Journalists Preview First 30 Minutes of New Resident Evil Game

The director managed to make even the humor work in service of tension.

Sony Pictures showed the press the first 30 minutes of the new Resident Evil movie before a meeting with director Zach Cregger. Journalists from The Playlist noted that what they saw “exceeded all expectations,” frightening them with sudden jump scares and an unsettling feeling that something horrible lurked around every corner. The writers specifically praised the absurd humor, which only makes the on-screen events feel even more disturbing. This is a fairly atypical technique, since humor is usually used to relieve tension instead.

Cregger was asked whether he personally could survive what the protagonist faces at the beginning of the film. The director confessed that he would stand no chance, and also warned that the first half-hour will be the easiest part of Brian’s journey for him:

This aligns with Cregger’s vision, as he has repeatedly spoken about his desire to recreate the feeling of playing Resident Evil games. At the same time, the film does not retell the events of any specific entry in the series and even departs from the original chronology by setting the disaster in Raccoon City within a modern backdrop featuring smartphones.

Protagonist Brian, played by Austin Abrams, receives an assignment to deliver a container with a donor organ to a Raccoon City hospital, but the simple task turns into a harsh struggle for survival. Brian must fight his way through increasingly dangerous locations, search for weapons, and fend off mutants that become only more terrifying with each new encounter.

The new Resident Evil movie will premiere in international theaters on September 18, 2026.