At 2:17AM every child in Miss Gandy’s class, woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door and walked out into the dark, and they never came back…
This is the chilling opening voiceover to Weapons the second feature from director Zach Creggar after his brilliantly bonkers 2019 debut Barbarian.
Julia Garner plays Primary school teacher Justine Gandy, who arrives at school on a seemingly normal day, only to find a single pupil in attendance and the rest of the class having apparently vanished into the night.
Accusations ensue as the children’s parents lay the blame solely at Gandy’s door and she is compelled to investigate the disappearances herself in order to prove her innocence.
We then witness events from five other characters differing points of view, starting with Josh Brolin’s frantic parent Archer as he also searches for answers.
Alden Ehrenreich’s local cop Paul, Austin Abrams Junkie James and Benedict Wong’s Head Teacher Marcus all follow, before we see remaining pupil Alex’s version of events in the gripping finale.
The films non-linear episodic structure is a master stroke, with Creggar building dread and tantalisingly revealing more and more of the story as the film progresses. He brilliantly ends each chapter with an often horrific cliff hanger before moving on to tell the story from the next character’s POV, which makes for enthralling viewing.
The performances from the top draw ensemble cast are all exemplary, particularly Garner who excels more with every film a young newcomer Casey Christopher who’s character Alex is at the core of the story.
As with the best films, Weapons functions perfectly as a pure horror, but has multiple allegorical meanings imbedded into the narrative if you’re willing to look for them.
The impact on children from destructive societal forces seems to be the chief theme, as well as dealing with unresolved grief and emotional trauma. The film’s cryptic title could also have multiple meanings.
Cregger himself has stated in interviews that the film is a highly personal story stemming from his own grief after the sudden death of a close friend, but has welcomed the diverse readings of audiences.
Whatever your interpretation, Weapons remains an astoundingly twisted horror, from a filmmaker on the up.
An Inventive and unsettling film, that is also oddly funny in places. In a banner year for horror, Weapons stands out from the crowd as one of 2025’s best.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward 09/09/25
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