Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Leans Into Video Game Aesthetic With Third-Person and First-Person Shots
Released in 2026, Zach Cregger's Resident Evil has become a box office success, garnering acclaim despite mixed reactions from gaming enthusiasts. The movie features Austin Abrams as Bryan, a courier tasked with delivering a medical bag to Raccoon City. Although it does not adhere to a particular game narrative, the film incorporates video game-inspired visuals. During San Diego Comic-Con, 45-year-old Cregger remarked that younger audiences consider video games as significant visual references. He highlighted the use of a third-person follow camera and first-person perspectives, utilizing modern cameras attached to actors or firearms. The film also contains Easter eggs for fans, such as typewriters that allude to save zones and infected dogs. PetaPixel had previously covered Cregger's cinematography in Weapons.
Key facts
- Zach Cregger directed Resident Evil, released in 2026, which became a box office hit and received critical praise.
- Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, a courier transporting a medical bag to Raccoon City.
- The film's plot does not follow any specific video game storyline but uses video game-esque shots.
- Cregger, 45, discussed the film's aesthetic at San Diego Comic-Con in an interview with Mama's Geeky.
- The director employed a third-person follow camera with a wide lens, keeping the protagonist centered.
- First-person shots were also used, with cameras attached to guns like the shotgun and machine gun or fixed to Austin Abrams.
- Easter eggs include typewriters referencing save zones, struggling with locks, and murderous infected dogs.
- PetaPixel reported that Cregger's previous film, Weapons, used the Napalm Girl photograph as cinematography inspiration.
Entities
Artists
- Zach Cregger
- Austin Abrams
- Leon Kennedy
Institutions
- Resident Evil
- Mama's Geeky
- Daily Dead
- PetaPixel
- San Diego Comic-Con
- Capcom
- Umbrella Corporation
- Slate
Locations
- Raccoon City
- San Diego
- United States
Sources
- PetaPixel —
- ArtsJournal —