Weapons (2025) - Movie Review

What if I told you that a filmmaker found a way to make the pretentious, out-of-sequence gimmick not only work, but be one of the best examples of how to utilize it?

What if I told you that the film is a modern fable that suburbanizes Hansel and Gretel into a modern-day nightmare?

Yeah, that one got ya.

Let’s discuss.

Weapons is a 2025 supernatural thriller brought to us by writer/director Zach Cregger. If you don’t know that name, I don’t know what to tell you. He’s done a little of everything, including appearing on the seminal comedy sketch show, The Whitest Kids You Know. He was originally a comedic actor and a producer, but burst onto the horror scene with 2022’s Barbarian, which was high on the FilthyHorrors Best Of list for that year. It was an incredible debut, but his recent effort surpasses it. Oh, and he’s also married to Sara Paxton. So, you know he’s got good taste.

This film focuses on the small town of Maybrook, PA, as it experiences a confounding and tragic event. Every student from a single homeroom disappeared at the same time, on the same night. No one knows how or why this happened, and people are obviously upset, angry, and depressed. The film follows key members of the town’s population intricately connected to the disappearances, but all with drastically different perspectives. What follows is a descent into madness involving lies, intrigue, witchcraft, and brutal, gory violence. Will the citizens of Maybrook solve this mystery before there’s no one left? Find out in tonight’s feature, Weapons.

This movie is impossible to summarize without revealing any of the many secrets held within.

Each Vignette is a cliffhanger, whose answer is found in the next segment in line. But all the vignettes happen at the same time, in the same place, with the same people. It’s an incredible achievement—especially when you realize the intricacies and subtle differences in each players point of view.

I can’t remember a film that incorporated the unreliable narrator so deftly that it doesn’t have to become a plot point or result in an exposition dumb at the end or beginning. It’s simple things. One character’s neurosis makes her see that everyone is out to get her, screaming and threatening her. When in fact, seen from an objective point of view, things were much less intense. One character’s optimistic outlook makes their scenes brighter, with vibrant colors. While the mourning father’s vignette is dark and muddy.

This is a masterclass in writing and continuity.

The script is sharp, unrelenting, and painfully banal. The film strives for realism in its completely unrealistic story, and it succeeds. There were certain points where my movie knowledge kicked in, and I was going to argue that the character was doing something that was just off the wall, only to then realize they were saying and doing what a normal person would. We’re so conditioned to the high drama of film and television that we forget what actual people’s behavior is like in trying times. It’s these banal moments, these blue-collar, everyday people moments that lull you into a false sense of security. Then, once you’re more comfortable, unrelenting terror and violence.

This is a brutal film, but not overly gory.

Yes, there is gore, but this isn’t Terrifier. The violence is paced, and for the most part, in quick bursts. The focus of the film is not to gross out the audience, but rather to punctuate the story beats. It works phenomenally well.

Even with a brilliant script, none of this works without performers dedicated to making it feel real, and this cast delivers in spades. Josh Brolin brings his tremendous talent to the table, alongside his gravelly voice, to provide a standout performance. He is so good at making the blue-collar man feel three-dimensional, rather than the stereotype we often see on screen.

Alongside him is an ensemble cast consisting of some heavy hitters, including the beautiful (but they never let her be) Julia Garner. Who has burst onto the horror scene in recent years, going from -0-to leading lady in no time flat. She’s a uniquely stunning beauty, with incredible non-verbal skills, and even as a neurotic character, she feels so organic that you can feel bad for her, even though she’s a mess. If a lesser actress had been given the role, it would have most likely been an unbearable character. In the same way that Benedict Wong’s character could have been an insufferable douche in lesser hands, but Benedict Wong continues to impress. He’s one of the few actors featured in the flailing MCU who has actually maintained a solid filmography following the decline of Marvel’s tenpole franchises. He is the most likable person in the movie, which makes his story all the more jarring.

Oh, and the villain? She’s a film legend, married to another film legend, both horror icons. Amy Madigan is one of those actresses who shouldn’t have made it in Hollywood. She’s got an odd look, an odd delivery, and often, terrible haircuts. However, her charisma has always been undeniable, as has her intensity. She was the perfect choice to play the Babayaga in this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel.

Amy Madigan showcases her entire skillset in this film, and it’s a wonder to behold.

I loved everything about this movie. The incredible special effects and the atmospheric soundtrack, combined with the masterful editing of Joe Murphy, produce a dreamlike mystery film set in an unlikely, beige landscape. Where bright colors, like in nature, signify danger, not tranquility. It’s a world where no one is safe, and everyone is a target of someone’s rage.

It’s a film that would fit easily within the SCP or Channel Zero universes .

I see a ton of reviews for the film slamming it as being basic, cliche, boring…

I don’t know what those people are watching.

My viewing partner and I both jumped multiple times to atmospheric scares—and had a good laugh afterward.

This film is currently available to rent/buy on all digital platforms.