By: Quinn Que
Writer-director Zach Cregger delivers a chilling horror-mystery with his film Weapons, an expertly crafted yarn of terrifying mystery and thrilling intrigue that establishes him as a master of psychological dread and suspense that explodes into pure terror. This ambitious film successfully balances multi-perspective storytelling with escalating tension and a powerful ending.
At exactly 2:17 a.m. on a Wednesday night, seventeen children in Maybrook, Pennsylvania vanish from their beds without a trace. The story follows several interconnected characters grappling with this inexplicable event including Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), a troubled elementary school teacher whose classroom becomes central to the mystery and Ron Crane (Josh Brolin), a desperate father searching for his missing son; and various community members including investigators and other parents. This is really a character drama in the horror genre, an examination of several different people connected in one way or another to this frightening occurrence.
The ensemble cast delivers exceptional performances across the board. Garner is a nice fit as the teacher on the edge personally and professionally, as someone who is a bit of a mess in her own life but successful in caring for her students. The film’s most effective moments occur in its quieter character study scenes, particularly Garner’s breakdown sequences as she realizes the gravity of the events. Brolin, also an Executive Producer, makes good use of his contained screen time as a father willing to do anything to be reunited with his son. Brolin delivers powerfully raw emotion in confrontational scenes with educators and police who seem helpless to provide answers.
Cregger shows remarkable skill as a filmmaker while establishing his own voice. Weapons excels at what horror fans seem to love – not simple jump scares or splatter effects but a niggling creepiness that worms its way into your brain. His approach favors psychological tension over cheap stunts, exploring themes of communal trauma and rising emotion with sophistication.
With the film Weapons we see Cregger sidestep the sophomore genre slump (his last horror film being Barbarian) and delivering a bona fide horror experience that lingers after viewing. While not for the faint of heart, or those seeking immediate scares, the diehard fans of intelligent, character-driven horror will find much to appreciate. Weapons earns its R rating and Cregger his genre plaudits with a film unlike any other you’ll see this year.