Zach Cregger’s Weapons is a Wildly Brilliant Rollercoaster and One of the Year’s Best Films

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

By Luis Zonenberg

In continuation of our Halloween horror-thon, I was surprised to find out that I had overlooked the blockbuster hit Weapons, which came out this past summer. The film defied box-office projections, beating Disney’s Freakier Friday to the No. 1 spot at the box office while receiving widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. I was fortunate enough to see it in theaters and decided to rewatch it to help close out the spooky season. 

The story centers around a group of 17 children from the same classroom who all mysteriously run away at 2:17 a.m., disappearing into the night. This plunges the town into a period of grief and paranoia, taking out their frustrations on the elementary school teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), whose class vanished. One of the parents of the missing kids, Archer (Josh Brolin), even launches his own investigation due to the incompetence of the police force. 

The film is presented in a nonlinear narrative, instead choosing to have the story shown through six separate character vignettes that reveal different pieces to the puzzle. This is a brilliant mechanism that adds to the overall mystery while allowing the audience to slowly piece things together for themselves. Jumping from perspective to perspective really allows the audience to immerse themselves in this world while taking the time to flesh out all the characters and show what they have to offer in the story. 

As the title would suggest, the film explores themes of weaponization and how it feeds into a parasitic dynamic in which people can weaponize grief for their own nefarious purposes. This, in turn, feeds into other recurring elements, such as addiction and trauma, revealing the self-destructive nature of grief and how it can be abused. The film can even, at times, come across as an allegory for gun violence, revealing the lasting trauma an event can leave on a community. 

The cast was simply superb and really elevated the written material, with Josh Brolin’s portrayal as Archer being a real highlight. Brolin brought a real sense of urgency and gravitas to the role, pulling in a lot of the emotional weight. Julia Garner was excellent in her portrayal of Justine Gandy, beautifully showcasing both the grief and horror her character endures. Other supporting stars like Cary Christopher and Amy Madigan really elevated both the dramatic and terrifying aspects of the film. 

The film also features some of the best cinematography I have seen all year! It showcases a visually striking style that makes brilliant use of color and depth of field, really making you uncomfortable at times. Director Zach Cregger incorporates some ingenious tactics to immerse the audience in a real-world setting while also making them feel uncomfortable and on the edge of their seats. 

The overall makeup and VFX were woven seamlessly into the film, with the editing really doing the brunt of the work here. A lot of the stunts were achieved practically, incorporating 3D printing and prosthetics to elevate some of the more supernatural elements within the film. The dream sequences within the film were beautifully shot and rendered in a darker color tone, allowing for some clever abstract visuals that really drove home the overall message of the movie. 

The movie also has a really good sense of humor, making it feel organic and integral to the story. The film is very outlandish, and the director knows this, allowing the crew to have fun with the material, and in turn allows the audience to have a blast with it as well. Weapons marks a terrific sophomore entry from director Zach Cregger, crafting a tense original narrative elevated by its stunning visuals and excellent cast. 

Weapons is now streaming on HBO Max. 

Rating: ★★★★ ½