Off just the first 30 minutes, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is landing well

If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow over studio 'buzz' based on a film’s opening reel, you’re not alone. This time, though, it’s Resident Evil—Zach Cregger’s new crack at the franchise—that’s getting people worked up, and here’s the catch: nobody’s actually seen the whole film yet. Sony invited press to a sneak peek of just the first 30 minutes, and—unsurprisingly—the internet’s been quick on the reaction trigger.

The first official screening of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil was limited to 30 minutes of footage shown to the media on 2 September 2026.

The Opening Salvo

Let’s be clear, nobody’s daft enough to judge an entire film off a single act, but the early word is that Cregger’s Resident Evil has landed a properly tense, nasty, and oddly funny start. Most of the reactions are coming from people who aren’t usually shy about disliking things, so the enthusiasm is worth a pause.

JimmyO from JoBlo was one of those in the screening room and he didn’t hold back when it came to praise for the setup and for Austin Abrams’ turn as the lead character, Bryan. In fact, before he got too giddy about the film’s blend of scares, violence, and laughs, he singled out Abrams’ performance, saying:

Here's JimmyO's verdict, posted after the screening: 'He carries this film so beautifully. I was rooting for that dude 100%. It’s a funny performance and he handles the scares with perfection.'

And that’s a theme that gets picked up by other early viewers: Cregger’s horror chops have turned out a first half hour that people seem genuinely surprised by—especially given some of the less-than-stellar adaptations of Resident Evil we’ve seen in the past. The consensus? The tone strikes just the right balance, cracking on with some proper chills, ugly violence, and, yes, a mischievous bit of humour.

What They Actually Showed

So, what’s in these opening 30 minutes? According to JimmyO and others, we’re seeing a brittle, atmospheric world where Austin Abrams’ character, Bryan—a down-to-earth medical courier—finds himself caught in the middle of a biohazard nightmare. Apparently, he’s awkward, quick with a joke to cover up the fear, and surprisingly easy to root for as his night spirals out of control. If you’re a fan of the survival horror from the games, early birds say Cregger nails that twitchy, what’s-behind-the-door tension, helped along by a streak of black humour. The blood and gore apparently don’t hurt, either.

• Austin Abrams as Bryan (the unlucky protagonist)
• Paul Walter Hauser
• Zach Cherry
• Johnno Wilson
• Kali Reis

All this is reportedly painted in that grim, punchy style Cregger brought to Barbarian—and for the avoidance of doubt, he’s written the thing too, this time teamed up with Shay Hatten on the script.

MPA Rating, for the Sceptics

Before anyone suspects the studio’s stitched together a ‘safe’ first act, it’s worth noting that Resident Evil has already landed itself an R from the MPA, owing to what they politely call 'strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout'. In other words, this is Cregger off the leash. Fans of the games should probably brace themselves—it doesn’t sound like we’re getting a neutered product here.

As for the rest of the runtime? Nobody outside the studio has clapped eyes on it yet. The big question is whether Cregger can keep the pace—and the crowd—through the next hour or so. Still, rare to see such unguarded enthusiasm out the gate.

Resident Evil opens in cinemas 18 September 2026. Whether the rest lives up to that killer opening, we’ll see soon enough.