Zach Cregger's Resident Evil has arrived to near-universal acclaim, with the film currently holding a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 81 out of 100 on Metacritic. The adaptation, which stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier named Bryan who is thrust into a night of survival horror, has been praised by critics as a bold and inventive take on the long-running franchise.
The film follows Bryan as he unwittingly finds himself fighting for survival when one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. Alongside Abrams, the cast includes Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Johnno Wilson. Cregger directs from a script co-written with Shay Hatten, and the film leans heavily into practical creature effects and immersive cinematography.
Critics have singled out the film's technical craft, particularly the IMAX Steadicam work by cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, a veteran of the Pirates of the Caribbean series and numerous Ridley Scott films. Bob Strauss of the San Francisco Chronicle awarded the film a perfect 100, writing that Cregger's formal mastery continues to evolve through what he called a creature spectacular designed to satisfyingly scare, tickle, and gross out audiences. Strauss noted that the IMAX lensing keeps viewers moving alongside Bryan while filling frames with persuasive, often gooey detail and ominous shadows illuminated only by car headlamps or a cell phone flashlight.
The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck gave the film a 90, describing it as an exhilarating shot in the arm for a fatigued franchise. He praised its baroque gore and wildly imaginative set pieces delivered at a feverish pace, writing that the film transcends its simplistic premise with cinematic wit and flair. Polygon's Jake Kleinman awarded a 91, noting that Cregger channels his love for both the franchise and the horror genre into something never really seen before, capturing the fight-or-flight experience of actually playing a Resident Evil game.
Several reviewers highlighted the film's balance of horror and comedy. Sonny Bunch of The Bulwark gave it 3.5 out of 4, writing that Cregger has demonstrated a perfect sense for comic-horror timing across this film, 2022's Barbarian, and last year's Weapons. Bunch praised Abrams as perfectly cast, muttering to himself precisely as a gamer does when stuck on a hard level, and singled out character actors Paul Walter Hauser and Zach Cherry for adding to the laughs.
ScreenRant's Brandon Zachary gave a 9 out of 10, noting that the ending shifts in tone toward something more Sam Raimi-esque, combining goofball, gory nonsense with blunt bleakness. He called it a pitch-perfect horror movie that is as frightening and funny as it is shockingly somber, predicting it may annoy series purists but will win over any horror fan. CBR's Chris La Vigna, also awarding 9 out of 10, emphasized that the film is not a beat-by-beat adaptation of the games and should not be, arguing that Cregger has created a fun, frightening, and unique story that is both completely Resident Evil and completely the vision of its director.
Fresh Fiction's Courtney Howard gave the film an A-minus, calling it a wild, hilarious, unpredictably bonkers thrill ride from start to finish. The Times' Kevin Maher awarded 4 out of 5, describing it as a sweet and hyperkinetic children's cartoon wrapped in a frantic, violent, and gory zombie flick. The Irish Times' Donald Clarke also gave 4 out of 5, praising its elaborately vile body horror whose lineage passes through the source content and back to John Carpenter's The Thing.
Wall of Sound's Mike Drop gave the film a perfect 5 out of 5, calling it a love letter to the franchise and everything he could ask for in a Resident Evil film. AwardsRadar's Joey Magidson gave 3.5 out of 4, writing that the film works both as a fan of the video games and as someone who enjoys Cregger's work, describing it as two great tastes that taste great together. The film's production values have been noted as exponentially greater than any previous entry in the franchise, with critics highlighting the imaginative Easter eggs, from typewriters to Umbrella Corporation references, that devotees will appreciate.