Fall is upon us, and for many moviegoers that means it's time to watch horror movies to celebrate spooky season. Some of the best horror movies in recent memory have come from Zach Cregger, including the new Resident Evil movie and the Oscar-winning Weapons. Not everyone is a fan though, and there is one criticism that keeps coming the acclaimed filmmaker's way.
Just like Cregger's other movies, Resident Evil is crushing at the box office. While I'm eager to see any upcoming horror movies he might cook up, some moviegoers don't love the way he brings comedy into his otherwise terrifying movies. In a Reddit thread about the subject, cinephiles spoke about the director's penchant for balancing laughs and scares, with one person sharing:
It's the release, I think. There's something about all that tension and fear being built up only to have the release come in the form of humor. It's not for everyone but I really enjoy it. Particularly in 'Weapons', the whole thing felt full of dread and then suddenly you're laughing. It's almost comforting? I don't know how to explain it but I feel like that's probably a big reason why.
I personally think this person's assessment was spot on. The key to horror movies is tension, and Zach Cregger has a way of playing with audience's emotions and expectations by surprising us with comedic moments in his horror movie. This is a cycle that he used to great success in Barbarian and Weapons (both of which are streaming with a HBO Max subscription) and he once again brought the funny to the new Resident Evil movie. Unfortunately, not everyone loves these tonal shifts as much as me.
Another commenter has offered a name for the moment where Cregger plays with tension through jokes in his horror films. They posted:
I'm going to start calling it a 'Cregger Moment' when the movie instantly changes from horror to comedy.
The Cregger Moment is a term I'm comfortable with, and is something we should probably expect from any of his future scary movies. It was used to great success when Justin Long's AJ enters Barbarian, psyched about the creepy basement he finds in his house despite all the obvious warning signs. For Weapons, Aunt Gladys was funny... until she showed her more terrifying side. Meanwhile Resident Evil is packed with comedic beats, mostly Bryan's reaction to the monsters of the movie, and his inability to properly shoot a gun.
Another Redditor addressed this trend by pointing out the director's background, posting:
Horror, like comedy, is all about building up and then breaking tension. Cregger is also a comedy guy first.
Points were made. Zach Cregger's roots are in sketch comedy, and he's also got experience as a sitcom actor. He uses those tools in his horror movies, while also bringing genuinely terrifying moments to the big screen. Personally I think this balance is delightful, but not everyone feels the same. For his part, Cregger seems open to feedback.
Another person took to the comments section to share why he's not a fan of Zach Cregger as a filmmaker, particularly the way that he uses comedy in his movies. They posted:
I personally don’t like his films. I don’t think he pulls it off well enough and he’s not a good writer. Even he admits he can’t finish a script and it is extremely obvious. He’s not doing horror-comedy, he’s doing horror THEN comedy in the same movie and that’s the disconnect.
Well, they certainly didn't hold back. Despite how wildly successful Cregger's three recent scary movies were, they aren't for everyone. The mixture of comedy and horror seems to bug certain moviegoers, and they're making their opinions known. Another naysayer shared the following:
I feel like this is an impulse which sketch comedy rewards; personally I don't think it's productive in horror to the extent that Cregger follows it.
Film is subjective, and while I love the moments of levity in laughter in Zach Cregger's horror movies, not everyone agrees. As someone who grew up on the Scream franchise, which also has plenty of laughs, this is a balance that I personally respond to. Another commenter revealed that they have to go into his films expecting the unique tone. As they put it:
I do enjoy his works, but I have to prepare my brain for dark humor instead of horror instead, otherwise I would be a bit disappoint with how he approach the third act of his films.
This might be a helpful bit of advice for moviegoers who don't exactly vibe with the director's unique tone in his horror movies. At this point we know Cregger's style, and folks probably should go into new movies expecting the unexpected... and a fair amount of laughs.
Resident Evil is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. The movie's reviews were leaps and bounds higher than the franchise's previous installments, but clearly it's not for everyone.
