Carl Roberts 
“Although it does contain some scares and gory moments, Zach Cregger’s Weapons probably isn’t the best horror film you’ll see this year.”
After the financial and critical success of his film Barbarian, Zach Cregger returns to deliver his new horror movie, Weapons. The film features a cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. Its plot follows the case of seventeen children from the same classroom who mysteriously run out of their homes towards an unknown target in the middle of the night, all going missing with no reason why. The film features several scenes that are gory and violent, with a few shocks along the way. But can the film become this year’s quintessential horror movie, or does it not quite stick the landing?
PREMISE
One night, 17 children—all but one child from Justine Gandy’s classroom—simultaneously wake up and run off into the night. Justine and the rest of the community are left questioning who or what is behind the children’s disappearance.
THOUGHTS
While the film is good, nasty in all the right places, and has a great mystery at its centre, the film doesn’t quite land as it should. There’s something about it that feels a bit off. Its premise is scary enough, especially if you’re a parent. This is your worst nightmare come to life. But the structure of the film gets a bit weary long before the end. That’s not to say it’s not good, because it is. But generally, films that go back and forth over the story can go either way. While good, it does tend to get a bit tiresome.
The film approaches the story from different angles through different characters. These all lead to the final third of the film, where it takes off. The mystery is finally explained, events unfold as they should, and we get a fitting finale to the film. Almost. The film both opens and closes with a voiceover, telling us the events and the aftermath. While we do get to see the children leaving their homes and disappearing into the night, the final piece of storytelling lets the film down. It does end the film well, but we feel slightly cheated.
JULIA GARNER
Julia Garner plays Justine Gandy, a teacher who finds that almost all her class has vanished. From the outset, Justine is made to look like the villain of the piece. The parents of the missing children all blame her for what has happened, suspecting she is involved in the disappearances. We follow Justine up to a specific story point as the threads begin to merge. Julia Garner plays Justine as both a victim and someone who is not so innocent to significant effect. Her backstory isn’t as innocent as we would suspect. Is she really behind the vanishing children? If not, what part does she have to play in the events to come? Julia Garner gives a spirited performance here.
JOSH BROLIN
Josh Brolin as Archer Graff, the father of Matthew, one of the missing children, shows us why he is a leading man. From the second we first meet him, we don’t like him. His bluster at a town meeting about the disappeared children only emphasises to us that he is not a nice person at all. His segment of the film, though, distances us from our thoughts. Archer is a flawed man, a strong type that wants the best for his family. But his bluster hides the fact that he is in pain internally. He blames himself for his son’s disappearance, a fact that drives him throughout the film. Brolin is a terrific actor, and he proves it again here.
ALDEN EHRENREICH
Alden Ehrenreich as Paul Morgan, a police officer who has a complicated relationship with Justine, is both charming and devious and slightly slimy. When we first meet him, meeting Justine in a bar, we feel he’s a decent, upstanding man. This begins to fall apart when he spends the night with her, cheating on his wife, who, he thinks, is still away. After an altercation with Austin Abrams as Anthony, who we will come to later, Paul lashes out at him, all caught on his dashboard camera. His thread in the web of the film becomes clear, making him a vital cog in the movie towards the finale. Ehrenreich, despite some of the things his character does, is always likeable, and we can’t fail to enjoy his performance here.
AUSTIN ABRAMS
Austin Abrams as Anthony, a drug addict and burglar, holds a key role in the events to come. We first meet him as he is about to break into a building before he is spotted and chased by Paul. After being apprehended, Paul searches him after Anthony denies having anything sharp on him. Of course, Anthony has a syringe on him, which pricks Paul’s finger, angering him and causing him to punch Anthony, all caught on dashcam. Paul panics and makes a bargain with him. Anthony breaks it, but during his segment focusing on him, we discover why he broke the deal. Abrams makes Anthony come across as an unlovable character. But does he hold the vital key to the mystery? The actor is outstanding here.
SUPPORTING CAST
With Benedict Wong as Andrew Marcus, the school principal, Toby Huss as Ed, the police captain, Cary Christopher as Alex Lilly, the only child from Justine’s class who did not disappear, and Amy Madigan as Gladys Lilly, Alex’s aunt, the film has a strong lineup to hand. Of these, it is Cary Christopher and Amy Madigan who get the strongest parts. Benedict Wong gets his own segment that ties into things, but it is Alex and Gladys where the finale lies. Cary Christopher gives an incredible performance for one so young, belying his years to deliver a character that will stick with us after the film ends. While Amy Madigan looks evil from the second we meet her. Is Gladys the reason why the children have vanished? If so, why? And why is Alex so skittish around people, hiding himself away once he returns from school? The answers to everything lie just around the corner.
ZACH CREGGER
Zach Cregger writes and directs the film. His directorial style works wonders here. After Barbarian, all eyes were on him to see if that film was a one-off, or could he recreate the horror we felt during that film. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. There’s no doubt that he has created a worthy horror movie that will have audiences jumping out of their seats and screaming out loud. But here lies a problem. While the director tells a scary tale, one that we will undoubtedly remember, he relies a bit too much on the obligatory jump scares. This, sadly, cheapens the effect the film has on us. Yes, it does what it needs to, but we’ve come to expect it, which lessens the intended effect. Coupled with a scare so telegraphed and so similar to one he pulled in Barbarian, we hardly feel threatened or scared for the characters.
His script is a worthy effort, despite becoming slightly tiresome later on. Yet again, like Barbarian, he spins out several strands and slowly pulls them together, creating a web that envelopes us as they all converge into a single strand for the finale. It is intricate, sometimes moving, sometimes horrifying. He limits the violence somewhat before allowing it full rein around the three-quarters mark. From hereon in, the queasy and haunting vibe descends. Some of what we will see leaves us feeling sick to our stomach, and rightfully so. The gore starts to flow before we reach the end of the film, and gives us a slightly quieter, almost satisfactory ending to proceedings.
VERDICT
Although it does contain some scares and gory moments, along with a decent plotline, Zach Cregger’s Weapons probably isn’t the best horror film you’ll see this year. It is entertaining enough without breaking the mould. And that’s a pity because the intricate plot strands pull us into the film’s web. The film also contains a lot of surprising humour during its run time, something that is welcome at times. Whether or not you’ll continue laughing as we head towards the climax is another thing. But I’d enjoy it while it lasts because the squeamish will require a sick bucket before the end. One scene will have the audience hiding their faces with their hands, such as the nastiness that it contains. In fact, it almost betters the scene from another horror movie that had something similar from a few years back. I’m not telling you what movie it was, though!
At the end of the day (or night), you go to the movies to be entertained. With Weapons, you will be. It is delightful, despite its faults, and promises to leave you satisfied afterwards. Zach Cregger once again proves that he is one of the most promising of the new rising breed of horror movie writers and directors. After producing Companion earlier this year, the director is next turning to his reboot of the Resident Evil Franchise.
I look forward to seeing if he can be the one to finally pull it off and make a great movie based on the franchise. But for now, allow yourself to be drawn into the world of Weapons he has created. It isn’t a comfortable ride at times, but it is one you’ll enjoy taking nonetheless. Very good, but sadly, nothing more.
Weapons will be in cinemas on Friday, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
