Zach Cregger has been a writer/ director that I, and almost everyone else, have been waiting to see what he does next in the horror genre. Anyone who saw his 2022 directorial debut, Barbarian, came out completely surprised by how crazy it went. It’s the kind of horror film that came out of nowhere and completely subverted our expectations to the highest degree, quickly becoming one of the hottest comedians turned filmmakers to look out for. He finally returned to share his latest attempt and a larger budget from New Line Cinema, which was sure to either freak us out or intrigue us with the much-anticipated follow-up, Weapons. I only needed to watch the first trailer to be still vague about what it could mean, which is a credit to the marketing. But with Weapons, it gave me something different in a good way. Not only does Cregger deliver another effective and original film, but he is steadily becoming the next Jordan Peele, who fired his management team over losing the bidding war, on our hands.
What’s the Story: In the small town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, seventeen children ran from their homes at exactly 2:17 a.m. and disappeared into the night. The catch is that all of them were from Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner) third-grade class, with one student, Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), the only person there the next morning. Months have gone by with the parents and citizens growing increasingly frustrated at how little information they received, blaming Justine as the scapegoat.
When you have a film, like Weapons, that leans heavily towards the audience figuring out what could’ve led these kids running out in a Naruto-like posture to who knows where in the middle of the night. And it’s told to us right away when an unnamed child narrates the events with George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness” blaring. But as the film went along, some effective jump scares never came off as cheap. Were they needed? Probably not. But what I believe Cregger was going for was a creepy atmosphere setting the mood rather than playing up the scares. Weapons is not your typical horror film. It’s a captivating narrative that keeps you engaged with a central mystery and a profound sense of grief over the loss of a child. The story is told through chapters, each focusing on a specific character and their perspectives on the same day. This non-linear storytelling approach, reminiscent of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia and the non-linear storytelling of Pulp Fiction, adds a unique and intriguing element to the film. Both classics instantly came to mind once we witnessed certain events intertwining and were put into context through tension. There’ll be a couple of instances where a scene plays out normally, only you’ll ask yourself, “What just happened?” Even when I’m still left asking questions, maybe that was all intentional, keeping the mystery in the quiet.
But besides Cregger putting forth another step forward in a great script, the performances were terrific in making these characters complex to follow. Julia Garner, fresh off The Fantastic Four: First Steps, gives the best performance of her film career as Justine. You have sympathy for Justine, as the town believes she’s involved in the students’ disappearance, and she doesn’t know what’s going on in her situation. It’s not until a while later that we’re told a bit of her backstory, which reveals she isn’t the most flawed teacher out there, especially when she’s an alcoholic and tends to go a step too far in crossing boundaries. Josh Brolin is equally impressive as Archer, whose son is missing. The plot thickens as he becomes increasingly desperate for any amount of answers, to the point of sleeping in his son’s bed, when the police are unable to provide any leads. Alden Ehrenreich, in a role that defies expectations, proves he’s not a one-hit wonder actor as the town’s local officer, Paul. His character, who’s clearly terrible at his job, creates a fascinating contrast with Austin Abrams’ drug junkie James, almost as if the two belong in a different movie. The biggest surprise from the cast, however, is Amy Madigan, who delivers the most unforgettable performance as Aunt Gladys, a role that stands in stark contrast to her previous work in Field of Dreams. And incoming potential Halloween costumes.
The first half, or at least Justine’s chapter, takes some time to build up and leave us in the dark before it takes a turn to realize something’s beneath the surface, and my interest was piqued afterwards. But without spoiling what it all means, it’s a resolution I eventually bought into. The ending is definitely going to make or break your overall feelings towards the film, as it was not what I expected at all. This unpredictability is a great feeling. For me, it was insane, but the reaction I got from it, what Cregger intended to make of it, was weirdly satisfying in what could only come from his head. One could argue that it could’ve used more explanation and ends a tad abruptly, but the more I thought about it, it’s all up to our interpretations.
Overall, Weapons continues to show why writer-director Zach Cregger has a strong ambition for mastering memorable horror. It might not be the scariest movie of the year since there’s more to it than being straight-up horror. However, its unique approach can get under your skin and thoroughly entice you with its mystery. With him set to direct a new Resident Evil, his name will finally get me to see one of them, if done right.
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