Weapons Movie Review

Released: 8th August 2025 (UK and US)

Length: 128 Minutes

Certificate: 18

Director: Zach Cregger

Starring: Julie Garner, Josh Brolin, Cary Christopher, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams and Benedict Wong

After many years in the acting business, Zach Cregger has jumped into directing; his skills for the latter have been very potent. With the recent success of Barbarian, he continues to rise through the ranks of cinematic horror. Weapons is his latest effort, another strong showcase of creeping tension.

In a small American town, seventeen schoolchildren have gone missing; with no rhyme or reason, they left their homes at 2:17am and never came back. Initially their teacher Justine Gandy (Julie Garner) is blamed, but Alex (Cary Christopher), the only pupil left in her class, may hold the answers to the disappearance. Following a child’s opening narration, Weapons unfolds through the eyes of five different characters. Josh Brolin plays Archer, an angry father desperate to reconcile with his missing son, Benedict Wong plays the school headmaster who tries to placate the frustrated parents and Austin Abram is James, a petty thief caught up in the mix. Each of the chapters replay scenes from different angles, revealing more information before heading to the finale. It’s a great way of presenting the plot from all sides while gradually building up to the big reveals. One moment, Justine is trying to get through to Alex and the next James is fleeing from the police after making a dangerous discovery. The film doesn’t forget about the fear factor either; it succeeds at delivering scares in both day and night-time scenarios. When an unseen figure slips into the back of a car, you’ll be put on edge and the twisted manipulation at the film’s centre is truly diabolical.

What makes the characters work is how they swerve around typical horror film clichés. There are no questionable decisions or over-the-top performances here; everyone feels relatable in some way, their emotions and personal problems placed front and centre. Justine struggles with alcoholism, Archer is unable to be a present father and a police officer named Paul Morgan is constantly plagued with stress. Even Alex is portrayed in a realistic manner and his situation draws out the audience’s sympathy. Every main actor does a great job in their roles, including those who are pulled into the sinister machinations. When you look beyond the more supernatural elements, the cast is kept fully grounded with a hint of humour added in for good measure. Watching several characters look past each other’s faults for the greater good is one of the film’s most satisfying elements. It would have been interesting to see more of the wider community and how they come to terms with the vanishing children, but the narrow focus still works.

In the same way the chapters seamlessly swap perspectives, the camerawork is always consistent and smooth. The structure is well-defined by smash cuts, point-of-view shots carry the audience around the environments, revealing some grisly sights and quick edits fill in the gaps without disrupting the pace. It’s an incredibly gory film and the practical effects are well done, especially in a middle-act struggle and the climax. The make-up work is often a key part of the set pieces. There’s a continuous shot in a chase scene where a character crashes through many windows and another sequence that takes place from two different angles is executed brilliantly. The atmosphere is simple but highly effective, homing in on a single house. As the grim details are slowly brought to light, Weapons piles on the creepier efforts. Cregger worked with Ryan and Hays Holliday on the soundtrack which adds another layer to the grim activities.

Thanks to an intriguing story, well-realised characters and precise editing, Weapons is a solid entry in a genre with many recent hits. It delivers many creepy moments while still offering some underlying depth. There’s no doubt that the director is now fully established and the title is a must-watch for any fan of horror.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great)