Weapons
If you enjoy imaginative filmmaking and don’t mind a few scares, stop reading this review and wait to finish it until after you’ve seen Weapons.
As was the case with his bait-and-switch breakthrough Barbarian, writer/director Zach Cregger’s follow-up benefits from minimal prior knowledge of the plot. In doing so, viewers get a rare opportunity — especially in horror — to give themselves over to a master craftsman and trust them to deliver the goods in wildly creative ways, and Cregger somehow overachieves.
Gut-wrenching as the film’s central, school-shooting-adjacent premise is about all but one child from a Pennsylvania elementary class mysteriously disappearing on the same night, Weapons packs a surprising amount of humor. (Well, surprising to viewers who haven't seen the bizarrely funny Barbarian.)
Much of the laughs stem from the conflict’s key players as they deal with the trauma in their own ways. Vilified by her missing students’ parents and the community at large, teacher Justine (Julia Garner, Ozark) turns to alcohol, amateur sleuthing, and various amusing bad habits. But driving these actions are inexplicable threats and disturbing dreams that Cregger executes with thick suspense and memorable, ambiguous imagery.
Her decisions place her in the paths of ex-boyfriend cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich, giving big John C. Reilly awkward police energy from Magnolia) and angry parent Archer (Josh Brolin), and in turn Weapons quickly becomes a perspective tale. Through a logical presentation of the events via character-focused vignettes that overlap with the previous resident(s) in fascinating ways while introducing new ones, Cregger consistently shows instead of tells, resulting in a taut, entertaining narrative.
As things grow increasingly supernatural, the filmmaker's command of the material remains firm and produces numerous stunning images that ramp up the tension, including a vision that Archer experiences that might be the visual of the year. Sprinkled throughout are multiple expertly enacted sequences of dramatic irony where characters doesn’t realize they’re in danger — and, to squirm-inducing delight, occasionally have their fates postponed, which only makes the proceedings more terrifying.
Though full of familiar genre details, the film’s ultimate reveal puts fresh spins on these tropes, resulting in a fun and deeply unsettling experience that won't soon be forgotten. In a year of exceptionally strong scary movie offerings, Weapons stands above them all and feels like the type of film destined to be mentioned in the same breath as the greats.
Grade: A-minus. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, the Fine Arts Theatre, and Regal Biltmore Grande.
(Photo: Warner Bros.)
