‘Weapons’ Review: Unique, Mysterious, and Thrilling, This Is the Horror Film of the Year!

In 2022, director Zach Cregger suddenly burst onto the scene with Barbarian. It became one of the standout horror films of that year. Word of mouth was glowing, it grew into a solid box office hit, and Cregger was instantly hailed as horror’s new talent. Anticipation for his next film skyrocketed, always risky, as high expectations can sometimes lead to disappointment. But rest assured: with Weapons, Zach Cregger has delivered the best horror film of the year.

The film opens with the voice-over of a child. We’re told that two years ago, 17 children mysteriously vanished. Exactly at 2:17 a.m., each child got out of bed at home, walked outside, and disappeared without a trace. The only connection between them? They were all in the class of teacher Justine. Except for one, Alex. The next morning, Justine walked into her classroom to find it completely empty. Weeks of police investigation led nowhere; no trace of the children was ever found.

That’s just the opening minutes of the introduction. As the voice-over explains, the real story begins afterwards. The parents are angry at the lack of answers. The now-suspicious community turns against Justine, seeing her as the culprit. After all, it was her class that vanished. For her own safety, she is forced to temporarily step away from teaching.

What follows is trickier to describe without spoiling too much. From here, the mystery slowly unfolds through the perspectives of several different characters, all connected to the disappearances. Inspired by Magnolia, according to Cregger himself, the film is structured into chapters, each focusing on one character’s viewpoint. Every storyline is interconnected, weaving together into an intricate puzzle. This careful approach makes Weapons even more engaging, adding layers to the meticulously built plot and steadily increasing tension.

The excellent cast is led by Julia Garner as Justine. After breaking through with her phenomenal role in Netflix’s Ozark (still one of the best originals on the platform), she delivers a performance that balances strength with vulnerability. Josh Brolin is perfectly cast as an angry, tormented father. Alden Ehrenreich, sporting a moustache as a playful nod to John C. Reilly in Magnolia, appears as a police officer. The always-reliable Benedict Wong plays the school principal. There are other notable roles, but revealing them would spoil surprises. What’s clear is that there’s not a single weak link in the cast.

Weapons is eerie, suspenseful, and mysterious, with splashes of dark humour and bursts of satisfying violence.

Another major strength lies in the visuals. Cregger and cinematographer Larkin Seiple have crafted a beautiful film, filled with striking tracking shots and inventive camera angles and movements that keep it visually captivating. They’ve also created what is sure to become an iconic and sinister image in horror: the sight of children running with arms outstretched. It’s the kind of shot destined to become part of pop culture.

As with Barbarian, Cregger once again nails the atmosphere and tone. The film is eerie, suspenseful, and mysterious, with splashes of dark humour and bursts of satisfying violence. There are even a few well-executed jump scares. Cregger takes his time telling the story, but it never drags. The mystery keeps you wanting more, and each character’s perspective adds intrigue while ratcheting up the tension. This makes Weapons a uniquely compelling experience.

So far, 2024 has been a strong year for horror. We’ve been treated to original titles like Sinners, Companion, Cuckoo, and the recent standout Bring Her Back. Established franchises have also surprised with strong new instalments of 28 Years Later and Final Destination. And then there were pure fun titles such as Heart Eyes, Clown in a Cornfield, and Dangerous Animals. Each brought something enjoyable to the table, but Weapons surpasses them all.

Weapons is not just the horror film of the year (so far), but one of the very best films of the year overall. With it, Zach Cregger firmly establishes himself as a major new talent in horror. Let’s hope audiences find this film in large numbers, just as they did with Sinners. Because we need more original and daring films like this.

Blumhouse, take note: stop playing it safe. Weapons is yet another fresh gust of wind, not just in horror, but in cinema as a whole. Do yourself a favor: go in as blind as possible, and see it in the cinema. It deserves nothing less.

Weapons is now playing in cinemas worldwide.

This review has been written by Iain Howitt in partnership with The Nerd Shepherd.

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