By: Jesse Striewski
Despite some slight interest at first glance, I was initially hesitant to see Weapons thanks to so many modern horror films bordering on the absurd (2024’s Longlegs and the X series comes to mind) or excessively violent these days. But similar to the likes of say, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, Weapons is just unique enough to be an entertaining ride all of its own.
The film centers around the aftermath of a group of young students, all in the same elementary school class, who mysteriously vanish in the middle of the night at the exact same time without any explanation, and intertwines the stories of several individuals connected to the event.
Alex (newcomer Cary Christopher), the only student from the class unaffected by this, ultimately holds the secret via a very distant (and very sinister) aunt named Gladys (played with ease by Amy Madigan) who just came to stay with him and his parents.
The atmosphere is top notch, and high caliber acting from Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Aiden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Benedict Wong, all contributes equally to the proceedings. There’s a realistic vibe to it all that makes it all that much more unsettling.
While not without the occasional flaw or two, Weapons still holds just enough interest and creepiness suitable for appropriate Halloween viewing this year; give it a whirl if you have not yet done so.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
