To me, crafting a good horror film is a Herculean task that only a few directors are good at. Repetitive jump scares, overplayed mythologies, and overused tropes have saturated the genre. So, when I stepped into the theatre to watch Weapons, my expectations weren’t exactly high. The trailer didn’t reveal much beyond the intriguing premise: 17 children go missing on a random night at exactly 2:17 AM. However, as the end credits rolled and the theatre erupted in applause, I can happily say that director Zachary Cregger is steering the genre in the right direction. Written and directed by Cregger and starring Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, and Cary Christopher, here’s our review of the 2025 horror-mystery film Weapons.
Plot Of Weapons
Without revealing too much, the plot of Weapons revolves around 17 children who one day mysteriously get out of bed precisely at 2:17 AM in the night and run off into the darkness. The film is set in a small town in America, and the entire community is shaken by this sudden and strange incident. The odd part of the children’s disappearance is that they all study in one class belonging to Ms Justine Gandy (Julia Garner). Out of the class of 18 students, only one child named Alex Lily (Cary Christopher), remains. The entire town suspects Justine Gandy as the police scramble to look for clues. A grieving parent, Archer Groff (Josh Brolin), takes it upon himself to investigate the disappearances while Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a policeman, and James (Austin Abrams), a troubled young man, get roped in further in this peculiar case.
Performances
Julia Garner As Justine Gandy
Julia Garner excels at playing the paranoid but kind school teacher. Her performance will keep you on the edge of your seat. Julia’s Justine Gandy is both sensitive and bold when the need arises.
Josh Brolin As Archer Groff
Brolin’s Archer Groff is miserable, frustrated and curious, and you can feel all these emotions through the screen. Josh Brolin’s performance as the daunting but fragile, desperate father who just wants to find his child again and will go to any length to do so comes across as perfectly convincing
Cary Christopher
The 9-year-old child actor is unarguably the star of the show. Watching Cary play the role of the quiet Alex Lilly with fear permanently etched into his eyes after the events of the film is quite an experience. Cary Christopher’s performance will make your heart ache, scream in fear and root for Alex all at the same time.
Verdict – An Eerie Narrative That Will Have You On The Edge Of Your Seat
If I had to point to one particular thing that makes Weapons as good as it is, it would be Zachary Cregger’s phenomenal screenplay. The film is divided into perspectives that serve as chapters. You get to watch the same thing happen from the eyes of different characters, each time revealing something new and perfectly fitting in like a puzzle piece at the end.
Visually, the film is stunning. Shot with precision, the scenes are demented, eerie, and deeply unsettling. Cinematographer Larkin Seiple does an incredible job of translating Cregger’s screenplay onto the movie screen.
The first few minutes of Weapons may test your patience as it starts off as a slow burn. But as the story picks up and more unsettling questions arise, the plot draws you in, refusing to let go. If we’re pointing out flaws, there’s one to note: the film isn’t consistently scary. Yes, there are moments where your heart will leap into your throat, but it leans more into mystery and psychological tension than traditional horror. That said, Weapons never pretends to be a pure scare-fest. It’s self-aware, at times even darkly funny, lulling you into a false sense of security, only to snatch it away in the most brutal way possible.
If all this does not convince you to watch the film, then let me hint at a jaw-dropping, insane but incredibly satisfying pay-off that broke the entire theatre into slow claps. Frighteningly grotesque and masterfully directed with a fresh storyline, Weapons is no doubt a standout film in the modern horror scenario.
The film is releasing in theatres near you on 8th August 2025, so book your tickets now!
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