6/7 🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩
Zach Cregger has done it again, this time taking a beloved franchise and bringing his creative genius to the horror that unfolds on screen. An architect of unforgettable horror sequences, Cregger delivers a take on Resident Evil that feels refreshing, exciting, and incredibly promising for the future of the franchise.
It’s messy. It’s adorable. It’s disgusting. It’s scary.
This film has so many different textures and tones, yet somehow they all work together as the story descends deeper and deeper into horror. The further it progresses, the more the film absolutely oozes with dread, chaos, and the wonderfully grotesque energy that Resident Evil deserves.
Cregger clearly understands how to build memorable horror while still having fun with the insanity of the world he’s creating. Rather than simply recreating what has come before, he brings his own identity to the franchise while still capturing the survival-horror spirit that made Resident Evil so beloved in the first place.
Austin Abrams is absolutely perfect in it. I won’t go into details because I hate spoiling a film, but let’s just say he is incredibly fun to watch on screen and brings so much personality to the role.
There are moments where the film leans into black comedy, and that balance works surprisingly well. It gives the movie room to breathe without ever losing sight of what it is at its core. In the end, this is still very much a horror film, and when it wants to be disturbing, tense, or outright grotesque, it fully commits. The editing isn’t perfect, though. The Raccoon City sequences start off a little rough, and the pacing in those moments doesn’t feel quite as polished as the rest of the film. I’m curious to see how those scenes play on a second viewing, especially once I know where the story is heading. The movie does have strong finish though. Would be interested to see if we could get a Director’s Cut as well. I overheard some testers leaving the film saying they cut out a lot of the comedy from an original cut.
Emotion: 6/7
Editing & Story: 6/7
Visuals: 7/7
Copyright Disclaimer: All images, characters, film titles, music, and other referenced materials from Resident Evil are used solely for editorial, commentary, and review purposes. All rights remain with Capcom, Columbia Pictures, Constantin Film, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and their respective owners. Sony Pictures