Zach Cregger Delivers the Ultimate Video Game Adaptation in His Latest Horror Hit
Zach Cregger's new video game adaptation delivers 90 minutes of fast-paced, creepy horror and pure entertainment, brilliantly lifting the notorious adaptation curse.
Before a single line of this was even written, the new horror film directed by Zach Cregger, which hit theaters this week, was already hailed by some critics as the finest video game adaptation ever made. Given that the brand's previous cinematic iterations were torn apart by reviewers, that bold assertion is certainly worth examining.
Decades ago, back in 2002, director Paul W.S. Anderson enlisted Milla Jovovich for the first cinematic adaptation of Capcom's famous horror franchise. That film leaned heavily into action and almost entirely ignored the game's plot. Critics panned it, audiences greeted it with mixed emotions, but its box office success spawned five sequels in a series that wrapped up in 2016.
Five years later, an attempt was made to reboot the franchise with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, but it failed, putting the property into deep freeze. That is, until the talented Zach Cregger picked up his laptop and began writing a script that serves as both another reboot and a sort of adaptation—though not quite. The plot plunges viewers into the gaming universe while telling a side story that cleverly utilizes horror elements and stands entirely on its own.
In this story, Austin Abrams stars as Brian, a medical courier transporting organs between hospitals. One late night, he is dispatched to deliver a special package to the hospital in Raccoon City. Along the way, he encounters a string of bizarre events, including random run-ins with people transforming into John Carpenter-esque creatures. From that point on, he is simply fighting to survive one of the roughest nights of his life.
In the background, he also struggles to figure out how to handle his girlfriend's unplanned pregnancy. This narrative device is meant to inject emotional stakes, but it lacks the breathing room to become a central focus. On the other hand, in films of this caliber, such details rarely dictate the overall success. The overriding sensation is that Cregger arrived determined to deliver minimum heaviness and maximum fun for audiences and gamers alike.
It is fair to say that a mini-hype has surrounded the film so far, and frankly, it is well deserved. With a relatively modest budget of 80 million dollars and a precise 90-minute runtime, Cregger's movie is one of the most entertaining holiday treats. It also proves he is no fluke, but a creator who truly understands top-tier horror. While it lacks the dense narrative complexity of his previous work, Abrams's precise performance anchors a surprisingly entertaining, delightfully gruesome, creepy, and gross cinematic ride.
Unlike the action-heavy Milla Jovovich vehicles from the early 2000s, Cregger remains faithful to the terrifying spirit of the games. Notably, the film takes place concurrently with the events of the second game in the series, layering on top-notch body horror, stellar practical-looking effects, and impeccably timed jump scares.
This is arguably the winning formula that finally lifts the notorious curse of video game adaptations. While most complaints hurled at this genre target poor character development or bloated plots, the wise Cregger strips the story down to its bare essentials. He unburdens the film from narrative baggage and sends his protagonist on a relentless point-A-to-point-B journey. It is a terrifying adventure flick that avoids overcomplicating things while keeping viewers on the edge of their seats with a permanent grin.
Cregger’s script refuses to sink into the abysses of self-serious pretension, keeping a knowing wink throughout. There are small, charming jokes and direct nods to the source material—such as the abundance of locked doors and puzzles that defy logical bypassing.
Yet despite all these triumphs, Cregger somewhat neglects his protagonist's internal growth. There is no classic hero's journey here, and the emotional setup introduced early on—the girlfriend and the unplanned pregnancy—never quite evolves into a driving force for Brian's actions. Then again, heavier dramatic depth might have weighed the film down and compromised its effortless momentum.
The film may not be a masterpiece, but it is a wonderful adaptation of a beloved franchise that never pretends to be anything more. There is no unnecessary bloat, just welcome trimming. There is no forced cringe or excessive solemnity. It is a hard-R movie about people turning into zombies and creepy monsters. And Cregger? He behaves just like an avid gamer: holding the controller, steering the characters, and having the absolute time of his life.
