Zach Cregger’s latest horror film, Weapons, tells an engaging story in a unique way that manages to the keep the scares and humor in excellent balance.
Weapons
Directed By: Zach Cregger
Written By: Zach Cregger
Starring: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Austin Abrams, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong
Release Date: August 8, 2025
The Barbarian director returns for his sophomore outing, and deftly proves he knows what he’s doing when it comes to horror, and changing things up. Pretty much from the initial teasers (just doorbell camera footage of the kids running away), I’ve been hooked. The core premise—all the kids, except one, disappear from a single classroom and no one knows why—is instantly engaging. Even before a single frame of footage begins rolling, you find yourself engrossed in the mystery of it all and desperate for answers.
Even as things begin to take shape, however, the way the story unfolds keeps you on your toes until a wild final act. To preface, this review won’t be entirely spoiler-free as usual. I won’t be giving away any of the big plot points or anything, but in terms of how the story is structured, it’s hard to discuss certain aspects without some mild spoilers.
As you’ve seen from the trailers, Weapons puts the focus on the town of Maybrook, following a strange incident in which 17 kids from a single classroom all runaway in the middle of the night (at the exact same time). There’s no hint as to where they’ve gone and as the investigation drags out into weeks/months, the community has to reckon with the tragedy while figuring out a way to get back to normal…
Of course, those impacted by the events more directly (e.g. the parents and school teacher) are struggling the hardest. That’s pretty much where the story begins. What unfolds over the next few days in Maybrook are told through multiple character perspectives, in Rashomon-esque fashion.
It’s not a direct comparison to that storytelling style, so don’t go in thinking it’ll be the same. Each character vignette doesn’t simply re-hash the same events from the new perspective (there is some), but also adds new information that moves the bigger story forward for everyone involved.
It’s a fun approach to telling this specific tale. It keeps the mystery going (and still engaging) far into its runtime, while using the different characters to cleverly explore how trauma can impact a community. Through Justine’s (Julia Garner) point of view, we see how fear and paranoia can be a part of grief. As a teacher who genuinely cares, the disappearance of her classroom children hits particularly hard. Especially as the community begins to turn their suspicions onto her. It’s an isolating experience, one she deals with through liquor and other bad decisions.
She’s haunted by the events that happened, and her section of the film mimics that feeling by playing out almost like a ghost story movie. With Archer (Josh Brolin), however, we see righteous anger and a distinct feeling of helplessness that often leads to reckless behavior. His section brings more of a thriller vibe to the film, heightening the tension as he desperately seeks out answers.
Other perspectives, like Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), Marcus (Benedict Wong), and James (Austin Abrams) are interesting because they show an angle to tragedy for those who aren’t directly impacted. Paul embodies the feeling of the cops who’ve been working the case but gotten nowhere; feeling restless and thus prone to making questionable decisions as he begins to collapse under the pressure.
Marcus, as the administrator at the school, has to balance the emotions of everyone involved, while still running things effectively for everyone else. After all, a school for hundreds of kids still has to continue or risk grinding the entire town to a halt (as it was for that first initial month). Then there’s James, a homeless junkie who’s only knowledge of the event comes from posters promising a reward for information. These sections sprinkle in hints of slasher, psychological, and even some folk horror elements.
In this way, Cregger manages to incorporate a multitude of horror tropes into a singular film. Twisting them into something new that’s altogether fresh, but familiar enough to keep you on edge the whole time. Even the handful of jumpscares in the film are used in atypical ways. The blend makes for a shockingly effective horror movie, with any number of moments that will be tough to shake out of your head.
More importantly, by mixing perspectives from people directly impacted by the events and others who were only marginally impacted (or not at all), Weapons expertly shows how traumatic events can have a ripple effect for an entire community. Such things don’t only effect those closest to it, and even if you think you’re far enough away from an event, it doesn’t change the fact you might still experience the repercussions of it.
I loved this aspect of it. Not only is it wonderfully executed in terms of acting, script, and overall directing, it feels…authentic. I haven’t touched on this much yet, but the film is hilarious. And that’s definitely by design. That said, I would hesitate to label the film under the general comedy/horror genre.
There aren’t any real direct “jokes” or even overt sight gags in the film that are meant to be purely for comedy. Instead, the humor comes about in a more natural way. One of the funniest moments in the film (involving Archer) comes about as a very authentic response to something he saw. It’s a reaction any person would have to the same circumstances, but getting to see it play out is what makes it so funny.
This humor is important, not only because the high tension of the film needs moments to allow audiences to breathe, but because humor is also a part of grieving. Sometimes the only reaction to the horrors we’re faced with is laughter.
On the whole, I very much enjoyed my experience with Weapons, but not everything clicked for me. While I appreciate the storytelling approach and overall craft, something about the ending/ultimate reveal felt…anticlimactic? That doesn’t feel like the right phrase as the finale is a seat-gripping and heart-racing ride. Something about how the mystery is resolved, however, didn’t hit as hard as I’d expected. Given all the build up and how the film subtly adds to the mystery even as it gives us more information, I think I was expecting something more earth-shattering in the reveal.
That’s not to say what happens isn’t wild and fucked up. Seriously, so much in this movie had me saying out loud, “what the fuck?” It’s almost like the first 2/3rds of the film is too clever for its own good. Masterfully building the tension and mystery to the point any reveal might not be able to live up to it.
This might not be the case for everyone. Without diving into spoilers for what happens at the end…but one of my earliest guesses/thoughts as to what was happening, turned out to be correct. As such, I spent some of the film thinking, “the movie is far smarter than me, there’s no way I’m right. It has to be something else.” So when that turned out to be the case, I was a little let down.
That said, I’m very eager to watch the film again. Even with this quibble, Weapons is a film that absolutely sticks in your brain; both in its messaging and shocking sequences. Just at a glance, there were a number of things hidden in the backgrounds or sprinkled into the scenes that I know I missed some other clues early on. Things that might upend how the ending works, even knowing what happens.
It is a clever movie that plays on your assumptions and emotions. Going back for more will likely pull back some unseen layers to the story and characters, adding context to the ending in some neat ways I can’t wait to discover. So even with that initial feeling of wanting more from the mystery’s reveal, Weapons feels like a movie that will only get better the more you watch it.
