Review by Prashant Shukla
Plot :
At 2:17 a.m. in Maybrook, Pennsylvania, 17 kids from Justine Gandy’s third-grade class suddenly run away from home and vanish except for one kid, Alex Lilly. The police question Alex and Justine but find nothing. No clues, no motives, no suspects. Zero. Zip. Nada. The kids simply vanish into thin air. Who did it, and where are these kids? forms the basic premise of the film.
Performances :
The performances are your standard horror movie ones, with characters distressed or depressed and sinking into the abyss as time passes. All the actors, from Josh Brolin to Julia Garner to Alden Ehrenreich to little Alex, played by Cary Christopher (the boy nails it) perform at the best of their capabilities. And I almost forgot, Amy Madigan as Gladys will make you want to punch her in the face, she’s that good!
The Comedy in a film that’s not Horror Comedy :
I was pleasantly surprised by how funny the film is. Yes, you heard that right, it’s hilarious at many moments, and none of it is unintentional. Director Zach Cregger has purposely staged these scenes to give the film a distinct quality. They pop up when you least expect them, and somehow, they work, as they humanize the plot and circumstances in many ways. Humans, by nature, are flawed and convoluted, and these scenes feel like an extension of that very aspect.
The Screenplay :
Hands down, all the praise the film has been getting is because of its screenplay, which is unique to the horror genre! The film opens with a voice-over that says exactly what the trailer did, and that’s it. After two minutes, the story shifts to a perspective approach. We see the events unfold through each character’s point of view for a while, with a subtle rise before cutting to a new perspective. All these POVs eventually cross paths until it’s time for the ultimate climax. With each perspective, the screenplay takes a small step back like a lion stepping back to pounce harder, giving the story a much-needed push on a narrative level.
It Doesn’t Want To Give a Statement :
Director Zach Cregger has clearly stated in an interview that the film doesn’t carry any social commentary or deeper moral lecture — and that’s exactly what makes Weapons stand out in today’s age of modern horror, where even the smallest detail often comes with socio-political or philosophical weight. Weapons is a film focused on reinventing the horror genre purely through filmmaking — whether it’s the novel-like screenplay, the sprinkle of comedy to humanize the story, or the smartly executed gory visuals achieved through editing. It doesn’t want you to think or anticipate; it wants you to let go of the dissection and just dive into its crazy, stupid world.
Final Verdict :
Weapons doesn’t preach or play safe — it messes with your head, makes you laugh when you shouldn’t, and hits you with fresh horror. Simple story, wild execution.
