Weapons [Film Review]
Weapons
Released: August 7, 2025
Director: Zach Cregger
Starring: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams and Amy Madigan.
“Last night at 2:17 am every child from Mrs. Gandy's class woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door, walked into the dark ...and they never came back.”
Bam! Sign me up! Shut up and take my money! This tagline caught me hook, line, and sinker. That was my initial reaction when the teaser dropped, even before learning that Zach Cregger was attached to this film. As time went on and we were dished up more information about Weapons, the amount of anticipation and excitement that I was holding onto for Zach Cregger’s latest film was ridiculous. I mean, Barbarian absolutely blew me away with how many twists one movie could contain. Actually, scratch that. Barbarian didn’t merely offer up twists and turns. It upended the premise on its head and flipped the script completely. Cregger has never been afraid to push the boundaries of his work. But I’m not here to wax poetic about Barbarian nor are you here to read a review for it either. Let’s move on!
Weapons follows the case of seventeen children from the same class who simultaneously wake up and run off into the night, leaving the community to question what is behind the children's disappearance. The film starts as a bit of a slow-burn, leaving viewers wondering what exactly is going on. The tension builds and throws some curve balls to keep you guessing until the penultimate moment when the veil is lifted. All of the loose ends entwine to bring everything together. It’s astounding when you realise that every event in this film is caused by a singular moment that sends ripples outwards and affects everything in its path. However, amongst the chaos, Zach Cregger manages to carve their signature dark humour into Weapons and what really impressed me about that is just how harrowing the story is and yet Cregger still succeeds in making the audience chuckle at the most inappropriate times. I, for one, will never look at a potato peeler the same way ever again. Weapons is littered with so many iconic scenes throughout the film. You know the type. The type of scenes where you can mention a mere object (fork) and anyone who has seen the movie knows exactly what you are talking about.
Where Barbarian was Cregger’s solo screenwriting and directorial debut, Weapons solidifies the comedian’s affinity and complete understanding of the horror genre and genre films as a whole. This makes total sense. Comedian-turned-horror maestro Jordan Peele once said “like comedy, horror has an ability to provoke thought and further the conversation on real social issues in a very powerful way.” It’s in recognition of this quote that we see the way that Zach Cregger uses Weapons as a vessel to convey a powerful message to those willing to lend an ear and listen. Weapons is broken up into individual chapters, each chapter from the perspective of a different character, eventually merging together to tell the full story. Looking outward, the film paints a picture of a small town where its locals are quick to dismiss and alienate anyone who could be seen as an outsider. If you think about it, we are all so quick to judge and dismiss someone that there’s truth in what’s playing out onscreen. There’s true horror in that revelation. Sure, there’s an overarching plot with the straight forward popcorn horror elements but it’s the deeper stories buried beneath the surface that are worth digging up and consuming.
In saying that, the characters within the film are far from perfect. They aren’t angels or saints. Julia Garner plays Justine Gandy, the teacher who finds that almost all her class has all vanished. Justine Gandy has a checkered past that unravels as the film progresses and you learn of their struggles with alcoholism. The teacher has been reprimanded in their previous and present job as a teacher and doesn’t always stay within the boundaries which would be deemed appropriate. To emphasise that Weapons is part small-town drama, the majority of the town turn against Gandy and blame her for the disappearance of the children. This triggers inner turmoil within the young teacher and they must battle against the vindictive townsfolk and the bottom of a bottle. Garner’s character isn’t the only one with flaws. Enter: Josh Brolin’s Archer Graff, the grieving father of one of the missing children. Graff’s grief and unwillingness to let go puts strain on his relationship and begins to affect his career. Graff openly blames Justine Gandy for the mysterious disappearance of his son and seeks answers while spiraling into paranoia. Overall, I can’t fault the casting choices for this film, they are impeccable. Seeing Benedict Wong rocking an old-school Mickey Mouse t-shirt while “Naruto-running” down the street, arms stretched out far behind him, is a sight to behold (I really hope those hot dogs didn’t go to waste). Especially once you realise what it means and what Wong’s character has set out to do. There are chills running down my spine just thinking about it. To add to that, I was thrilled to see cameos of two actors that appeared in Barbarian. I’m completely okay with Zach Cregger following in the footsteps of Scorsese, Tarantino, and Coogler in casting their frequent collaborators in their films. I am here for it.
Now, with Barbarian, we have The Mother, one of the most iconic horror villains of the 21st century, standing alongside Terrifier’s Art the Clown. The Mother was a character that was absolutely startling and exudes the feeling of dread. I didn’t really think that it could be topped and yet Zach Cregger basically said “hold my beer” and delivered us Gladys Lilly. Holy fuck. Amy Madigan’s portrayal of Gladys is the stuff of nightmares. The less you know about Gladys going into the film, the better. Rest assured that you can place Gladys on the mantle with Art and The Mother as heirs to the horror villain throne. Time to scrub my eyes out before heading to bed.
The cinematography is so damn fine with cinematographer Larkin Seiple capturing truly mesmerising shots and incorporating camera work that makes the film feel almost interactive. There’s a scene where the kids are running through properties and it felt like a scene straight out of Train to Busan. There’s something particularly unsettling about a zombie horde type scene but with children. Nope, count me out. The cameras follow the action, ebbing and flowing between immense cinematic landscapes-with some of the most gorgeous colour-grading I’ve seen in a horror film-and fast-paced edits and angles creating a feeling of immersion in certain scenes. The techniques used to shoot Weapons change as fluidly as the direction the movie takes. Much like in Barbarian, Cregger allows audiences to fall for the red herring, only to reshuffle the deck and change the entire trajectory of the film’s plot.
It’s said that a filmmaker’s debut film is often their best. This may end up being a controversial take here, but I believe that Weapons outshines Barbarian in every way imaginable. I didn’t think that I would be saying that as, to me, Barbarian is as near to perfection as it gets. In any case, Zach Cregger has just about cemented his name into the modern horror pantheon, but it’s currently too early to tell. One thing is for certain, everything about Weapons-from the cast members to the colour palette used to the final product-is executed beautifully and precisely, serving up an almost flawless horror experience that belongs right up there among the ranks of Sinners as a contender for best horror film of 2025. I’ll wrap this up by saying that, after this effort, Cregger has me absolutely pumped for their Resident Evil reboot.
Rating: 5/5
Review by Mike @ Beyond Horror @beyondhorror
WEAPONS is in Australian cinemas now.
