WEAPONS: A Horror That Subverts Expectations

A town is mystified when an entire class of students disappears in the middle of the night. With the finger pointed at the children’s teacher and a month of no leads, some unlikely folks may discover the horrifying truth behind the event. Written and directed by Zach Cregger, Weapons is an enigma that will leave you guessing every step of the way, with a perfect blend of dread and, surprisingly, humor.

Waiting to be unraveled, Weapons opens with the aftermath of 17 students’ disappearance. Distraught parents point the blame on their teacher, Justine (Julia Garner), a woman not without her flaws. She is vilified almost instantly, especially by a grieving father named Archer (Josh Brolin). And whatever you expected from this film, be prepared to see it flipped on its head as it descends into a bizarre revelation that Cregger so fearlessly crafts.

This film marks the much-anticipated follow-up to his 2022 film, Barbarian, where audiences were first introduced to his affinity for zany yet horrifying stories. And much like that film, Weapons is equally unafraid to be outside the box and subvert any expectations.

The director opts for a nonlinear approach with this film, giving viewers a peek into the lives of several characters in the days after the disappearance and for some, just before.

As mentioned before, Justine, who, despite her issues, seems to be a caring and passionate teacher, and Archer, a man deeply consumed by the loss of his son. We also meet Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a policeman from Justine’s past, a junkie named James (Austin Abrams), Justine’s principal Marcus (Benedict Wong), and Alex (Cary Christopher), the only student from Justine’s class who didn’t go missing.

And it’s in each piece of their story that we, of course, get more insight and answers, but also in some of these more isolated moments, that’s where the biggest frights happen. Cregger composes some genuine scares and knows how to build that tension well. The film also benefited from a more obscure marketing campaign, never revealing too much. And I think many of the aspects it withheld were the most effective scares, further amplified by its very unnerving score.

However, you might be surprised to know that it’s also equal parts funny. Much like Barbarian, it has an unexpected humor to it. It’s not in a way that’s slapstick or leans into horror-comedy territory; it’s realistic to the characters, and almost serves to disarm you before a disturbing sequence. I love how Cregger is quickly becoming a filmmaker who can effortlessly weave in frights with a sense of wit that both leave audiences reeling in its aftermath.

Of course, this could be where the film loses some people. With any horror film with a stellar and equally mysterious marketing campaign, so come the preemptive claims that this would be the “scariest film of the year”. Something I’m always wary about because overhype can be a film’s undoing. Weapons is certainly not the scariest, and not for lack of trying, as there are genuine scares. I think Cregger simply aims to challenge your expectations and enjoys crafting an engrossing mystery where he can take an eccentric turn to unveil its secrets.

Which, in a spoiler-free review, I will not divulge. But I think non-specifically, the films reveal is so unpredictable and culminates in a satisfying yet bloody conclusion. Though I imagine some will not be fond of the fact that the film won’t tie everything up in a pretty bow. But I also think that lends itself to engaging discussion and theorizing that give the film life beyond its runtime.

With Weapons, I feel Cregger cements himself as a trickster of horror. He knows how to hook you in with mesmerizing visuals and a promise for an experience unlike anything you’ve seen. And he delivers on that promise while veering delightfully in a different direction. Delivering bonkers tales that still get under your skin.

Weapons is in theaters now