In Theaters and Digital

When Zach Cregger unleashed Barbarian on an unsuspecting public back in 2022, he established himself as a filmmaker who delights in pulling the rug out from under his audience. With his latest film, Weapons, Cregger proves that Barbarian was no lucky first strike. With Weapons, he has crafted a film that is not just a worthy successor but a more ambitious, bizarre, and delightfully twisted cinematic puzzle.

The film’s central premise is as simple as it is terrifyingly inexplicable: Why did one classroom of kids, on the same night at precisely 2:17 a.m., get out of bed, walk downstairs, open their front doors, and vanish into the darkness, never to be seen again? This haunting question is the engine that drives the narrative forward, and Cregger uses it to construct a story that constantly reinvents itself. 

In the quiet town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, seventeen third-graders vanish without explanation, leaving behind only one child—Alex (Cary Christopher). The disappearance shakes the small community, and suspicion quickly falls on their teacher, Justine (Julia Garner), who finds herself spiraling as she searches desperately for answers.

Meanwhile, grieving father Archer (Josh Brolin) and troubled cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich) take their own paths toward the truth, uncovering unsettling signs that point to something far darker than a simple abduction. When the children are finally discovered, the town realizes that ordinary explanations will not suffice.

Just when you think you have a handle on what Weapons is, it shifts gears. In fact, it transforms roughly every 20 minutes, moving from psychological thriller to something far stranger, yet it never loses sight of its core mystery. The fun of the experience is watching Cregger’s intricate design slowly reveal itself. I promise, you won’t be able to figure this one out until Cregger is ready for you to. He has built a universe with its own set of rules, and by adhering to them, he prevents the film from spiraling into a purely hallucinogenic nightmare. Instead, we get a story that is intricate, surprising, and deeply unsettling. 

Cregger unfolds his story in seven roughly 15-minute segments, each introduced by a title card spotlighting a different central character and their place in the narrative. While the non-linear structure may feel a bit disorienting at first, it ultimately proves to be an effective means of showcasing the brilliant cast.

The performances are uniformly strong, but while Julia Garner delivers a compelling lead performance, the film truly ignites when Amy Madigan’s Gladys enters the picture. Madigan brings a ferocious energy that elevates every bonkers scene she’s in, providing a somewhat humorous, but always sinister force amidst the escalating weirdness. The film is a wee bit long, but her presence is a jolt of electricity that gives the film a powerful second wind.

With Weapons, Cregger has doubled down on the promise he showed with Barbarian. He has created a film that is weirder, crazier, and ultimately more ambitious. It’s a twisty-turny journey that rewards patient viewers with a wholly original and unforgettable experience. For fans of horror that challenges conventions and isn’t afraid to get strange, Weapons is a force to be reckoned with. It’s a bold, confident piece of filmmaking that solidifies Cregger as one of the most exciting new voices in modern horror.

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 128 mins
Director: Zach Cregger
Writer: Zach Cregger
Cast: Julia Garner; Josh Brolin; Alden Ehrenreich
Genre: Mystery | Horror
Tagline: Last night at 2:17 am every child from Mrs. Gandy's class woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door, walked into the dark ...and they never came back.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I can make your parents hurt themselves. I can make them hurt each other. I can make them eat each other if I want to. Do I want to, Alex?"
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site: https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/weapons
Release Date: August 8, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.