Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Early Reviews Are In, and They’re Better Than Anyone Expected

Video game adaptations have historically had a rocky relationship with critics, and the ‘Resident Evil‘ franchise in particular has struggled for decades to translate its beloved survival horror formula into something audiences actually love on the big screen. That history made Zach Cregger’s upcoming reboot feel like a genuine gamble the moment it was announced.

Cregger, fresh off the critical and commercial success of ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Weapons,’ takes an unconventional approach with his version, telling an entirely original story that runs parallel to the events of ‘Resident Evil 2’ rather than directly adapting the games. The film follows Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a medical courier whose routine night spirals into a desperate fight for survival once an outbreak tears through the city around him.

That original approach initially worried some longtime fans hoping for a more faithful retelling, prompting Cregger to address the concern directly. “It is coming from a true place of love,” Cregger told IGN, pushing back on the idea that he simply slapped the franchise name onto an unrelated script. “This is not me just telling a story and slapping Resident Evil on it so I can get a budget. This is me telling a Resident Evil story.”

With the film arriving in theaters September 18, Sony recently screened the opening 30 minutes for select press members, and the early reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. JoBlo’s JimmyO called the footage “moody, creepy, atmospheric, and genuinely funny,” singling out Abrams’ performance as grounded and immediately likable, praising how effortlessly he balances the film’s terror with its lighter moments.

Our own @jimmytotheo was lucky enough to see the first 30 minutes of @residentevil and says @zcregger has knocked it out of the park. Stay tuned for more as we get closer to the release date! pic.twitter.com/UG0xPw4uoj

— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) September 2, 2026

Other critics echoed that enthusiasm. Nerdist senior editor Kyle Anderson, who saw a slightly shorter 18-minute cut, described the footage as exciting and scary with all the right dread built in, while one attendee compared the film’s lean, relentless pacing to a horror version of “Fury Road,” praising its tight 90-minute runtime as essentially nonstop tension from start to finish.

The first trailer for Zach Cregger's ‘RESIDENT EVIL’ has been released.

In theaters on September 18. pic.twitter.com/eeVCAGzy6M

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 30, 2026

Interestingly, Cregger revealed that the film’s current tonal balance wasn’t the version audiences originally saw. Speaking about what he learned from test screenings, Cregger admitted that early cuts leaned too heavily into comedy for some viewers’ taste. “I learned that people really liked the movie, but they thought it was too funny,” Cregger told The Hollywood Reporter. “So over the course of my testing, I stripped out as many of the jokes as possible. I then found that not only did the audience enjoy the movie more, but I also liked the movie a lot more.”

That willingness to recalibrate based on audience response seems to be paying off, at least based on reactions to the finished opening act. Still, with only the first half hour shown publicly so far, there’s genuine reason for some caution, since a strong opening doesn’t always guarantee the rest of a film maintains that same momentum through its final act.

If the buzz holds up once full reviews arrive, ‘Resident Evil’ could position itself alongside ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’ as one of 2026’s standout horror releases, potentially finally giving the long-running game franchise the cinematic treatment fans have been waiting decades for.

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