Film Review: Weapons
To many, Zach Cregger came into the spotlight with the movie Barbarian, a horror film that took the world by storm two years ago. In that film, we had two people who book the same Airbnb, and it plays out at first like a tense thriller with a deep sense of paranoia, only to take a big swing in the final act, where the movie shows its true hand. Cregger loves playing his movies as close to the chest as he can, withholding vital information that ends up in a bombshell of a reveal. With his background in comedy, as part of the group The Whitest Kids U Know, he knows how to balance the scares and the humor. Weapons is a movie that is a lot more personal to Cregger, as well as a lot more humorous than his original movie. Cregger masterfully balances the tone shifts, while he plays the audience like a fiddle.
Weapons is about a community where, one day, 17 kids wake up at 2:17AM, get out of bed, leave their houses, and run into the darkness, never to return. The movie takes place a month later, while the community, still traumatized and looking for answers, needs to reopen school and continue moving forward, even if time seems to stand still for those who are affected. A handful of people begin looking into the truth of what happened, and nobody is prepared for what they’ll find.
This movie gives you as an audience member a lot to chew on. I don’t want to delve into spoilers, but I want to commend Cregger as a director. For his sophomore film, instead of trying to capture the magic of Barbarian, he’s not afraid to try something new, something different, something bold. The boldest move he did for this movie was instead of the three act structure of Barbarian, he set his sights on a non-linear narrative that’s heavily inspired by Magnolia. If you haven’t seen Magnolia, don’t worry, the movie will still work fine, but this movie as it exists is a horror movie that has so many nods and references to Paul Thomas Anderson movies, as well as classic Stephen King and other horror movies (if you’re a horror fan, you’ll catch a few homages). Seeing this has me genuinely excited for Cregger’s career as a director.
Just like Barbarian, this movie is a lot more humorous than the commercials or promotional material would have you think. Cregger has a background in comedy, and does a great job easing the tension with his comedic timing. The movie isn’t a horror comedy, it’s pure horror, but Cregger, similar to Peele, uses comedy in an effective way. This movie has a little something to offer everyone, and is a guaranteed good time.
If the premise of this movie intrigues you, and it should, you owe it to yourself to see it. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to many other films getting in the theater these days. This movie is one of the best theater experiences I’ve had all year, and you owe it to yourself to sit in that seat and let Cregger’s magic wash over you.
TW: Grief, Trauma, Drug Addiction, Gore, Alcoholism
Review by Richard Gerlach
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