Back in April, I posted a test reaction to Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil,” which screened at around 90 minutes. It was described as a lean, mean ride with barely any fat on it—a “Fury Road”-style relentless thriller.
Well, it looks like they barely changed the film after that test screening four months ago. The official runtime for “Resident Evil” is now set at 1 hour and 35 minutes, according to AMC. The screenplay was only about 95 pages long, with relatively little dialogue, so this checks out.
Horror films can often benefit from lean runtimes and fast pacing, so this is music to my ears. Then again, that can come at the expense of story and character development, but from what I’ve gathered, that’s not Cregger’s goal with this film—he just wants to immediately throw you into the action.
“Resident Evil” cost $80M, with a significant portion of that budget reportedly going toward Cregger, who was paid $20M to direct the film.
The plot follows Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, a package delivery driver tasked with transporting a mysterious briefcase to Raccoon City Hospital during a deadly virus outbreak. Abrams plays a slightly off-kilter, druggie type who gets thrown into chaos.
Interestingly, Cregger admitted he never watched the earlier 2000s “Resident Evil” films, which has already caused some pushback from hardcore fans. He’s also been clear that his version won’t strictly follow the established lore. Instead, he has cited “Evil Dead II” as a tonal influence, which makes sense given the mix of horror, speed, and chaos reflected in the early reactions.
“Resident Evil” hits theaters on September 18, 2026, via Sony.