Sep 22, 2026 · 2h 15m
Cregger’s Resident Evil gambles on spectacle with a personal edge
2026 Best Picture Power Rankings, and the Best Movies at TIFF. Plus: Zach Cregger on ‘Resident Evil’!
The episode connects a volatile awards season and TIFF’s shifting influence with a filmmaker testing how far ambitious genre cinema can go.
- 1Adam Nayman argues TIFF remains valuable but increasingly difficult to judge amid a crowded, dispersed festival calendar.
- 2The first Best Picture rankings frame awards positioning as a moving strategy rather than a final verdict on film quality.
- 3Zach Cregger describes building Resident Evil through punishing production conditions, practical problem-solving, and a serious commitment to genre.
Don't miss
Zach Cregger details making Resident Evil while seriously ill and explains how preparation, stunt rehearsals, and practical constraints reshaped the film.
The brief
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins survey a busy film landscape, from Resident Evil’s opening to Paramount’s merger settlement, Greta Gerwig’s Narnia, and surprise-release strategy.
Adam Nayman’s TIFF report turns into a debate over festival purpose: Toronto offers discovery and scale, but its crowded slate and shifting awards role complicate every judgment.
The hosts launch monthly Best Picture power rankings, placing The Odyssey first while stressing that awards positioning can change long before the films arrive.
Zach Cregger explains how illness, punishing Czech production, stunt rehearsals, and practical problem-solving shaped Resident Evil’s extreme blend of horror, comedy, and spectacle.
Cregger’s larger ambition is to make an IP movie that matters to him without flattening its genre pleasures into an overt thesis or abandoning darker material.
Featuring
Adam NaymanMentioned
Toronto International Film Festival
The Odyssey
La Bola NegraBooks & mentions
Listen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.