'Weapons' Won’t Keep You Up at Night, But It Will Keep You Watching

My little non-review on 'Weapons' in theatres now! :)

Coming from the director of Barbarian, Zach Cregger is back with his second feature, Weapons. From the first trailer, Weapons was incredibly alluring in its mystery—seventeen elementary students go missing in the middle of the night, their arms spread out to the side, and they never return home. It’s eerie, dark, and atmospheric—qualities Cregger showcased brilliantly in Barbarian—which I loved.

And I know Cregger is going to knock the tone and overall atmosphere of his upcoming Resident Evil feature out of the park.

As much as I enjoyed these aspects of the film, along with the strong performances from both its leads and supporting cast, I couldn’t help but feel Weapons stumbled along the way. The first act is captivating—you’re quickly placed in the present, following the families and community of the missing children and the teacher who is ultimately held responsible for their disappearance.

I mean, I have to applaud the premise alone—Cregger, you got me.

Although the premise is terrifying, the film is marketed out to be a horror, but I…wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as such. Well, for me, I should correct. There are a jump scare or two, but nothing so terrifying that you’d need to sleep with the lights on. Instead, the eeriness comes from the circumstances themselves. And just when the more frightening moments do arrive—though I use that term lightly—the film shifts perspective.

I didn’t mind the perspective changes, but I did find the film’s pacing to be on the slower side. We follow a rotation of certain characters, some pivotal to the narrative, others leaving me scratching my head and wondering what their inclusion was meant to achieve.

For me personally, labeling this as one of the most thought-provoking horror films of the decade feels incredibly dishonest. The praise this film is getting online is genuinely baffling—and that’s coming from someone who liked the movie, but wasn’t blown away by it.

The film is more suspenseful than terrifying, and in many ways, more of a dark comedy than a thriller. Horror as a genre is subjective, of course, but based on the reviews, I expected the story to take wild turns like Barbarian. Instead, Weapons plays its narrative fairly straight. While it doesn’t dive deeply into the mystery of its villain, the viewer is still able to grasp what’s presented. I will say, the villain is uniquely fun, and unsettling, and one of the more enjoyable aspects of the film.

The third act is probably my favorite. If I’m honest, there were moments where I felt a bit bored in the second act, but the way the story culminates is both satisfying and darkly humorous.

Weapons is worth watching—not, in my opinion, something to write home about, but certainly worth a trip to the theater to form your own opinion.