‘Weapons’ delivers more than scares—it’s a powerful, psychological horror with depth. Explore the themes and standout moments in our review.
In a genre frequently dominated and dominated by jump scares and clichés, “WEAPONS” is a rare find – a horrific character-driven film that stays with you long after the credits. Directed by renowned filmmaker Zach Cregger, who is best known for the twisted and terrifying Barbarian, this psychological horror-thriller is not only scary; it is profoundly disturbing in the best possible way.
The film highlights not only how some ordinary people can be instruments of fear and terror, but also grapples with the metaphorical “weapons” we all carry – grief, guilt, fear, and trauma.
If you are looking for a horror experience that does not hinge solely on blood and guts or cheap thrills, you won’t want to miss WEAPONS.
A Genre-Bending Narrative That Turns Expectations on Their Head
WEAPONS is not a traditional horror, and that is a good thing. Rather than a straightforward narrative, the film uses a fractured storytelling technique with multiple perspectives similar to Magnolia or Babel, but with an underlying dread. The film is primarily a collection of interconnected stories, each told from different characters’ perspectives, and all linked by a central plot line – a horrific crime that destroys the lives of those involved in a small town setting.
This mosaic aspect allows the viewer to piece together the narrative puzzle for themselves— never letting you feel entirely settled or comfortable from start to finish. The way the story is told in a non-linear fashion heightens the suspense and emotional investment in a way where the final reveal hits you with unexpected loss/identity trauma on a whole other Geiger level.
A Great Cast that Grounds the Horror
The weapons feature an awesome cast led by Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, Narcos), whose portrayal of a grieving father is completely captivating. He has a raw vulnerability to tapping into emotional gravity and allows the audience to feel the horror of not only supernatural entities but psychological as well, on the human pain spectrum.
Renate Reinsve, who made a splash with The Worst Person in the World, is great as a teacher with an undisclosed past, while Daniel Kaluuya, Aubrey Plaza, and Paul Walter Hauser are no slouches in performances. They were all believable in who they are, which makes the horror have a layer of intimacy that feels real, personal.
Themes that are Unnerving
What Weapons is all about is not what we see, but ultimately what we are forced to see about ourselves. The film looks at so many heavy themes:
- The banality of evil: How regular people can commit horrific acts in the right (or wrong) conditions.
- Intergenerational trauma: How hurt, violence, and fear can be transmitted like curses.
- Masculinity and power: How toxic masculinity can be used as a weapon, affecting lives, communities, and societies.
- Media desensitization: How violence becomes entertainment, and how we deal with (or ignore) tragedy in the digital age.
These are not new ideas in horror, but Weapons approaches them with a level of sophistication and nuance that few horror films can. The stakes are high, and the horror feels real—making it that much more effective and disturbing.
Visually Arresting and Atmospherically Dense
Cinematographer Larkin Seiple (Everything Everywhere All at Once) deserves credit for making an aesthetic that directs the film’s mood without overpowering it. Weapons have shadows and blurred edges, and desaturated palettes that make for an unsettling atmosphere.
Also effective is the film’s production design and sound mix. From times of eerie silence to sudden and jarring audio, all moments of Weapons create a psychological experience. You do not merely watch this film; you feel it in your bones.
A Horror Movie That Doesn’t “Dumb Down”
One of the most refreshing things about Weapons is that it never “dumbs” itself down. Cregger does not resort to exposition dumps, forced resolutions, or any happy endings. Cregger restores faith in audiences by realizing that there are educated and intelligent audiences that want the room for interpretation, ambiguity, and later, contemplation.
Like Hereditary and The Witch, Weapons is elevated horror at its best. It uses fright not simply for entertainment value but to elevate and confront different playing fields — analogous to the dysfunctional familial relationships of contemporary life. Weapons is an unpredictable film that does not punish you with an illogical narrative that surprises you with a goofy ending, rather often rewarding itself with a convoluted amount of exposition and characterizations that only lead to more intricate storytelling, better character understanding of motivation, and faults otherwise unexplored.
Early Buzz and Critical Acclaim
While Weapons had a small opening weekend in theatres earlier this year, there are already whispers that it is considered one of the very best horror films of the decade. Early screenings during festivals have taken fans by surprise, earning standing ovations. There is also great anticipation for the wider release, given it currently has fantastic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic in the horror genre, suggesting that critics and audiences agree.
Fans of both A24 horror and smartly crafted films in the genre, as well as psychological thrillers, will find unique entertainment value in Weapons for the vibrant structure and brilliant performances that lead to emotionally charged disbelief. Weapons is a movie that asks you if Barbarian was simply an opening shot across the bow, now it is full-blown pulverization — interwoven with intelligence, brute force, and memory.
Final Verdict: 9.5/10
Once again, Zach Cregger has knocked it out of the park. With Weapons, he continues to elevate himself as one of the most daring voices in modern horror. This is not a film, it is an experience – it is an absolute masterclass in storytelling, atmosphere, and emotional horror.
FAQs
1: What’s Weapons about?
Weapons is a psychological horror thriller from Zach Cregger that follows a small town through a series of interrelated stories/characters all linked together by heinous crimes. The film touches on deep themes of trauma, violence, and the darkness within ordinary lives that remain hidden.
2: Who directed Weapons?
Weapons is directed by Zach Cregger, who directed the 2022 breakout horror hit Barbarian. Cregger is known for stories with perfect pacing and building suspense. Weapons is yet another completely fresh and elevated vision for horror that Cregger has created!
4: Is Weapons a typical horror film?
No Weapons is more about character and psychological horror than it is about a fractured narrative style.