A Haunting Mystery That Lingers
From the very beginning, writer-director Zach Cregger sets out to unsettle and engage. The film opens with a child narrator recounting a "true story" where "a lot of people die in a lot of really weird ways." This statement is not an exaggeration. Before delving into the deaths, the film presents its central mystery through powerful imagery: 17 children from the small town of Maybrook wake up at exactly 2:17am, run out of their homes with arms outstretched, as if flying off to Neverland, and are never seen again.
The question remains—why did they vanish? Was it a kidnapping, a prank gone wrong, or something more sinister? The community is left in confusion, and tensions rise among the grieving parents, including Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), whose son has disappeared. The situation becomes even more complicated because all 17 children were part of the same classroom at Maybrook Elementary School, led by Justine Gandy (Julia Garner). Suspicion quickly falls on her, despite her being a caring teacher who enjoys a drink now and then and finds the word “WITCH” painted on her car in red.
Ignoring warnings from the school head, Marcus (Benedict Wong), she decides to investigate. Her classroom had 18 pupils, meaning one boy, Alex (Cary Christopher), was spared. This detail becomes crucial as the narrative unfolds.
A Complex Narrative Structure
Cregger’s second feature film after 2022’s Barbarian is not easily reviewed, as revealing too much about what makes Weapons work would be doing it—and future audience members—a great disservice. It’s best experienced without knowing too much. Safe to say that Cregger skillfully employs a Rashomon-style narrative construction to craft a distressing fairytale that starts as a small-town mystery thriller with shades of Twin Peaks and Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners. His novelistic approach pays off, making it clear why Stephen King might feel envious of this suburban US nightmare.
The episodic structure allows Cregger to build tension, with each chapter following a different character's perspective—Justine, Archer, local cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), drug addict James (Austin Abrams), Marcus, and finally Alex. These intersecting clues create a complex puzzle that only becomes clear as the sinister pieces fall into place. The time-hopping elements are not just gimmicks but integral to the film’s structure.
Revealing where the story leads or anything about a third-act character played to perfection by Amy Madigan would spoil the experience. Mark these words: you’ll remember her.
A Unique Blend of Tone and Style
Weapons benefits from an unnerving use of silence and open spaces, along with some terrific camera pans and unbroken takes, as well as earned jump scares. One of the film’s standout features is its tonal playfulness. As Cregger moves away from the Brothers Grimm and Pied Piper-inspired enigma, he introduces dreamworld imagery and sight gags, adding a layer of gallows humor.
The bleak comedy is present from the start, such as the doorbell video footage of the children rushing away, soundtracked to George Harrison’s “Beware Of Darkness.” However, the film escalates its macabre elements toward the end. Whether it’s a well-timed expletive from Brolin’s character after a fright or a grand guignol and slapstick-sensitive finale, Weapons reveals itself as surprisingly cathartic.
A Film That Leaves a Lasting Impression
When the film goes for scary, it will make you jump out of your skin. When it decides to crawl under your skin, it makes you reflect on the “weapons” and “targets” in even the most seemingly safe suburban spaces, and how paranoia can be weaponized. When it goes for gory, even hardened gore-hounds will wince. When it chooses to be funny and unexpectedly camp, it’s a demented riot.
At the end of the day, no one will be acting valiant when clocks read 2:17 anymore. While some may take issue with unanswered questions and the loss of serious edge once revelations come, Cregger’s masterful offering proves that his hellish Airbnb in 2022 was no fluke.
More than that, Weapons has become the tense and deliriously entertaining horror film to beat this year. Considering 2025 has already been good to the genre—with films like Presence, Sinners, The Ugly Stepsister, 28 Years Later, and Bring Her Back—that should tell you plenty.
Once more, good luck if you happen to be awake at 2:17am. Weapons is out in cinemas now.