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Writer-director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) has delivered another frightening masterpiece with his new blockbuster,Weapons. This ensemble horror epic follows the residents of Maybrook after 17 children from the same classroom all walk out of their homes and disappear at 2:17 a.m., unleashing a wave of terror and confusion on everyone.
Cregger made a spectacular step forward as a horror filmmaker withWeapons, proving that his success withBarbarianwasn’t a fluke. Like directorsJordan Peeleand John Krasinski, Cregger succeeds in branching out from his comedy roots and establishing himself as one of the brightest, most distinctive horror directors working today with his winding, layered story of an ordinary town that descends into Hell.
Unique, unbridled, unpredictable
Weaponspresents a nonlinear narrative from multiple characters’ perspectives. Specifically, it follows Justine (Julia Garner), father Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), police officer Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich), principal Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong), homeless drug addict Anthony (Austin Abrams), and Justine’s remaining student Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher).
This story sends the audience on a terrifying odyssey through Maybrook and unravels the film’s layered mystery from several points of view. Though this narrative could’ve been hard to follow, the movie neatly organizes all its different storylines and has them converge in many surprising ways.
Harkening back to Stephen King’sIt, the setting of Maybrook itself becomes a character as it reveals the personal demons haunting its various townspeople through an explicit supernatural lens. After the kids from Justine’s class disappear, the parents of the missing kids direct all their fear, sorrow, and hatred toward Justine as they blame her for this baffling tragedy and demand answers.
However,Weaponspresents a rich mosaic of human misery with its expansive narrative, which showcases its characters living through grief, drug addiction, alcoholism, police brutality, school bullying, and familial abuse. Like many great horror movies,Weaponsshows that the true monsters aren’t witches and zombies but the ones living deep inside ourselves and our neighbors.
A rich cast of conflicted characters
As a dark, harrowing portrait of small-town America,Weaponsand its cast bring many flawed and realistic characters to life. Julia Garner gives a layered performance as the well-meaning but misunderstood Justine. While the character’s relationship with Paul could’ve been fleshed out more, Garner’s dysfunctional romantic chemistry with co-star Alden Ehrenreich makes these two lovers seem especially real.
Meanwhile, Josh Brolin generates rage and sympathy as the grieving and confused Archer, particularly with his tear-jerking nightmare about his son. Though Archer’s character clashes with Justine, the line-crossing actions they take to get to the truth make them strong reflections of each other.
Austin Abrams delivers swift comic relief playing the twitchy, crack-addicted James, whose short-lived subplot makes for a wild ride. Meanwhile, the young Cary Christopher stands out with his performance as Alex, realistically conveying the terror, torment, and confusion felt by a child being held hostage by his own family.
While her character didn’t get her own segment, Amy Madigan steals the show as Aunt Gladys. Without giving away too much, Madigan cements her character as an instant horror icon
Weapons unloads great terror and suspense
Like withBarbarian, Cregger proves he is a master of invoking extreme terror and building tension withWeapons. The horror is well-rounded with a terrifying blend of nail-biting suspense and genuinely surprising jump scares. The scare factor is only elevated by Scarlett Sher’s unsettling narration, Larkin Seiple’s eerie cinematography, and a chilling musical score created through Cregger’s collaboration with Ryan and Hays Holladay.
ThoughWeaponsis a slow burn, its moments of horror are intense and unforgettable. With a bug-eyed Benedict Wong chasing after Justine and Aunt Gladys popping up in people’s dreams, the film turns a seemingly ordinary Maybrook into a town filled with terrors. It all crescendos with the film’s suspenseful, frightening final act, which features one of the wildest, most cathartic kills ever seen in a horror movie.
The film blends its ultra-horrifying moments with bits of dark humor that will leave audiences screaming and laughing. With Archer repeatedly punching a brainwashed man to Gladys fleeing from a mob across the neighborhood like Ferris Bueller,Weaponsshows Cregger flexing his comedic chops to send audiences on an emotional roller coaster.
Is Weapons worth a watch?
Weaponsis hands-down one of the most bizarre and terrifying horror movies of the decade. It’s a must-see for fans of the genre. Cregger continues to share a fresh voice as a filmmaker thanks to his movie’s unconventional narrative with realistic characters and incredible terror. If Cregger continues to make terrifying blockbusters afterWeapons, then the world of cinema is better off for it.
