No Leon, no Jill, no S.T.A.R.S. - the first reactions call Cregger's 90-minute Resident Evil the most violent thing he has shot
Early word on Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil isn’t exactly whisper-quiet — and, for once, everyone seems to agree.
Time for that rare moment in video game adaptation history: Zach Cregger’s take on Resident Evil just had its world premiere, and apparently it absolutely goes for the jugular — and the funny bone — at the same time. You might expect the usual moaning from purists, but if you go by the early reactions, we’re looking at something much more lively: people are properly buzzing. Here’s what’s just dropped online after that first screening.
Resident Evil hits UK cinemas on 18 September 2026.
Early Impressions: Guts, Gags, and a Lot of Gore
The first wave of feedback paints a vivid, bloody picture. If you’re worried about Cregger trying to water things down, breathe easy: words like 'brutal', 'funny', 'gory', 'chaotic', and 'blast' are getting thrown about by almost everyone who’s seen it. Loads of viewers reckon Cregger has managed that tricky balance — he leans into both the horror and the comedy without making either feel like a side dish. Don’t expect a by-the-numbers retread, either. Instead, reviewers say he’s channelled the relentless tension from the games themselves (even while the plot and characters aren’t straight lifts from any specific title).
- Austin Abrams is getting singled out by nearly every reviewer as the film’s big break-out — which bodes well given how few mainstream viewers will know him from Weapons.
- No sign of the classic S.T.A.R.S. team or direct game plots, but the film is allegedly stuffed full of grotesque monsters, goo, and Easter eggs for long-time fans.
- Cregger’s known for walking the line between pitch-black laughs and nerves-on-edge terror; here, apparently, he’s not holding back in either direction.
- After an earlier press showing of just the opening 30 minutes left critics giddy, everyone’s now seen the full whack — and the consensus hasn’t softened with the whole film.
So What’s It About and Who’s In It?
Story-wise, it’s a compact 90-minute survival nightmare: Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who stumbles face-first into a full-blown biohazard disaster during an otherwise forgettable shift. Instead of video game-style gun-toting superheroes, the story puts one everyday bloke in the crossfire, as whatever’s gone loose starts turning things properly grim. According to pretty much every reaction so far, the panic (and the creative bloodshed) keeps piling up — but not at the expense of character beats or a steady stream of gallows humour.
The supporting cast features Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Johnno Wilson, and Kali Reis. The script comes via Cregger and Shay Hatten, and if you’re in any doubt about the intended audience, the MPA have slapped it with an R for 'strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout.' Apparently, Cregger himself has been promising it’s the most violent thing he’s ever shot — which you wouldn’t say lightly, knowing his previous stuff.
Capturing the Resident Evil Vibe (Without Copying the Games)
Here’s the bit that’ll get old-school Resident Evil diehards twitching: while it’s officially based on Capcom’s famous franchise, Cregger’s spin isn’t an adaptation of any specific title. Instead, he’s tried to bottle the sense of chaos, tension, and WTF-that’s-gross energy that makes the games so enduring. More than one reviewer has even said it recreates the thrill of surviving the games — just, for once, without making you wish you were still at the console instead.
The general mood is that Cregger’s pulled off something that’s both extremely faithful to the feeling of Resident Evil and totally its own film. Whether it’s about to become a new gold standard for game-to-film adaptations is anyone’s guess. But on the basis of these early reactions, and with not long until it hits cinemas, it looks like we might finally have a Resident Evil movie that’s actually worth getting excited about.