Weapons (2025)

​“Weapons” stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.  Released on August 8, 2025, the film has a teacher investigating the mysterious disappearance of her students.

The film was written and directed by Zach Cregger, a member of The Whitest Kids U’ Know, known for writing and directing “Barbarian”.  People often go missing for various reasons, including children, with some being found without significant issues.  Unfortunately, others are not as fortunate and remain unaccounted for.  Yet, there are instances where individuals vanish without any clear explanation, a fate that’s more horrifying than those with reason.  One such instance is Zach Cregger’s sophomore entry into the realm of horror, following his impressive debut with the unexpectedly successful and terrifying “Barbarian”.  This film presents a seemingly straightforward yet enigmatic premise of children disappearing in the absence of adult supervision, along with the community’s bewildering responses to this occurrence.  Based on our previous experience with Cregger’s directorial debut, we can anticipate some spine-chilling surprises that are even more shocking and bonkers than we might expect.  Are these elements enough to uphold the trend of acclaimed original horror movies this year, or does this movie deserve to vanish alongside the missing children?  Let’s find out.  

The story centers on Justine Gandy (Garner), an elementary school teacher living in the peaceful town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania.  This tranquility is abruptly disrupted when she and the other residents awaken to discover that their children have inexplicably vanished.  It’s revealed that the kids simultaneously woke in the middle of the night and fled into the darkness without any apparent reason, leaving Alex Lilly (Christopher) as the only child remaining.  As these missing children belong to Gandy’s class, she quickly becomes the prime suspect in this baffling situation, which drives her to investigate the mysterious disappearances.  As Gandy, along with other townsfolk, including father Archer Graff (Brolin), digs deeper into the enigma surrounding the missing students, they ultimately uncover a chilling revelation that threatens the entire community.

It’s still remarkable that we’re living in an era where comedians are successfully venturing into the realm of horror filmmaking, crafting films that are both genuinely frightening and amusingly twisted.  Jordan Peele has consistently delivered hits in the genre, both as a director and producer, with his upcoming feature, “Him”, aiming to uphold that impressive track record.  Now, we have another comedian looking to become the new face of horror filmmaking—Zach Cregger.  Although I wasn’t initially familiar with Cregger or his comedy troupe, The Whitest Kids U’ Know, my perspective changed after watching his directorial debut, “Barbarian”, three years ago.  If you’ve read my review of that movie, you’ll know that I was completely surprised by that film’s twisty and chillingly horrific concept.  While I wouldn’t say it’s a flawless horror experience, it did showcase Cregger’s promising talent as a filmmaker worth watching, particularly due to his invigorating direction and clever, fright-inducing screenplay.  That potential is once again being tested with Cregger’s sophomore debut, which is anticipated to be just as deranged, mysterious, and thrilling as “Barbarian”.  

The early acclaim suggests it has not only met but also subverted audiences' expectations.  However, the real question I should be asking is whether it has met mine.  After experiencing the movie, I can affirm that it has.  While not every expectation was fulfilled, the film remains an engaging and rewardingly twisted experience that underscores Cregger’s sheer knack for horror storytelling.  In fact, I would argue that it represents a significant improvement over “Barbarian”, not just because of its genuine scares, but also due to its compelling, nonlinear narrative.  “Weapons” is best described as a nonlinear chapter-driven film, unfolding through the varied perspectives of specific residents, such as Justine, Archer, and the school principal, Marcus Miller (Wong).  This narrative structure provided a comprehensive understanding of the characters and the reasons behind their intersecting motives.  Consequently, the film’s extended runtime of over two hours ensured that each character receives adequate development and a moment in the spotlight.  Its length might pose a challenge for some viewers, especially given the emphasis on dramatic tension over frequent jump scares.  However, I honestly didn’t feel that it’s that long, as its pacing and surprises help prevent the film’s mysterious and intriguingly creepy plot from losing some of its steam.

On paper, “Weapons” is a genre-bender that adeptly balances mystery with traditional horror and dark comedy, avoiding over-reliance on either genre.  Beyond its narrative, it also serves as a poignant depiction of a fractured community quick to assign blame in the wake of tragedy, as seen when the town hastily accuses Justine of involvement in the children’s disappearance.  Amidst the perplexing mystery that unfolded, the film offered an allegory of a real-life incident that immobilized a previously peaceful community, especially those that occurred on school grounds.  It also delved into the grief that arises from such enigmatic events, particularly for Archer, whose struggle to cope with his son’s disappearance propels him to take matters into his own hands.  Zach Cregger’s screenplay skillfully weaves these layered themes with subtlety, evoking both sadness and profound reflection, while maintaining the intensity of the mystery and drama through its nonlinear structure.  Although it may not fully achieve the intended emotional depth, the script is another testament to its real-life parallels and character-driven storytelling, rather than serving as a mere vehicle for the horror genre’s gratuitous tropes.

Of course, the screenplay wasn’t the only key factor contributing to elevating “Weapons” beyond its seemingly traditional horror cliches.  Cregger has also continued to demonstrate his prowess as a filmmaker, skillfully employing horror aesthetics to create an unsettling and bizarre atmosphere.  Instead of relying heavily on frequent jump scares, Cregger masterfully built a sense of dread and anxiety by leveraging the unknown.  This approach effectively evokes terror and suspense through the film’s darkly lit settings, mysterious questions, and somber themes.  There were only a few jump scares in the movie, and two of them were actually quite frightening.  Even in the film’s more dramatic moments, Cregger maintained a palpable tension between characters that complements the discomfort and frights generated by the horror aspects.  These elements were also surprisingly well-balanced with the film’s dark comedy, especially evident in its gruesomely bittersweet finale.  This balance could have posed a risk of tonal inconsistency; yet, it ultimately enhances the film’s overall enjoyment, evoking plenty of laughs to coincide with its frightening imagery.  Larkin Seiple’s cinematography significantly contributed to the film’s atmosphere and tension-filled sequences, particularly for the eerily haunting dream sequences and Cregger’s expertly directed panning shots and long takes.  Additionally, the musical score by Cregger, Ryan Holladay, and Hays Holladay played a role in amplifying the movie’s eerie and unsettling nature, driving home its haunting impact.

Finally, we have the film’s cast, which predominantly features familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Julia Garner.  Garner has had a reasonably successful year so far in her roles, starting with the flawed “Wolf Man” reboot and followed by a commendable portrayal of the Silver Surfer last month.  Now, she takes on the role of a despondent school teacher profoundly impacted by the sudden disappearances of her students.  With her performance in “Weapons”, I can say that her streak has continued to impress me.  It’s as if she took the lessons she learned from her role in “Wolf Man” and applied them to her authentically compelling portrayal of Justine, effectively highlighting the character’s complex, insecure, and fearful nature.  Josh Brolin was also fantastic in his role as Archer, particularly for the character’s dream sequence, where he exhibited his emotional depth as a grieving parent desperate to find his child.  Alden Ehrenreich and Austin Abrams contributed surprisingly well to the film’s dark comedy, which could’ve risked the tone becoming inconsistent.  Thankfully, the actors provided sufficient levity to navigate this delicate balance, resulting in some unexpectedly delightful humor.  Most notably, Abrams was a surprise treat as a homeless drug addict and burglar who had a pivotal role in the movie’s mystery than initially anticipated.  Cary Christopher also stood out with his portrayal of Alex, underscoring the importance of well-crafted kid characters in horror films and the value of talented young actors who can bring these characters to life effectively.

Overall, “Weapons” weaponizes the horror genre with a satisfyingly ambitious and unsettlingly twisted blend of mystery, frights, and thrills.  Its runtime of over two hours might feel excessive to some viewers, especially since it leans more towards a mystery thriller than pure horror at times.  However, suppose you’re willing to delve into this peculiar investigation.  In that case, you’ll be treated to one of the most impressive sophomore debuts in the genre that skillfully merges ambitious storytelling with nightmarish elements.  More importantly, it further highlights Zach Cregger as another filmmaker worthy of revitalizing the genre.  The cast delivered great performances in their roles, while Cregger provided a well-crafted and surprisingly allegorical examination of community tragedy through his consistent direction and screenplay.  Accompanied by its effective scares, solid dark humor, and Larkin Seiple’s strikingly haunting cinematography, the film continues the genre’s impressive streak, showcasing great promise for its longevity, particularly with new cinematic voices and their ambitious ideas.  Of course, it’s also one of the movies that’s best enjoyed with minimal knowledge of the premise, making it a worthwhile investigation for fans of mysteries and horror alike. 

A-