What made Zach Cregger’s breakout film ‘Barbarian’ so good and so enjoyable was how completely unprepared you were for where that story would take you. It was skillfully written and directed, creating dread and tension from familiar tropes in horror but twisting them so that the surprise came from another element altogether. Then halfway through ‘Barbarian,’ the story shifts to another character who then joins the first half of the narrative and bringing it to a big climax filled with gruesome horror. His latest film, ‘Weapons,’ takes all of that and blows it up. He tells the story in six chapters, following six characters and their entanglement with the main story of the film.
The film opens with a child’s narration on how, one evening in the town of Maybrook, 17 of 18 kids from one class run out of their homes and are never seen again. Some were seen on CCTV of homes, and it all happened at 2:17 in the morning.
The town left is furious and frustrated. They are desperate for answers. They want answers from the class’ homeroom teacher, Justine Gandy, but she has none to give. One of the parents of the missing kids, Archer Graff, takes it upon himself to find out what happened. The other four characters whose point-of-view we follow throughout the film include the school’s superintendent, Andrew Marcus; a police man who is a friend of Justine, Paul Morgan; a junkie named James; and the only boy of Justine’s class who didn’t disappear that night, Alex Lilly.
‘Weapons’ has everything you could ask for in a horror film: nightmarish imagery, unsettling quiet moments of tension when things make a sound at the dead of night, a terrifying evil force, brutal and grotesque violence, and, most importantly, a strong human element that allows us to connect with the characters so we actually root for them and want them to survive. As a Grade 5 homeroom teacher, Justine isn’t as a nice archetype. She drinks, she’s pushy, and at times, reckless. But her care and concern for the missing children is felt.
Julia Garner brings a spunk to the role, but doesn’t shy away from her character’s flaws, which makes her such an interesting character to follow. Josh Brolin is always a solid performer, and his Archer Graff is tormented by the unanswered questions and the worry for his missing child. These two characters really form the heart of ‘Weapons’ which elevates the horror to a place that can inspire real dread and fear. Many horror films fall short when it comes to character development. Some become flat, uninteresting that we fail to connect with them, while others lean in too much on the protagonist’s flaws making them unlikable and you end up rooting for the monster or the villain. ‘Weapons’ avoids these traps. The missing children and the pain and frustration of the whole town is felt vividly that it amplifies the film’s stakes.
At 128 minutes, the film does feel long – as there’s a lot of stories in it and a lot of characters to uncover – but it is never boring. Cregger uses each character to reveal just a little bit more about the mystery, but it keeps it really well hidden until the final character. Then the exposition begins (near the end) but instead of being boring, what it does is that it ties everything together. All five preceding chapters start to feel whole and complete. It’s a really great exercise in narrative structure.
And while ‘Weapons’ is terrifying and scary, Cregger is also not afraid to be funny and silly. He uses humor in a very clever way to derail the fear so that he can raise the horror later on. There are quite a number of funny moments involving Paul and James (wonderfully played by Aldren Ehrenreich and Austin Abrams) before cutting it as James finds himself in contact with the source of the missing children. Benedict Wong is terrific as Andrew Marcus, who is trying to protect Justine, sometimes from her own worst instincts, and try to keep peace while the town is falling apart. His character’s queerness is present but never overstated but when he becomes embroiled in the story’s horror, the effect is filled with impact.
I’m trying to not talk in specifics because the power of ‘Weapons’ is in its ability to surprise and shock and horrify the audience. Throughout the screening, people were screaming, laughing, and then screaming again. It was such an enjoyable watch, especially in a full cinema filled with an attentive audience. ‘Barbarian’ was already such an incredible movie, I’m happy to say that ‘Weapons’ builds on the strength of Cregger’s first big hit and slams another home run.
My Rating:
Weapons is now showing in cinemas. Gather your bravest friends, check showtimes, and see it before the secrets come for you. Buy tickets here.
