Weapons (2025) - Review: The Kids Aren't Alright

 

In the longstanding tradition of other recent horror directors like John Krasinski, Jordan Peele, and David Gordon Green, now Zach Cregger (“Barbarian,” “Miss March”) has transitioned from the world of comedy to that of horror with thundering success. His follow-up to the 2022 hit “Barbarian” has been shrouded in secrecy from its announcement to the marketing campaign itself. This is not by accident, as even the premise of the film itself deals with a mystery shrouded in the unknown and the unknowable. Thankfully, Cregger’s has not fallen into a solo sophomore slump and his second feature is a more confident, mysterious, technically ambitious, and most of all scarier film than the last.

One night at 2:17am, every single student in the classroom of Justine Gandy, played by Julia Garner (“Ozark,” “Inventing Anna”), got out of bed, walked out the front door, and ran into the night, vanishing without a trace. Every student except for Alex Lilly, played by Cary Christopher (“An Almost Christmas Story,” “Days of Our Lives (2020)”). The film follows the town itself as it reacts to the mysterious events and the questions surrounding it, including father of one of the kids Archer Graff, played by Josh Brolin (“Dune (2021),” “Avengers: Infinity War”), local cop Paul Morgan, played by Alden Ehrenreich (“Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Cocaine Bear”), elementary school principal Marcus Miller, played by Benedict Wong (“3 Body Problem,” “Doctor Strange”), and local burglar James, played by Austin Abrams (“euphoria,” “Do Revenge”).

Just like his previous film, Cregger’s latest works best when you know as little about it as possible. The fun of the film comes from how it's structured, slowly showcasing various scenes and elements from different perspectives and at different times, allowing the puzzle pieces to all click into place. Cregger and his editor Joe Murphy (“Barbarian,” “Zeroville”) spend plenty of time building tension by letting things simply play out. It’s a deliberately paced film, with plenty of great scares sprinkled throughout, but the tension is expressed not through massive jump scares but through expertly placed bits of humor and the pieces of the puzzle slowly found by the characters.

This is an exceptionally confident film, especially for a second feature. Cregger has an expert command of the narrative and his cast, both working in perfect harmony to dole out a specific kind of unlikable nature within each of them, without anyone becoming despicable. Garner is an exceptionally flawed portrait of a teacher, immediately likable but allowing that to slowly wear away as the film goes on and her performance is exceptionally compelling. In a similar manner, Brolin manages to be an understandably upset parent, while also tiptoeing into the realm of discomfort. Watching these two play against each other, with characters both struggling as well as being in the wrong, is a ballet of simply fantastic acting. The rest of the cast are excellent, but the standout amongst them all is Cary Christopher. At just 9 years old, he’s giving a performance that is not only heartbreaking and fantastic, but one that easily stands alongside the far more experienced actors he’s sharing the screen with. His role is the lynchpin of the entire film, and he absolutely excels.

Cregger’s script isn’t just expertly paced, but it's a prime example of a director presenting questions and answers deliberately to build suspense, but also without over explaining everything. To put it simply, “Weapons” is a film that will invite discussion by its very nature; it is a film that does not explain everything that goes on. There are certainly hints and clues that are placed throughout, allowing discussions to be had, but at no point does Cregger stand back and break down what is going on piece by piece. It’s an exceptionally risky move and given elements of the narrative, on paper, it shouldn’t work. But it does, not only because of Cregger’s directorial skill and excellent script, but because of a central performance that can’t be discussed here for fear of spoilers. Suffice it to say, that performance and the actor in that role are absolutely phenomenal.

Beyond what’s on the page or in the narrative, the technical elements of the film are excellent. This is director of photography Larkin Seiple’s (“Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “Swiss Army Man”) first film with Cregger, but there’s a trust in the work that makes it seem as though they’ve worked together for years. The camerawork not only excellently builds tension, but the parallels that it evokes with each repeating scene and different perspective allows the central mystery to be filled in and fleshed out in unique ways. It keeps with the film’s identity, both a great example of a scary movie in traditional kinds of ways but filled with mysteries and unconventional senses of dread. No where is that more apparent than in the musical score, composed by Cregger, Ryan Holladay (“Class Action Park”) and Hays Holladay (“Class Action Park”), which certainly is creepy, but keeps a dreamlike atmosphere, with melodic tones and light, almost fairy tale like strings and touches. It sets itself apart and keeps the film’s atmosphere unique and unpredictable.

There are twinges of fantasy and fairy tale in the film, both in the structure and also the central ideas. The confidence behind the camera makes these elements work exceptionally well by tying them into the suburban setting. Despite being placed in an average American cul-de-sac, so many sequences feel supremely scary and otherworldly thanks to the camerawork and heavy usage of a cool blue and grey color palette. It feels like a modern day “scary tale,” comparable to something the Brothers Grimm would have passed down alongside “Hansel and Gretel” and the like. It makes the mystery more unsettling and expected, as well as setting itself apart from a typical slasher film gore fest. But even beyond evoking that feeling, there’s a sense of dread aimed at these kinds of formerly close-knit communities and manufactured American small towns that makes things even deeper. It’s not hard to see a line drawn between the events of the film and the ideas often spouted of crumbling communities and the idea that “we don’t know our neighbors anymore.”

Cregger’s second horror feature doesn’t feel like a traditional horror film, even compared to his previous work. Rather “Weapons” is closer to something the Brothers Grimm would have crafted in the modern day. Using a backdrop of suburbia and parental hysterics to paint a portrait of mystery and dread, it’s a fantastic film that manages to be funny, scary, and circles around a central mystery that’s thoroughly satisfying in what it does and doesn’t tell. With a team of fantastic actors and technical merits, “Weapons” is an Elementary set horror that passes with flying colors. 5/5