Resident Evil film by Zach Cregger hits theaters: first reactions and scores
In brief
- Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil film is now in theaters. Kotaku reports mixed but mostly positive early reactions, with 3.9 on Letterboxd and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film follows Bryan, a medical courier who is tasked with delivering an important package to Raccoon City at the start of the outbreak. According to Kotaku, the choice to center the story on a new lead instead of a familiar game character like Leon Kennedy has become a major talking point among fans.
What happened
Kotaku published an article on 18 September 2026 about the first reception to Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil film. The site says the movie is now playing in theaters and that the first reviews are “pretty great,” while fan reactions remain mixed.
Kotaku also cites three audience scores at the time of publication: 3.9/5 on Letterboxd, 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a user score of 83 on Metacritic. Those numbers may have changed since then, but the article says they suggest the film’s early online reception is not only critical, but also notably positive.
According to Kotaku, the debate is mostly about the film’s creative freedom. One shared Reddit reaction calls the movie “incredible” and praises the POV scenes, the set pieces, and the ending. Kotaku also quotes an X post from @Critical_Scribe, which argues that the Resident Evil games are often more serious and less ironic than some fans claim.
Timeline
16 September 2026: Kotaku had already reported early praise for Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil film, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% during an earlier stage of reception.
18 September 2026: Kotaku publishes a new article about the first reactions now that the film is in theaters.
18 September 2026: Kotaku cites audience scores of 3.9/5 on Letterboxd, 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 83 on Metacritic.
18 September 2026: In the quoted X post from @Critical_Scribe, it is argued that Resident Evil should not always be read as “goofy humor,” but is often played straight.
Background
Resident Evil has long been a franchise where tone and adaptation are hotly debated. With this film, the discussion is not just about how closely the adaptation follows the games, but also about the choice to focus on a new character, Bryan, instead of a familiar name from the series.
The source material shows that the current debate centers on two things: the humor and the ending of the film. Kotaku describes those elements as the main reasons fans are reacting so differently, while the early audience scores suggest the movie is being well received across multiple platforms.
Related GAME-scanner articles
- Resident Evil film by Zach Cregger logs at least $9 million in U.S. previews
- Resident Evil by Zach Cregger scores 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic
- Resident Evil: Zach Cregger filmed through pneumonia and Campylobacter during freezing shoot in Czechia
- Resident Evil reboot by Zach Cregger gets early praise and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes
Sources
- Kotaku, 18 September 2026: article on the first reactions to Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil film.
- X post by @Critical_Scribe, 18 September 2026, quoted in Kotaku’s source text.
Sources
Tweet van @Critical_ScribeTweet van @Critical_ScribeEveryone saying “Resident Evil has always had goofy humor” must really have only looked at Leon highlight reels because even in his case, everything is done with a sincere and played straight energy. The series has not gone out of its way to make the joke in a ironic “well,… https://t.co/nlw83sX82Q — J. Y. Song (@Critical_Scribe) September 18, 2026