96%
8.1/10
78
From start to finish, the film is packed with tension, some gory scenes, and a little dark humor. It doesn’t just shock—it draws you into the characters’ trauma.
Weapons isn’t your average horror flick – that was obvious from the first trailers. It almost plays more like a thriller with horror elements sprinkled in. Whatever the genre, this was a great film that was elevated by fantastic storytelling and characters who feel real and support the story. The film starts with a narrative that describes a horrible incident in this small town: 17 children in one classroom disappear overnight. One child out of 18 was spared. The story of Weapons is the aftermath of this incident as the narrator says “this is where the story really starts”.
What makes good horror? I think one of the must haves is tension. What’s lurking behind the dark corner? Who’s behind the open door that you can’t see into the next room? You know someone or something is there, but you can’t see it. Weapons delivers on this in droves with many shots leaving the audience guessing as to what is going to happen next. Another key element is characters – you need excellent characters to drive the story and lead the audience along.
The stars all came out with their A-game. Julia Garner plays the teacher, who is immediately blamed for what happened. She does not take it well, diving into alcohol use and trying to cope with being called a witch and threatened by scared and confused parents. Josh Brolen plays the father of one of the missing children. At first I didn’t know if I was going to like his character, but as the film progresses he is a key to unlocking the mystery. His character arch from grieving parent to a kind of hero figure in the film was the glue that keeps the pieces from falling apart. Alden Ehrenreich also delivered a great performance as a local cop who finds himself dragged into the story.
I really loved how the storytelling came together for this film. Each character is given a chapter – but not continuous timelines. The chapter reboots the timeline to that character’s perspective. This allows director and writer Zach Creggar to tell the story in a unique and satisfying way. The cinematography by Larkin Seiple draws the audience in with different angles and tracking moves that add to the tension of the scene. The musical score (composed by Creggar with Ryan and Hays Holladay) was perfect as was the choice of songs.
From start to finish, the film is packed with tension, some gory scenes, and a little dark humor. It doesn’t just shock—it draws you into the characters’ trauma, making the audience feel like they’ve lived the nightmare too. The ending was satisfying and by the time credits roll, you feel as though you were a part of the ordeal. That’s what makes this movie stand out from the others.
Technical Details:
| Category | Details |
| Director | Zach Cregger (Barbarian) |
| Distributor | New Line Cinema / Warner Bros. |
| Main Cast | Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich |
| Budget | ~$30 million (est.) |
| Marketing | ~$15–20 million (est.) |
| Runtime | ~1h 55m |
| Genre | Horror, Thriller |
Final Verdict:
Horror fans will love this. It’s unsettling, smart, and delivers where it counts.
Maxwell Meter: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)
Maxwell Reviews 