Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil': First Reactions From the Premiere

Zach Cregger's Resident Evil had its world premiere at The United Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, and the first reactions are in. The verdict, overwhelmingly, is that the Barbarian and Weapons director has delivered something special.

Sony allowed attendees to post brief social media reactions after the screening, with full reviews embargoed until September 16. The early response paints a picture of a film that is brutal, funny, and relentlessly paced—and one that finally captures what it feels like to play a Resident Evil game.

The Best Video Game Adaptation?

Multiple critics are already placing Cregger's film among the best video game adaptations ever made. Tomatometer critic Ej Moreno wrote on X that the film is "a true horror blockbuster," adding: "Zach Cregger goes bigger, scarier, and at his most fun. This is how you make horror into a cinematic spectacle."

Fellow critic Mark Cassidy said the film "taps into the relentless tension of the games," calling it "the most faithful take yet. Very bloody, very funny."

Eric Goldman noted that the film "evokes playing a video game" in a fun way, while Tom Chatalbash called it "by far and away the best use of the IP yet."

Austin Abrams Shines

The Weapons alum stars as Bryan, a medical courier whose routine delivery run collapses into a biohazard nightmare. Cregger has described the character as "an idiot… not that he's stupid, but he's not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival."

The performance is earning widespread praise. Goldman called Abrams "incredibly enraging and likable as a very everyman hero." Multiple reactions singled out his comedic timing amid the chaos.

The Ending Is the Sticking Point

Nearly every positive reaction comes with the same caveat: the ending. Joey Magidson said he "didn't dig the ending," though he praised the film's "forward momentum" as impressive. Other early viewers described the final act as "weak or strange" and "the part that holds the film back."

The Details

Cregger directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4). The film is an original story set in Raccoon City, not a direct adaptation of any specific game. The cast includes Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser. The MPA rated it R for "strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout."

Resident Evil opens in theaters globally on September 18, 2026.