The first reactions to Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil are in, and the upcoming horror movie is being called a brutal, bloody, funny blast by those who have seen it. Following the world premiere last night, social media reactions to the full movie have arrived, giving audiences their first real taste of what Cregger has done with Capcom’s iconic survival horror franchise – and the overall reaction is extremely enthusiastic.
The words “brutal,” “funny,” “gory,” “chaotic,” and “blast” appear frequently in the early reactions, with several viewers praising the way Cregger balances horror and comedy without losing the sense of danger. Here’s a sample:
#ResidentEvil is a near PERFECT Resident Evil experience!
Zach Cregger didn’t just craft a GREAT Resident Evil movie (he made an awesome video game adaptation that I can already see myself rewatching for years)
Brutal. Funny. Gory. Completely WTF-inducing. It’s packed with… pic.twitter.com/NSwiGbHYDl
— Zach Pope (@ZachhPope) September 16, 2026
#ResidentEvil may not feature recognizable characters/storylines, but by tapping into the relentless tension of the games, Zach Cregger has actually delivered the most faithful take yet. Very bloody, very funny, and it made me jump at least 3 times (no easy task). The fella… pic.twitter.com/QjgumVECDH
— Mark Cassidy (@RorMachine) September 16, 2026
Zach Cregger’s #ResidentEvil is the filmmaker’s third time out of the gate and he delivers.
Barbarian and Weapons were both darkly comedic, but Resident Evil cranks it up several notches thanks to the brilliant Austin Abrams (skittish and clumsy James in Weapons) as hapless… pic.twitter.com/HSZTwVBpK0
— Sonya Alexander (@wordslinger1) September 16, 2026
Think it’s safe to say that Zach Cregger’s #ResidentEvil is best video game ever made! Consistently exhilarating, hilarious (sometimes to a fault), and tense all at once, this is a tight 90-minute thrill ride that never lets up. As a huge fan, I couldn’t be happier with this. pic.twitter.com/wLBMZHiF4u
— Jeremy Crabb (@That_Short_Nerd) September 16, 2026
#ResidentEvil Is a heart pounding blast of a time! I loved the tone and pacing Zach Cregger built. Lot of laughs w/ several horrifying moments. Big fan of all the creature designs. Austin Abram’s , much like this movie, is so engaging. I hope the doubters give it a chance pic.twitter.com/HulsggIPN2
— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) September 16, 2026
Wow #ResidentEvil is masterfully directed, with a perfect lead performance from Austin Abrams. It captures the thrill of playing the games without ever making you wish you were playing one instead. it’s ACTUAL HORROR CINEMA. Funny, tense, scary, and a perfect big screen crowd… pic.twitter.com/iMPYFAmuip
— Reel Rejects (@ReelRejects) September 16, 2026
Well! #ResidentEvil is a blast and a half. Austin Abrams brings star-grade charisma and perfect comedic delivery. Despite a helping of laughs, the scares and body horror land. It feels like you’re playing a very good video game, and I already want to watch it a second time. pic.twitter.com/6GG2bm6UGV
— Jeff Ewing (@ReelJeffEwing) September 16, 2026
Zach Cregger’s #ResidentEvil is straight up a pedal-to-the-metal blast of film, very violent and gory as well as funny, Austin Abrams was kinda made in a lab to play dumbasses who have no idea what to do in wild and intense situations, a great time in the movies. pic.twitter.com/IAvfBmzLMf
— Carlos (@MattBlakeStan) September 16, 2026
Really enjoyed #ResidentEvil, the most straightforward (but still super surprising) Zach Cregger film — full of lovely character beats, crazy monsters, franchise Easter eggs and edge-of-your-seat set pieces. Austin Abrams is a star. Lots of goo. Good shit. pic.twitter.com/EYu7kjvuSP
— Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) September 16, 2026
As you can see in those reactions, lead actor Austin Abrams is getting a lot of love from viewers. The Weapons star plays Bryan, a medical courier who finds himself caught in the middle of a biohazard outbreak. What begins as a routine night quickly turns into a desperate fight for survival as he encounters the horrors unleashed by the outbreak.
We’ve previously seen reactions to the first 30 minutes of Resident Evil, which Sony Pictures recently screened for members of the press. JoBlo’s own JimmyO praised the footage as “fantastic,” specifically highlighting the balance between horror and laughs and Abrams’ performance as Bryan. It sounds like most viewers enjoyed the remaining 60 minutes just as much as the first 30.
Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, co-wrote Resident Evil with Shay Hatten. The filmmaker has previously promised that Resident Evil is the most violent movie he has ever made, and the movie’s R rating backs that up. The MPA rated the film R for “strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout.”
The movie stars Abrams alongside Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Johnno Wilson, and Kali Reis.
While Resident Evil is based on Capcom’s long-running video game franchise, Cregger has approached the movie as a survival horror story centered on an ordinary person thrown into an extraordinary nightmare. Cregger’s film doesn’t recreate any of the existing Resident Evil games, but several reactions have praised the way it captures the feeling of playing the games.
Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18, 2026. Are you looking forward to seeing Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil this weekend? Take a look at the early reactions, then let us know in the comments.
The post Resident Evil early reactions call Zach Cregger’s movie a brutal, bloody blast appeared first on JoBlo.
By 
