A Film directed by Zach Cregger
I’ve mentioned before in my reviews that I’m a fan of the horror genre, but I don’t often go out to see many horror movies because I’ve grown to dislike what I call “jump scare movies.” These are unfortunately the exact type of horror films that everyone else seems to love, usually revolving around a house possessed by a demon or vengeful ghost and the plight of the hapless (usually new) owners, with maybe a couple of paranormal experts brought in to help. This slate of films is simply the current wave of popular horror, following in the footsteps of trends like 80’s slasher movies and 2000’s found footage films, and I’m honestly hoping for a change soon because it’s simply overplayed at this point.
That’s why I was wary going into Weapons, the new blockbuster horror film by Zach Cregger, but the near unanimous praise the film was generating piqued my interest. To add to this, not a single person I spoke to would indulge me with any plot details (not that I was begging or anything), which made me fear some sort of M. Night Shyamalan overplayed twist ending or something along those lines. But I was wrong. After returning from Weapons, I can see why everyone was hesitant to discuss it – not because everything hinged on a contrivance, but because the movie is such a wild ride that nobody could have guessed what it was really about based on the trailer. Honestly, it’s even hard for me to fully review it because so much of the experience depends on not knowing what’s coming, and being left somewhat in the dark was the best part of the ride for me. I absolutely loved this movie.
The general setup is explained in the film’s trailer. One night in Maybrook, Pennsylvania, seventeen children from elementary school teacher Justine Gandy’s third-grade class suddenly ran from their homes with arms outstretched at 2:17 a.m. and vanished. Only one student, Alex Lilly, remained. The town erupted in anger and fear, looking for someone to blame. Some pointed at the police, others at the media, but much of the community turned its ire on Justine, sending her into an alcoholic spiral. After she begins receiving threatening phone calls and knocks at the door at night, she understandably fears for her life and just wants to be left alone. What follows is an insane story that takes place over a few days about a month later, when the true mystery begins to unravel.
What I’ve described is only like the first 15 minutes of the movie, and from there the story reveals its hand slowly, card by card, into one of the craziest films of the year. A nonlinear narrative format recalls Rashomon, with chapters dedicated to different characters whose stories ultimately intersect, all culminating in a wild third act. I was pleasantly surprised when the core mystery was revealed earlier than I expected. Instead of hinging everything on a cheap shock like Shyamalan’s films, Weapons lets the true nature of what’s happening build gradually, making the final act far more satisfying. Some may not like the revelations, especially since the film veers slightly into an almost comedic tone once the cards are fully on the table, if we are continuing that metaphor. But the audacity of the last act impressed me, and I give the director credit for being bold.
The cast is stacked, with Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan all delivering strong performances.
Like I said, not everyone will love this movie simply because it’s different. Some audiences probably walked in expecting another demon possession “jump scare movie” and were left slack-jawed when the plot was unveiled in the third act. This isn’t a social-issues-metaphor movie, and it’s not a twist-ending movie either. The plot is actually fairly simple, with a more primal, old-school threat (we’re talking movies from the 50’s-60’s) than you might imagine, and an ending so outrageous that I didn’t know whether to clap or laugh in the final scenes. What I will say is that the way the threat is resolved is VERY satisfying in a VERY twisted way.
In a year where horror films have mostly played it safe, Weapons stands out as a genuine outlier – and the gamble has paid off. Thanks to word-of-mouth, the film has grossed over $260 million worldwide against a modest $38 million budget. I probably wouldn’t have gone to see it without those recommendations, so the fans really marketed it well. Whether others ultimately view it favorably or not, I don’t really care. For me, it’s easily one of my top films of 2025, and I can’t wait to see what Zach Cregger does next.
