The stunning, smart “Weapons” has influences from some of the best films – horror and otherwise – ever made. But it’s never derivative. It stands alone as one of those movies I’ll recommend to horror fans and general cinephiles as well.
‘Weapons’ (IMDb)
Writer-director Zach Cregger also wrought “Barbarian,” which became a favorite of horror fans in 2022. Here he gives us all-too-familiar vibes from real-life horror situations such as school shootings and child abductions/abuse.
The movie is told in chapters that bear various characters’ names. Much like Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon,” each segment is told from the perspective of that particular person.
Here’s the setup, and to go deeper than the general premise would be to provide spoilers, so I’m not going to do it.
Julia Garner plays Justine, an elementary-school teacher in a small town where 17 children disappear. Those students ,it turns out, were all in her class. The 18th student, Alex (a wonderful Cary Christopher, “Days of Our Lives”) tells police he doesn’t know what happened to the other kids, who disappeared in the middle of the night.
Similarly, Justine says she has no idea why the children took or where they went. But the parents aren’t so sure, and Justine soon becomes a pariah, desperate for someone to talk to as she constantly looks over her shoulder.
Benedict Wong plays Justine’s sympathetic, concerned boss who confronts Justine about a couple of incidents in her past. Josh Brolin is Archer, the father of one of the missing students, who is so frustrated he considers being his own detective after multiple conversations with the police chief..
There’s an homage to “The Shining” in one scene, and possibly nods to other films that I missed because I was so caught up in the intrigue.
This is gory stuff, with a finale that may seem outlandish but, to me, made a perfect ending to this not-for-the-nervous tale.
4 stars
Running time: Two hours and 9 minutes.
Rated: R for foul language, sexual situations, and graphic gore.
In theaters.
Watch the trailer here.
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