1. New Resident Evil Film and Director
Zach Cregger is directing the new Resident Evil movie after previously making Weapons and Barbarian.
The project represents his first time working with a major studio IP.
Early reactions from film press have characterized the movie as a large-scale horror experience, with some calling it a “cinematic spectacle” and one of the better video-game adaptations.
The film is directed by Cregger and written by Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten.
2. What Early Reactions Praise
The early responses have repeatedly highlighted the movie’s combination of horror, suspense, gore, action and comedy.
Tomatometer critic EJ Moreno described it as a “true horror blockbuster” designed to be experienced on the big screen with a large audience. Moreno said Cregger makes the horror bigger, scarier and more fun.
Mark Cassidy said the movie captures the relentless tension associated with the games and called it the most faithful Resident Evil adaptation so far.
Cassidy also described the film as extremely bloody and funny, saying it gave him at least three jump scares. He added that a person sitting in front of him spent much of the movie hiding behind their jacket.
Kellvin Chavez said the movie moves quickly from its opening scene and does not slow down through the ending.
Chavez praised its relentless suspense, “gloriously gory” action and Thing-esque creature designs, describing the movie as pure survival horror.
He also singled out Austin Abrams, saying the actor is excellent in the film.
Tristian Circa ‘89 described the movie as intense and horrifying while also pointing to its humorous moments.
According to Circa ‘89, Abrams plays an ordinary man who finds himself trapped in circumstances that become far more difficult than he could have expected. The reaction also highlighted Abrams’ natural charm.
Variety’s Jordan Moreau went further, describing the film as one of the best video-game adaptations and one of the better horror movies in recent years.
Moreau specifically praised Abrams’ zombie-killing scenes and the film’s title drop, ending the reaction with a “10/10.”
3. Story and Main Characters
Austin Abrams plays a medical courier in the new movie.
His character is tasked with delivering a package to Raccoon City General Hospital. During the delivery, he encounters a zombie outbreak.
The screenplay was written by Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten.
The supporting cast includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.
Cregger is also reuniting with his Weapons star Austin Abrams for the Resident Evil project.
The story therefore approaches the franchise through an original protagonist rather than centering the established game characters that have traditionally been associated with Resident Evil.
4. The Major Change to Resident Evil Game Characters
One of the biggest changes in the new film is the absence of established video-game characters Leon S. Kennedy and Jill Valentine.
Cregger’s goal was to create a new and original story within the Resident Evil franchise.
That decision has drawn criticism from part of the Resident Evil fandom.
Cregger later acknowledged that he had expected the response to be less negative. He said he had believed fans would be more accepting of an original story inside an existing franchise.
Looking back at that assumption, Cregger described himself as “naive.”
The approach means the movie is using the Resident Evil universe while telling a story centered on a new character rather than simply adapting one of the franchise’s established game protagonists.
5. Resident Evil’s Previous Film History
Before the new movie, the main Resident Evil film series had already produced six films.
The first Resident Evil movie was released in 2002, with Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez among its main cast members.
Jovovich subsequently returned as the lead in:
- Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
- Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
- Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
- Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
- Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)
In 2021, filmmaker Johannes Roberts directed and wrote the reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Across its film history, the Resident Evil franchise has generated more than $1.2 billion worldwide at the box office.
The new movie therefore arrives after multiple attempts to bring the video-game franchise to theaters, while taking a different story approach from the earlier films.
6. Release Date
The new Resident Evil movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 18, 2026.
Sony Pictures is handling the theatrical release.
The early reactions have been shared ahead of the film’s theatrical debut, giving audiences an initial sense of how critics and film journalists are responding before the full reviews arrive.
7. The Overall Pattern in Early Reactions
The early reactions repeatedly point to the same group of qualities: horror, gore, suspense, comedy and action.
Several critics have also specifically praised the movie as a video-game adaptation, while Austin Abrams’ performance has received positive attention from multiple early responders.
These reactions should be viewed as early social-media responses from critics and film journalists, rather than complete published reviews.
That distinction matters because the full reviews may provide more detailed assessments once the movie reaches theaters.
Kellvin Chavez, for example, said he would publish his full review the following day.
For now, the early response suggests that Cregger’s Resident Evil is being discussed primarily for its intense horror, bloody action, humor, game-inspired atmosphere and Abrams’ central performance.
