When a movie manages to be genuinely unpredictable in 2025, that alone is cause for celebration. Amid a frustrating wave of productions that favor safe formulas over creativity, Weapons arrives as a breath of fresh air in contemporary cinema. The new work by Zach Cregger not only confirms the talent he showed in Barbarian, but also expands his narrative ambitions in surprising ways.
The initial premise seems familiar: children from an elementary school vanish simultaneously from a small American town in the middle of the night. What sets this story apart is the strangeness that permeates every detail of the event. All the children left their homes running, adopting the same eerie posture. Only one student from the class stayed behind. From this seemingly simple starting point, Cregger builds a narrative puzzle of rare complexity.
The script adopts a smart chapter-based structure, alternating between the perspectives of the characters involved in the mystery. We meet the children’s teacher (Julia Garner), a desperate father (Josh Brolin), and a local police officer (Alden Ehrenreich). Each point of view reveals new layers of the plot, keeping the audience constantly on edge.
Weapons goes far beyond the obvious
The great achievement of Weapons is its refusal to follow predictable paths. This isn’t a conventional crime procedural, but rather an exploration of the bizarre events that gradually consume the community. Cregger skillfully navigates between different tones, balancing scenes of meticulous investigation with moments of visceral horror.
The film also incorporates elements of dark humor which, far from breaking the tension, intensify the sense of unease. In a cinematic landscape often dominated by rigid categorizations, the film defies easy labels. You can detect echoes of David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, and John Carpenter, along with clear references to Stephen King — including a sequence that directly dialogues with The Shining.
This blend of influences could have resulted in pastiche, but Cregger shows maturity by incorporating them organically. He uses familiar genre elements to subvert expectations, steering the narrative into uncharted territory.
Thematic depth
While it works flawlessly as a supernatural thriller, Weapons offers deeper interpretative layers. What initially seems like a metaphor for school violence evolves into a complex reflection on abuse, neglect, and the challenges of communicating trauma. Cregger avoids easy answers, choosing instead to explore the gray zones of human experience.
The cast rises to the script’s demands. Julia Garner (The Assistant) delivers a nuanced performance, while Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo) show versatility in shifting between emotional registers. The standout, however, is Amy Madigan, whose role — though it can’t be detailed without spoiling surprises — represents one of the film’s most powerful moments.
Bold filmmaking
Weapons serves as an antidote to the creative timidity that has marked much of recent film production. Cregger isn’t content to recycle proven formulas or simply showcase familiar faces. His approach is visceral and daring, prioritizing emotional impact over viewer comfort.
The result is a cinematic experience that lingers long after the credits roll. This is a film that demands reflection, provokes necessary discomfort, and reaffirms the transformative power of cinema when it dares to take risks. In a year that has largely disappointed at the box office, Weapons stands out as a powerful reminder that the seventh art can still surprise, disturb, and above all, genuinely move us.
