The new Resident Evil movie from Zach Cregger, director of Barbarian and Weapons, hits theaters worldwide on September 18.
Following several positive early reactions, critics have now published full reviews, with some already calling Resident Evil the best film of Cregger’s career.
The movie currently holds a 97% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest rated video game adaptation on the aggregator. Its score on Metacritic is more modest at 79.
Cregger’s Resident Evil does not feature iconic characters such as Leon Kennedy, Ada Wong, or Albert Wesker. This could disappoint longtime fans who expected familiar faces, but it also means newcomers can watch the movie without having to understand the franchise’s extensive lore.
Critics agree that Cregger has delivered an entertaining horror movie with strong comedic elements that captures the atmosphere of Capcom’s games. The film also adapts several gameplay mechanics and conventions for the big screen.
The reviews praise the unconventional cinematography, action sequences, willingness to embrace even the most absurd ideas, and Austin Abrams’ extremely funny performance as the protagonist.
However, the comedy is also one of the movie’s most divisive aspects. Some critics believe there are too many jokes, not all of them work, and the constant humor can disrupt the overall pacing.
One of the more critical reviews came from Time Out:
Looks good, but isn’t remotely scary,” was Time Out’s verdict on the first attempt to bring Resident Evil to the big screen back in 2002. Twenty-six years, eight films and a billion dead zombies later, little has changed. Filmmaking has progressed, but this new take on Capcom’s bloody survival horror is still more funny than genuinely frightening.
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