Weapons (2025 film) Review: The Perfect Halloween Watch?
2025 has been a spine-chilling year for Hollywood horror fans. From the unconventional brilliance of Sinners to the blood-soaked return of Final Destination: Bloodlines, and the eerie revival of classic scares in The Conjuring: Last Rites, the genre truly made a comeback. But among all the screams and shocks, one film stands tall, and terrifying is Weapons.
Directed by Zach Cregger, who gave us the horror hit Barbarian in 2022, this film packs a solid story in the shades of thriller with an underrated star cast. But does it stand out? Let’s find out.
What’s It About?
The film is about the sudden disappearance of all but one student in a classroom in the middle of the night. After repeated rounds of investigations and suspicions of the parents of a newcomer teacher, Justine (Julia Garner), the case has gone cold. But what actually happened is for you to find out.
What works?
Multi-angle storytelling
The director doesn’t follow the traditional one-dimensional storytelling of the horror film franchises. But he gives this film a thriller treatment by telling us the story from multiple POVs of several characters. It will keep you engaged throughout its runtime and will always make you anxious to find out what actually happened.
Performance
Weapons is headlined by the kid actor Cary Christopher, who plays the role of Alex. He gives a spine-chilling performance. Apart from that, Julie Garner, Josh Brolin, Benedict Wong, and Alden Ehrenreich have shone in their respective roles. Special credits should be given to Amy Madigan, and you will find out why when you watch the movie yourself.
Pacing and Treatment
The pacing of the film is decently adjusted to cater to the new generation of audiences. Without trying to set up and build a world around the characters, the director jumps straight into the action without wasting much of our time. The treatment will definitely feel like something not seen before.
Horror Treatment
To be honest, the film is not about the conventional horror treatment, which includes several jump scares and chilling moments. But this is about creating an environment that will make you uneasy while keeping you glued to your seats.
Core Concept
The core concept has a resemblance to the Gujarati smash hit “Vash,” which was later made in Hindi as “Shaitaan”. In contrast, Weapons has a much darker, grittier, and more realistic tone, without the masala touch.
Violence
The film follows a treatment that involves no masala or violence. But suddenly, in the very end, there is an unexpected amount of gory violence which will amaze you. It worked for me at least, as it was unexpected, but I don’t know about the general audience.
What Doesn’t Work?
Scare Factors
Well to be honest, the average audience of any horror movie franchise will expect to be scared by the film, right? But sadly, this movie lacks jump scares and scary factors in the department. This can be a big letdown for lovers of this genre. While I liked it because I am a lover of thrillers and not the other genre, in the bigger picture, it’s a con.
Stretched in Parts
The film felt stretched in some portions. In my opinion, it deserved much tighter editing to cut out the slag. It would have made this film absolutely perfect.
Detailing Missing in the Main Plot
The main plot of the film, which I am not going to reveal, needed much more detailing. Be it in the form of folklore or backstory, the character deserved a backstory. It felt abrupt. I don’t know if the makers are trying to go for a sequel or another film highlighting the prequel to this character. I will be waiting for my answer, Zach Cregger.
Unexplained Ending
The ending of the film leaves us baffled and leaves behind a lot of unanswered questions. I had to do some googling to learn about fan theories and explanations. But I would like the actual answer in a later movie.
Final Words
Weapons is an unexpected entry into the already stacked list of horror movies released in 2025. It packs an unconventional way of storytelling with fewer jump scares, but it is full of things that you may not have expected or seen earlier in a horror movie. It deserved your attention, and I am waiting for the next chapter.
Rating:
What do you think about this film? Do let us know in the comments below.
Avik
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