Director Zach Cregger’s new film “Resident Evil” was released this weekend in theaters. Cregger’s run to start the decade has been nothing short of fantastic; he released one of the best horror films of 2022 with “Barbarian,” and 2025 with “Weapons.” Now, only a year removed from the latter, Cregger is back with a film adaptation of the video game series “Resident Evil.” Cregger has said in interviews that the film takes place in the universe of the game but doesn’t follow a set story or character from the game. Cregger told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s an entirely original story — When you watch it, you’ll be like, ‘This is very Zach.’ It’s just it takes place in the Resident Evil world. I don’t think fans of the games are gonna be bummed.” So how does Cregger treat the world of Resident Evil? Let’s Dig In.
First and foremost, we must begin with Austin Abrams’s performance; the film is centered around him, and if he didn’t deliver, the film wouldn’t be able to operate. Abrams is great in the film; he feels real and layered. How he reacts to everything that unfolds around him is so real; the character is well written, and Abrams brings him to life so well. He feels like how any of us would be in this situation. The things he is going through outside the film’s narrative make the stakes and the ending feel so much more impactful. Abrams plays him with such relatability, and Abrams’s performance helps capture that. Cregger called himself an Abrams “fanatic,” telling Deadline, “I was like, ‘This is it, dude. This is my guy.’ And so, when it was time to put Resident Evil together, there was not even a second choice.” The 29-year-old Abrams had previously worked with Cregger in “Weapons.”
Moreover, the film is shot very well. There are many interesting shots, some that pay homage to the games the film is adapting. One shot uses sound design as if it were x-ray seeing through walls. Another shot of a field, that is just menacing; it also shows the scale of the film, seeing previous scenes from another. It makes the movie feel more put together and like a video game; it can feel like going from one level to another at times.
The film is scary. The first half has more tension and an eeriness about it, but the whole movie is scary, something many horror films fail at. The sound design, cinematography and the atmosphere are what lead to the overall feeling of stress and terror this film portrays, rather than just a jump scare here or there. But this movie is no stranger to a good old jump scare; it includes a few great diegetic jump scares.
Something unexpected was how funny the film was. The film is a horror comedy, after all. It doesn’t take itself too seriously the entire time. There are some great jokes and funny moments; it comes through with relatability, or as a coping mechanism for our protagonist. Seeing all this chaos, the only way I could get through it is by joking around a bit.
My only other gripe with the film is the monster; I felt like they showed off the monster a bit early, and a bit much. The biggest fear in horror movies can be the unknown, so when they show off the odd-looking creature our protagonist faces so early, it hinders it a little. However, the monster is very intimidating — but overall, I feel it would have benefited from it being in the shadows more.
Overall, it is a great movie with an ending that serves it perfectly well. I cannot wait to see what Cregger does next, as this solidifies three great horror films in a row for him.
Rating: 4.5/5