Zach Cregger returns after his 2022 horror film Barbarian.
Every summer my friends and I get together in my basement, turn all the lights off, and try to watch the best horror movies we can find. Whether it’s movies trending on TikTok, new releases, or classic horror films we had been dying to see, we’ve watched them all. Sometimes we’re amazed, other times we’re left with piles of questions, or simply utterly disappointed. When I first saw the trailer for Weapons I knew I had to go see it in theaters. And trust me… I was NOT disappointed.
Weapons is a thrilling mystery/horror directed, written, produced, and co-scored by Zach Cregger. It follows the disappearance of 17 children from the same elementary school class that one night, unexpectedly, at 2:17 a.m., woke up, got out of bed, walked downstairs, and into the dark… and never came back. While Weapons didn’t make any ground breaking changes to the genre of horror, it’s still extremely refreshing and entertaining to watch. It seems nowadays you don’t see movies with such an even spread of different aspects that work so well together. The entire movie is sprinkled with jump scares, exciting chase scenes, mystery, and comedy. Each aspect was captivating and the comedy was such a nice relief that I really enjoyed and hit really well with the audience. The director and writer is Zach Cregger which explains the film’s comedic angle. He’s originally known for his participation in the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’Know and actually wrote the script for Weapons after his friend and group fellow member Trevor Moore passed away in 2021.
The cast of Weapons features many extremely talented and some familiar faces. The main character Justine is played by Julia Garner, who did an amazing job portraying a troubled but motivated, alcoholic elementary school teacher. Her performance captivates and keeps you hooked the entire film. The antagonist of the film is played by Amy Madigan and she does such an amazing job coming off as odd and terrifying. Her performance just makes you hate her character and feel uncomfortable any time she’s on the screen. Any time she interacts with Alex, the child from the class that didn’t go missing, you want to jump through the screen and save him from the situation. That uncomfortable feeling is also perfectly portrayed by Alex, who is played by Cary Christopher. Christopher is only nine years old, which makes his amazing acting even more impressive. My favorite character and the comedic relief in the film is James, a local homeless drug addict/burglar. He’s played by Austin Abrams whose delivery is so believable and hilarious. Anytime Abrams is in the scene you know there’s going to be a funny aspect.By the end of the film I would start smiling the second he showed up on screen. His lines are perfectly written and again, his delivery is perfect. After watching the movie, his scenes were the ones that came to mind when thinking about memorable aspects of the movie.
I saw the movie twice, because it was that good, and I would actually see it again. The first time I saw it I was in awe and could not stop thinking about every riveting moment. The second time I saw it, there were things I picked up on that I hadn’t noticed before. Every moment and every beat is extremely intentional and foreshadows a future moment in the film. An aspect of the film that especially caught my attention is how the story is told in six sections or chapters. Each chapter follows a different character’s perspective with every one getting us closer to unlocking the mystery of why the children disappeared. The story is told nonlinearly, so you get to see the same scenes from different characters’ perspectives. This way of storytelling was extremely refreshing and captivating. Even during my second time watching I could not keep my eyes off the screen which is not usually the case for me, due to my horrible addiction to instagram reels.
Another feature that made Weapons so special was the music. The first song in the opening scene is “Beware of Darkness” from George Harrison’s 1970 album All Things Must Pass. I think this is such a unique and specific song to choose and the vibe it adds is so perfect. The words in the song eerily fit the movie so well especially after doing some research. George Harrison warns to beware of three things: darkness, sadness, and Maya. Maya is a very complex Hindu concept of the illusion of how things in reality aren’t what they seem (this is an extreme simplification). The word itself is usually simply translated to “illusion.” This plays into how the antagonist of the film isn’t truly who she says she is and that she can’t be trusted. When she comes into the movie she brings darkness and sadness along with her.
Whether you watch it once, twice or 217 times, I guarantee there will be something worth seeing. Even if you don’t consider yourself a horror movie fan, Weapons is a spectacularly entertaining and well made film and there is something to appreciate in every aspect of it. With its twists, turns, tense and captivating moments binding the entire film together it’s almost impossible to even blink while watching. Whether you fall in love with the cast of comedic characters, close your eyes until it’s over, or you’re just there for some vibes with friends, there is definitely so much to love about this movie. Go see for yourself!
Jude Slava is a Junior Television & Digital Media major who mysteriously vanished from their dorm at 2:17 a.m. last night. They can be reached at jslava@ithaca.edu