We have been blessed (there’s probably a better word for that) with some outstanding horror movies this year. Given the hot streak of Final Destination, Bring Her Back, and Together, the horror genre is as strong as its ever been. Now we have Weapons, an extremely mysterious movie brought to us by a new voice in horror, Zach Cregger, who created Barbarian a few years ago.
As Weapons begins, it depicts a strange night in a small suburban town where nearly every student from a grade school class room, voluntarily runs from their homes at 2:17AM.
While the mystery of the missing schoolchildren may be the inciting incident, Weapons is more a story of the town in question. Each chapter in the movie is dedicated to the singular character perspectives that are directly affected by the mystery.
Our principal character, is Justine (Julia Garner), who was the teacher of said missing students. Since the class’s disappearance, she has been the point of suspicion for every parent affected. Through her, we’re able to see what trauma does to a person who just wants to get back to normalcy, especially when her reputation had been destroyed. Meanwhile, there is plenty of trauma shown through the eyes of one of the parents, a struggling cop, and a few others surprises. These chapters give enough of the story to introduce a fresh perspective, but also end each on a strange cliffhanger.
What surprised me about Weapons is that it’s not overtly scary. But also remember I’m dead inside. Instead of the focus on horror for horror sake, Weapons takes its time to unfold a story. I can’t truly say that it’s a slow burn movie either, because each of the sections is really entertaining. It has more than its fair share of drama and a surprising amount of humor.
Director Zach Cregger proved that his talents of balancing horror, tension, and comedy with Barbarian, and he walks that line in less abrasive ways here. There were as many guffaw-worthy moments as there were scenes that had me place my hand in from of my eyes to hide from the horror.
The cast is so impressive. Even with some humorous or insane scenes, they always present it with complete sincerity. Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, and Benedict Wong all feel like these small town civilians doing their best to deal with an unexplained local terror.
What really puts Weapons and Cregger, himself, as far above average, is the craftsmanship that has gone into this project. The cinematography, pacing, and writing is not only above most in the horror genre, but better than most movies released this year.
Weapons might just be a gateway horror film. It weaves such a clever story that not only creates fear, but plenty of laughs. It’s built on a high concept AND pays it all off while taking its time. I was so intrigued by the experience and cannot wait to see it again. B+
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