If you saw ‘Barbarian’ (reviewed HERE) back in 2022 the likelihood is that it still lingers in the recess of your mind and remains one of the best horrors of recent years. It also meant that writer-director Zack Cregger has to contend with ‘the difficult follow up film’ problem with Weapons whose trailer has been one of the best hinting at everything but giving away nothing.
Its premise is an eerie one as 17 children from a single class in a small town leave their family homes at 02:17 running through the streets never to be seen again. It’s initially relayed by the voiceover of a school child before the fallout begins in a school hall where the traumatized and furious parents of the missing children gather are led by father Archer (Josh Brolin) who points the finger of blame at class teacher Justine (Julia Garner). As far as he is concerned she must know something about this. Relatively new to the town she has her own issues and is quickly ostracized finding herself loathed and disliked with her car daubed with the word ’Witch’ in red paint that this could also be The Meghan Markle story.
Weapons picks up a month later and still with no sign of the children and much like Barbarian this follows the stories of significant individuals with the first chapter following Justine, before picking up with Archer, police officer Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), low life druggie James (Austin Abrams) head master Andrew ( Benedict Wong) plus others. But each of their stories often interconnect at important points and is a nod to Akira Kurosawa’s influential ‘Rashomon’ playing several scenes but from different characters viewpoints. Like peeling an onion it reveals layer after layer until the mystery is revealed in a third act that is alternates between blackly comic and horrifying and we mean that in a good way.
Cregger’s film has a load of striking imagery and some often, ’WTF?’ moments as stated by several of the characters. It’s not without its issues – that a major incident of children disappearing simultaneously has not attracted the FBI or at the very least far more police lacks credibility and the rationale behind what is finally revealed is never really explained. But that aside this is still a hugely compelling story and is further proof that Zack Cregger, along with Oswald Perkins (LongLegs, The Monkey) , are the most exciting horror directors in years with Weapons being one of the best films in the genre this year.
related feature : ‘When Evil Lurks’ – director Demian Rugna talks demons, conspiracies & horrors
related feature : How a red flag guide for women inspired Barbarian ….
related feature: ‘The Monkey’ premiere
Here’s the Weapons trailer……
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