Zach Cregger’s trajectory in the horror genre suggests that his background in comedy is a distinct advantage. After the surprise success of his 2022 debut Barbarian, Cregger delivered Weapons in 2025, a critically acclaimed film featuring Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and an Academy Award-winning turn by Amy Madigan. Unlike many modern horror films that lack levity, Cregger—co-founder of the sketch group The Whitest Kids U’Know—injected humor and a satisfyingly definitive ending into his previous work.
His latest project, Resident Evil, adapts the long-running Japanese video game franchise. While not as intricately crafted as Weapons, the film adopts a shaggy-dog narrative structure that mirrors the gameplay experience of navigating obstacles. The story centers on Austin Abrams, known for his role in Weapons, who plays Bryan Hodukavich, a medical courier transporting a critical package to Raccoon City General Hospital across treacherous, icy terrain.
Bryan’s journey takes a dark turn when he accidentally strikes a wild-eyed, bloodied woman. Unaware she is undead, he places her in his passenger seat, where she repeatedly attempts to touch his face with claw-like fingers—a recurring gag highlighted by Andrea Miltner’s performance. The film unfolds as a series of mishaps: a state trooper reluctantly helps transport the zombie, only for the situation to escalate further. Bryan is later chased by a creature that appears to be a dog and struggles to operate a shotgun he finds in an abandoned farmhouse.
As the plot progresses, Bryan encounters representatives of the Umbrella Corporation, played by Paul Walter Hauser and Kali Reis, who explain the true nature of his cargo. Meanwhile, Bryan remains desperate to reconnect with his girlfriend via cell phone, hampered by a lack of signal and a series of unsolvable padlocks. The film features gruesome zombie designs, including creatures with tentacles and pustules, though details are kept under wraps to preserve surprises.
Abrams carries the nearly two-hour film, transitioning from a detached protagonist to an increasingly engaged survivor. The 90-minute runtime ends with a cliffhanger that invites a sequel. This reboot follows the earlier Paul W.S. Anderson film series, ending a decade-long gap since the last major installment. Despite the uncertain fate of its protagonist, the film offers enough satisfaction to confirm that zombies remain a staple of the genre.
Austin Abrams continues to prove he’s my favorite actor working today. He carried that entire chaotic premise beautifully.
How does this handle the Umbrella Corporation lore? I hope they don’t just skim the surface like every other video game movie adaptation ever made.
Is anyone else here just for Andrea Miltner? The passenger seat gag had me dying before the actual zombies even showed up.
90 minutes sounds refreshing, but that cliffhanger ending feels like a cheap cash grab for a sequel we don’t need yet.
Finally, a Resident Evil movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The humor makes it so much more fun to watch.