Weapons is a character-driven mystery/horror story that will keep you guessing.

4 out of 5

Weapons accomplishes what used to be a hallmark for filmmakers like JJ Abrams. The goal is to surround the narrative with a mystery box format. The intention is to influence the audience to rush to the movie to uncover all the secrets hidden within. The key difference is that director and writer Zach Cregger clearly understands the assignment better than JJ Abrams ever did.

Similar to Barbarian, Cregger‘s new horror film withholds a lot of information from the audience. Remarkably, Cregger‘s style shows that the mystery box can be more than a manipulative marketing tactic. With films like Barbarian and now Weapons, the withholding is part of the experience. The withholding aims to evoke the same chaotic confusion the characters feel. As a second swing at horror, it’s a wild follow-up that could be among the best cinematic experiences of the year.

To be honest, Zach Cregger’s follow-up to his breakout hit Barbarian is not what anyone expected, and in many ways, that’s its greatest strength. Weapons is an ambitious, sprawling horror film that trades the claustrophobic single-location terror of its predecessor for a complex, multi-narrative tapestry of dread.

The film centers on a town in turmoil after a group of kids ran away from home at the witching hour of 2:17 a.m. Even stranger, every child belonged to a specific classroom run by elementary school teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner). Adding further to the bizarre event, every student disappears except for one child, Alex (Cary Christopher). This premise alone could make for an intriguing horror story, but it’s the way everything unfolds that elevates Cregger‘s concept. He has crafted a film that feels both immense and intimate. The central premise, which interconnects multiple stories of seemingly random violence across a community, is handled with a masterful hand. He expertly juggles these narrative threads, building a pervasive sense of unease. The tension isn’t a slow burn; it’s a constant, low-level hum that occasionally erupts into moments of shocking and genuinely visceral horror. The sound design is a standout, using silence and subtle, disturbing noises to create a palpable sense of menace that is deeply effective.

Creggor uses a "Rashomon"style where the central event is described by multiple characters, each offering a conflicting and subjective interpretation. The narrative in Weapons shifts between characters’ perspectives to show how the town tragedy affects different people. Initially, we see Julia Garner‘s character, Justine, as the town labels her a pariah since all the kids from her classroom vanished. With Weapons, she delivers some of her best work, portraying a deeply flawed teacher battling insecurities and alcohol dependency. The film then shifts to Archer, a parent of one of the missing children, played by Josh Brolin. One of our first scenes with Archer is at a town hall meeting with angry parents, and like the town, Archer blames Justine for the disappearances. Next, we meet police officer Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a married man and recovering alcoholic who has a weak spot for Justine. Like many in town, Paul is one bad day away from losing control, and the escalating events threaten to crack his composure. The film excellently explores other characters, such as school principal Andrew (Benedict Wong) and the remaining student Alex, unveiling each perspective until the mystery starts to emerge.

However, the film’s sheer ambition is also where it stumbles slightly. With so many narrative plates spinning at once, not every storyline lands with the same emotional weight. The pacing, while deliberately methodical, can feel uneven at times, particularly in the middle act as Cregger works to connect the disparate pieces. The final act, while conceptually daring, leans heavily into ambiguity, which might leave some viewers feeling more frustrated than fulfilled. It’s a bold choice, but one that perhaps doesn't fully pay off the film's extensive build-up for all audiences.

Despite these minor stumbles, Weapons is a formidable achievement. It's a challenging, thought-provoking horror film that expands on its director's clear talent for subverting expectations and crafting genuine, lasting dread. It's not a tidy horror movie with easy answers, and that’s precisely what makes it so compelling. For fans of intelligent, atmospheric horror, this is a must-see that proves Zach Cregger is a name to watch in the genre for years to come.

Note:

The film contains a sequence involving a gay couple that is particularly upsetting. Without revealing too much, it’s one of the most violently intense moments and is heartbreaking as it unfolds. Out of all the victims, it was difficult to see this set of characters depicted in that manner. The sentiment isn’t suggesting any ill intent behind the scenes, and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, the sequence felt off-putting. And it is the one sequence in the film where a few people walked out of the screening I was in. As a reviewer, it raises concerns to see members of the community relive any possible trauma, especially for a group that is known to face violence through hatred. So with all the love that can be conveyed, proceed with caution.