Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil just premiered, and critics are all saying the same thing. First reactions from the world premiere reveal what the Barbarian director brought to Sony’s action horror reboot.
First reactions to Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil are in
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil had its world premiere at The United Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Sony allowed attendees to post brief social media reactions after the screening. Full reviews remain embargoed until 9 a.m. PT on Sept. 16. The early response appears overwhelmingly positive across the board.
Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) posted on X, “Resident Evil is a blast! Unrelenting once it gets going.” He added that the film “evokes playing a video game” in a fun way. Goldman also called Austin Abrams “incredibly enraging and likable as a very everyman hero.” Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) wrote that “Zach Cregger is cookin’ with napalm” and praised the film’s “demented body horror.”
Tom Chatalbash (@TomChatalbash) called the film “a relentlessly thrilling, blood-soaked and pulse-pounding thrill ride.” He added that “this is by far and away the best use of the IP yet.” Zach Pope (@ZachhPope) described it as “a near PERFECT Resident Evil experience” packed with “INCREDIBLE creature designs.” Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) said the film “fully stressed me out but in a good way.”
However, not all reactions landed without caveats. Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) called the film “real fun” but noted he “didn’t dig the ending.” He still praised the film’s “forward momentum” as impressive. Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) called it “a real nail-biter” that combines “infected scares and tongue-in-cheek humor.”
Cregger directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten. The cast includes Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser. Resident Evil screens at 2026 Fantastic Fest on Sept. 17 before hitting theaters globally on Sept. 18.