On a Tuesday at 6:50 p.m. my friend and I walked into a Cineplex, went up the stairs, bought popcorn and a soda, then sat down in the pitch black of theatre number one to watch Zach Cregger’s Weapons (2025). We came out alive, but never the same. I’ve never experienced such hysteria while watching a horror film. For the first time, I genuinely screamed in the theatre and so did everyone else. The twisted premise, haunting, methodical manifestation of horror and mystery had me suspended by curiosity. I was shaken by despair and fear at once, then caught between laughing and crying in surprise.
It was, in fact, on a Wednesday at 2:17 am that the 17 children of one Maybrook Elementary third grade class all got out of bed, walked out the front door, into the darkness, and never returned. Only shy little Alex Lilly, played by Cary Christopher, did not vanish. The parents of the missing children turn to teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), as the target of blame as they become restless to find answers.
I have to say, the marketing of this movie was smart and tactical in a way that I haven’t seen many other horror movies do. By Cregger making the entire premise — or the climax of the story — the promotional material, he compelled us to discover the “how” and “why” rather than the typical “what.” It positively twisted the approach of traditional cinema, enhancing his mysterious and powerful storytelling.
Cregger confronts the traumatic reality of experiencing the jolting loss of someone incredibly important while also making the movie humorous. Even though it was far from funny, it was incredibly captivating. He managed to intertwine “gallows humor” into horrific moments, and the timings of it hit the mark. It was a satisfying thrill while being prompted to a giggle or two here and there, majorly courteous of the exceptional acting and not from stars like Josh Brolin and Julia Garner. Alden Ehrenreich — a police officer in corrupt law enforcement — brought violent outbursts that turned slightly comedic. Amy Magidan’s performance can’t be overlooked. Her unexpectedly eccentric character delivered a passive, unnerving intimidation where the flavour of horror felt enhanced by her smeared red lipstick and red bowl cut bangs. Benedict Wong’s physical transformation halfway through the film certainly made me want to curl into myself, but caught me in laughter at the same time.
The camera was kept at odd, uncomfortable angles or slowly and creepily panning inwards bringing intensity and creativity to the movie’s heavy mystery-driven plot. The increasing stillness and proximity of the filming became the communication to the audience in place of dialogue. They were completely unpredictable and the immense suspension was exhilarating.. One scene that stuck out to me was a shot that followed a brain-dead woman walking puppet-like with scissors in the air, then lingering on the protagonist as the woman disappeared from frame and I was left to interpret what she would do next. Their shot choice and little to no music or internal noises was enough to keep my butt stuck to the seat in terror.”
I couldn’t praise the movie enough for how well-written it was. It’s ironic considering the most chilling part of it was how little dialogue there was, but it wasn’t because of that. The story was a slow-build as each part seeped inwards to the truth, which is largely due to Cregger’s awareness of structural and narrative coherence. His use of perspective is distinctive. The movie is split like chapters where multiple characters’ points of view guides viewers to the unveiling in a way that didn’t lose me or make me impatient. Some might call his style unconventional, I proudly call it nonconformist. It was constructive for understanding the story and as a result it felt full. I left feeling that each character was well-developed.
Weapons was a story that grounded me because behind the fictional tragedy was a real-world truth that is still hard to believe is real life. Not only is it about showcasing the results of loss and grief, but the film is an allegory that comments on America’s gun violence epidemic and advocacy against it. That’s scary enough without the initial horror elements, and perhaps my only critique would be that I found myself looking for more jump-scares, but really, I was okay with how many times I had to peek through my fingers.
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.