The director of Weapons and Barbarian, Zach Cregger, is directing a major studio franchise for the first time with Sony’s Resident Evil film. EJ Moreno, Mark Cassidy, Kellvin Chavez, Tristian Circa ’89 and Jordan Moreau of Variety, who watched the film, praised it as a high-tension, bloody, funny and terrifying horror movie that should be experienced in theaters with a crowd. Critics said the games’ relentless tension had been successfully captured, the creature designs evoked The Thing, and the film ranked among the best video game and Resident Evil adaptations. Moreau gave the film 10 out of 10, while Austin Abrams’ performance was also praised.
Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who becomes trapped in the middle of an outbreak while making a delivery to Raccoon City General Hospital. The film, written by Cregger and Shay Hatten, also stars Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser. The original story, which does not feature Leon S. Kennedy or Jill Valentine, drew a backlash from some fans. Cregger said it would be “naive” to expect to avoid backlash entirely. The franchise, which began with Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez in 2002, has grossed approximately 1.2 billion dollars worldwide; Johannes Roberts attempted to reboot it in 2021 with Resident Evil: Raccoon City.
Why it matters
The fact that the initial reactions have been broadly positive establishes a new basis for comparison regarding the franchise’s direction in cinemas following the 2021 reboot attempt. In Cregger’s first major studio franchise experience, his choice to focus on original characters rather than recognizable game heroes shifts the adaptation debate directly toward the issue of fidelity to the source material. While this choice concerns fans awaiting Leon S. Kennedy and Jill Valentine, the fact that praise has focused on elements such as suspense, creature design, humor and acting shows that the film is being evaluated by different criteria. For a franchise with a history of approximately 1.2 billion dollars, Sony’s approach represents an effort to continue the established brand with a new story. However, it remains unclear whether the initial critical reactions will change the stance of viewers who object to the original story.