I Dare You to See ‘Weapons’

I can’t think of a roller coaster or haunted house attraction that made me gulp, laugh, and scream more than watching Weapons in the theater. The horror trope has broken wide open this year, and it is a shame more than half the country would rather go on the merry-go-round.

Starting with the grim premise that all but one child from the same elementary school class inexplicably disappear at 2:17 a.m. one night, Weapons sets itself up to explain the impossible. It doesn’t quite land the ending, but the eerie thrills and dark ‘burbs vibe to get there are well worth your ride in the theater seat.

Up-and-comer filmmaker, Zach Cregger, knows how to get under your skin. His previous Barbarian (2022) was a pristinely orchestrated horror template, but it couldn’t dig itself out of its metaphorical (and literal) hole. Weapons is a cleaner sophomore effort in narrative despite there being twice as many jump scares and buckets of blood. Most effective is the setting of a tree-hovering, 60s-built neighborhood that adds a darkness not even Spielberg could conjure.

Where Cregger shines is in his ability to douse scares and anxiety-easing laughter among the heaviest themes of trauma impact, moral disengagement, and the power of manipulation. By intertwining narratives (a la Short Cuts and Magnolia), we empathize different perspectives of the same scenario. Even more crafty, Cregger moves the timeline of one character’s scenario to blend seamlessly with the introduction or farewell of another character. That device alone makes Weapons remarkable, and even though the ending is loaded with loopholes, the ride envelops unpredictably at each turn.

Folklore will always have a place in the dark woods, but I prefer the sinister potential of the American suburbs.

Halloween came early this year.

Weapons (2025) ***1/2