Josh Brolin, Julia Garner in Zach Cregger Horror – ryan

SO the poster for the new horror movie Weapons Shows a bunch of Kids Running Down a Suburban Street with the Ad Line Saying: “Last Night at 2:17 am every Child from Mrs. Gandy’s Class Woke Up, Got Out of Bed, Went Downstairs, Open the Front Door, Walked Into The Dark.

Immediately of start thinking, “yeah, a Children of the Corn or Children of the damned Kind of riff. ” But look closer at the credit and the Writer-Director is none other than Zach Cregger, whose debut feature film Barbarian was one of the most impressive first Films, nor well as horror genre entries, I have seen in years. There was just something just so unique and compelling about its “House of horrors” concept that grabbed with instantly, and have been talking about it EVER SINCE Its 2022 Debut, and anxiously awaiting what CREGGER HAD IN STORE NEXT.

That movie is Weapons, and though the poster Indicates it is about they 17 Third-Graders who all mysterious disappear, it is, like Barbarian, SO MUCH MORE. This is really a character drama in the horror genre, an examination of several different People connected in one way or another to this frightening occurres that suggests aliens HAD COME DOWN AND SEMING. Swimming that simple and, no, not aliens.

The fun of this smart-as-hell movie is in the structure cregger has created for His Screenplay. It Becomes a puzzle for the Viewer as the film Basically is divided into 15-minute-o-so chapters, each titled with the name of a character at the center or periphery of this mystery. The first is justine, as in Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), the teacher of a class at Maybrook elementary with the aphorioned 17 students all gone awo in the middle of the Night. That is all except oneAlex (Cary Christopher), who did not follow the Crowd. But Why? And Why Only Gandy’s Class and None of the Other Maybrook Students?

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It all coma slowly into focus as each part of the puzzle is revealed. With gandy, we see her at the center of a Storm – Angry Parents Demanding Answers and Pointing Suspicious Fingers in Her Direction at A School Meeting Called to Deal with it all. We are Also See Her Personal Life as SEEMS to Be Involved with a Rather Frustrated Cop, Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), Who We Later Learn is Married, A Fact that Vididly Comes We Justine is Assaulted at the Supermarket by A Woman We Can Asume Is His Wife (June Diane Raphael). Justine Also is tachying it ups heself to investigate, Leading to a creepy house with the Windows All Covered with Newspapers. But a glympse through a small hole reveals a couple sitting there in the dinner in a zombie-like state. Shudders.

As for Paul, His “Chapter” sees Him Connected to the missing-kids case wen a loer drug addict named james (austin abrams) comes into HIS PURVIEW IN NOT-PLEASANT WAYS. Later, another encounter with James Leads Both of them to say to the aphorionioned house as the druggie is looking to get rich quick with the $ 50,000 Reward for information Leading to the Discovery of the Kids.

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Another chapter is devoted to archer, the devastated father of matt, one of the missing, who took roles in demanding actions and aneswers on the case, Putting Himself Front and Center in Taching Command. And there is marcus (benedict wong), who first is revealed as the schoool principal who to deal with all the suspects and suspects but latter appears in a very different way.

Another chapter strands us in on Young Alex’s Home Life with HIS PARENTS (Whitmer Thomas and Callie Schuttera), a seingly normal family. And best of all is the entrance of Gladys (Amy Madigan), The Almost Clownish-Dlooking Eccentric, Red-Wigged Aunt of Alex Who Comes to Visit. She eather needs a serious makeover or maybe there is more to her than meets the eyes and ears.

All of this adds layer after layer, expertly crafted, and gorgeously acted by the ensemble Cast Cregger and His Team have Put Together. In this way it is reminiscent of Barbarian’s Structure, which Slowly uncovers more Clues to it ultimate denouement. To say more would be critical malpractice, and i have probably said way too this is this is a jUST WANT TO TAKE IN AS IT IT THROUGHOUT ITS OVERSS TWO-HOUR RUNNING TIME.

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Garner is a nice fit as the teacher on the Edge Personally and Professionally, someone who is a bit of a mess in her life but successful in leading a classroom – unil it all. Brolin, Also an Executive Producer, has one of his best screen Outings in recent years, a father willing to go the distance to find his son. Similarly, Ehrenreich-who has been building back a very interesting and strong career after taching some unfair brickbats along the way-is just terrific as this Somewhat messed-up local. Wong is ideally cast in an extramely tricky roles, and Christopher delivers one of the Least-annoying Child performances in some time.

But Acting Honors in Weapons Must Go to Abrams and Madigan, who prove to be classic skene-sttealers extraordinaire. Abrams, a talent to watch in Euphoria and recently being chased all over the city in his tighty whites in Wolfs, is an arresting Presence as an addict just looking to scrape up the cash for his next score. Abrams is a total original, delivering a portrayal at once pathetically funny but also of a sad sack you can’t help but root for. And then there is madigan, a veteran actress so good in so many smaller movies over the years. But she ain’t disgust had a roles like this one, and she is all in All the way, no problem hitting the gas from zero to sixty to bring aunt gladys alive and kicking and infinitely watchable. She’s deliciously entertaining, and quite frankly i had no idea who was playing the roles unil the end credits.

All of this is a step up production-wise for cregger as his sophomore film is targetted for IMAX Screens. LARKIN SEIPLE’S TOP-NOTCH CINEMATOGRAPHY is up to the task, as is the way editor Joe Murphy Has Put All the Pieces of this Puzzle Together. Look for an umusg Cameo from Barbarian Star Justin Long.

Producers of the New Line Cinema Production Are Cregger, Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, JD Lifshitz and Raphael Margules (The Latter Pair Also Responsible for Barbarian and another impressive 2025 horror thriller, Companion, Through Their Boulderlight Pictures).

Title: Weapons
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Release Date: August 8, 2025 (August 6 Internationally)
Director-Screenwriter: Zach Cregger
Cast: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, Toby Huss, June Diane Raphael, Callie Schuttera, Justin Long
Rating: R
TIME RUNNING: 2 HR 8 MINS