2025 has been a good year for horror… and I don’t mean the real-world horrors either. Weapons presents a creepy, Stephen King-Esque fable which had me watching with trepidation for most of it. The film tells the story of a small, sleepy American town, which is thrown into chaos when one night, at 2:17 am, 17 children leave their homes and run off into the night. They don’t come home. The one thing they have in common — they were all pupils of local elementary school teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner, Ozark, The Fantastic Four: First Steps).
The movie does an excellent job at establishing its premise and setting from the outset. We feel the desperation and paranoia from the town’s people, particularly Archer, played by Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, Avengers: Endgame). It is told from the perspectives of different characters in a loose chronological order, allowing us to see certain events multiple times from diverse points of view.
The tense scenes are nerve wracking to say the least. A sense of dread is built effectively during its scarier sequences, and I was frequently shifting in my seat trying to watch, but with my face mostly covered by my hands. Yet, I couldn’t look away. The core mystery of the movie was too compelling, and I found myself spell-bound, trying to piece together clues.
Another surprising thing about Weapons is that its weirdly… funny? This may sound strange considering what I have just written, but there were some genuine laughs from the audience throughout, with certain scenes veering into what could only be described as slapstick.
The characters are well drawn, despite the constant shifts in perspective, with solid performances and punchy dialogue quickly queuing us into key personality quirks. Special mention should be given to Benedict Wong (Annihilation, The Martian), whose portrayal of school principal, Marcus, I found particularly enjoyable. Weapons is a must-see, and, so far has rivalled 28 Years Later for my 2025 ‘Film of the Year.’
“Neighborhood Trees Night Poster Edges” by cdsessums is licensed under CC BY 2.0.