Writer/director Zach Cregger first caught the attention of horror fans back in 2022 with his sleeper hit “Barbarian.”  Blending dark humor, gross visuals, and an unconventional narrative structure, it was an unexpected breath of fresh air.  His latest creation, “Weapons” takes everything he attempted in “Barbarian” and dials it up a few notches, providing one of the most rewarding horror films in a very long time.

The film revolves a very simple yet incredibly compelling premise, which is revealed in both the trailer and opening minutes of the film.  One morning, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) walks into her elementary classroom, and none of the children are there except for Mathew (Luke Speakman).  Justine, and the rest of the town, soon realize that the missing children all got up at 2:17 in the morning, ran into the darkness, and completely vanished.  Since only children from Mrs. Gandy’s room disappeared, many believe she is involved.  This includes Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), the owner of a local construction company whose son was in her class.  The only one offering a modicum of support is the school principal Andrew (Benedict Wong), but even he advises Justine to take a leave of absence and give the grieving parents some space.

After the basic setup, the rest of the film is broken into five overlapping segments, each focusing on one of the main characters.  Breaking up the story structure in this manner is brilliant.  Each segment reveals information that the other characters have not yet learned.  As their stories intersect, we join them in piecing together the puzzle.   A large part of the fun in this movie is experiencing these clues unfolding.  To reveal anymore of the plot would be a disservice. This is a rare film where it is virtually impossible to correctly guess what will happen next.  Some revelations are shocking, others are downright hilarious.  While it may not seem like it, but “Weapons” is quite funny.  It’s the perfect type of humor for a horror movie, as most of it is honest reactions to insane situations, and expertly punctuates the building tension.

It’s tempting to say this movie is a slow burn, but that feels reductive.  The pace is gradual yet incessant.  Minute by minute the dread builds as we uncover more clues.  At just under the halfway mark, I began to wonder if this move was actually rated PG-13.  But by the climax, “Weapons” has definitely earned that R-rating, as well as a spot among best movies of 2025.

 

Weapons
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