Hi everyone! I know it’s been a minute since I’ve put anything up. My life is complete chaos, and full disclosure, it’s going to be for a while. My posts may be inconsistent, but bear with me. I’m here and missing you guys!
Today I’m going to talk about Zach Cregger’s Weapons! This was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. I highly recommend it; it was super enjoyable. IMDB’s flash synopsis of it is as follows:
When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanishes on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
Weapons is definitely one of the most talked-about horror films of the year. It has high review scores across the internet. I think that’s owed to the fact that it’s well-made, it’s unsettling (an element that I think Cregger has mastered) and it’s original. I cannot stress this enough. The film industry is flooded with re-boots and remakes. We have live action versions of beloved animated films from our youths and sequels galore. It’s honestly refreshing just to have something that is new and original. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good re-boot, I love sequels (IF they are needed/deserved). My other most anticipated film of this year is the final Conjuring film…I’m obsessed with The Conjuring films….as I am with several other film franchises—but we still need original storytelling.
SO! I am going to do my best to write this up with NO SPOILERS. There’s a lot to this film that you could “deep dive” into, but I’ll spare you. The movie is still fresh, and I hate being the reason something gets ruined. I like to give people time to see something. If I ever do post spoilers, I will give it a huge shout out. You’ll never be surprised. People don’t give folks enough time to take in content before they’re posting Tiktoks and statuses that absolutely ruin shit. I had the ending spoiled for me with Dexter New Blood AND a very big one on the last Stranger Things season. QUIT IT…give people time to watch the shit they love. We all don’t have the chance to sit and binge it in 1-2 days. Sorry-this is obviously a sore-spot lol.
The film features Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Alden Ehrenreich. Of course, Brolin was fantastic. I am obsessed with Julia Gerner, I love her in Ozarks and I hope they keep going after her for horror films. I think she absolutely kills it. She’s feisty and it just works for her. I also want to say, the child who played Alex, his name is Cary Christopher. He was excellent. I think he did a really great job. I’m always impressed with children, especially in horror. So, he gets extra kudos from me.
I think the best part of this movie is how the story is presented to the audience. The story is told through individual character’s experiences instead of in chronological order. It really worked and was done well. By presenting the narrative through a series of individual experiences instead of a straightforward timeline, the film creates a puzzle that plays to its strengths. It pulled me in as a viewer and kept me engaged. It was like actively trying to piece the story together and just really worked to the film’s benefit.
This film also does a really good job of building up tension. This is an element that Zach Cregger has mastered, because his debut horror film Barbarian had intense moments of tension as well. The cinematography in Weapons is stunning. It plays with shadow and space and uses silence to build tension. That combined with the sound design plays a huge part in building the unease. There were moments that were so uncomfortable, and I was just waiting for something to happen. I remember sitting in a full theater watching Barbarian, and every one of us was literally on the edge of our seats or hiding their eyes in anticipation of something about to happen. It was comical and a blast. Remember the tape-measure scene? That’s the one I’m talkin’ about.
To sum it up—my favorite elements of the film were the fragmented perspectives. I think it’s a fun exploration of how truth or memory can shift depending on who is telling the story. It also demonstrates how unstable perspective can be. I also enjoy that the film leans more on unease and tension rather than violence and gore. I’m not saying there’s no violence and no gore, but it’s not gratuitous and serves purpose. I don’t mind violence and gore, but I always appreciate horror done well without it. The film had really strong themes. I’m not going to go into a ton here, because I think this is one of those films where you should go in blind. I think the less you know—the better. The movie raises questions about how violence can shape communities and identities. It examines how people respond when faced with trauma and forces that are outside of their control. That’s all I’m saying.
So, overall, I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it. It’s fun, it’s a fun experience and it’s a fresh story. I don’t know if it will be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s worth watching. Let me know what your thoughts were! Or hit me up if you want to talk spoilers, haha. My socials are linked below. Come follow me, connect and say hello! We can talk all things spooky, until next time ❤
