There have been quite a few big horror movies in recent years. It seems like the genre keeps on winning more and more as time goes on. One of the most recent horror flicks to do well in theaters is Weapons, directed by Zach Cregger. The advertising for the film has been rather mysterious, but is the final product something as haunting as audiences hoped? Let’s dig deeper to find out.

The Good

There are great scares throughout the movie, all of which feel earned. There are never any fake-out jumpscares, and each one feels organic to the story rather than random. The imagery itself is terrifying, and the suspense between each scare is top-notch. The eeriness as each scene builds up to the next fright is enough to have some folks on the edge of their seat and others cowering behind their hands.

The story is told in a unique way, where it follows different characters at different moments so we get their point of view on various events. It’s a formula that wouldn’t work for a lot of movies, but it’s very successful here. It manages to move the story along nicely while giving the audience more information in an organic manner. There’s no need for exposition dumps when we’re seeing things through each character’s eyes.

This movie is incredibly well-shot. Each scene looks gorgeous while also adding to the eerie atmosphere. There are a lot of close ups that are oddly compelling, and quite a few tracking shots from behind characters to make us really feel like we’re experiencing things from their point of view. It’s all so captivating to see on the screen.

It’s impossible to talk about this movie without discussing its score. Not only does it sound amazing, but it’s a one-of-a-kind score that will stick in your brain. No other film score has sounded like this. It pulls you in and makes you feel what the characters are feeling. It’s spooky, suspenseful, and somehow catchy throughout.

The characters are all well-written, and each of their motivations and emotions feel realistic and relatable. When characters are at odds, you completely understand each side, which is impressive. Something that helps these characters reach the heights that they do is the actors and how good their performances are. Each one of them is emotional but with enough subtlety to keep them grounded. Everyone feels like actual people.

The film acts as a few metaphors for the sake of conveying important themes. Perhaps the most major one is that the events in the story serve as a metaphor for the effects of gun violence in the United States. The meeting at the school, the grief felt by characters and how they all handle it differently, and the way the missing school children are discussed are all identical to how everything is handled in real life when another school shooting takes place. It’s important to see a movie draw so much attention to an important issue, and it’s handled quite well.

The Bad

There could have been a bit more information given on a few things in the movie. (SPOILERS): Gladys wants to feed off the kids’ life to prolong her own, but perhaps we could have seen that happen or at least attempted. There’s some death and a good amount of property damage during the final act; how will the main characters explain to the rest of the town what happened and why a cop was murdered? It’s not a huge deal because filling in the blanks ourselves is certainly part of it, but a tad more explanation would have been nice.

There’s an opening and closing narration, and it’s honestly a fantastic narration. The fact that it’s from a child is super effective, it causes intrigue, and gives just enough context for the audience. That being said, it’s really quiet. It’s much quieter than any of the other dialogue in the movie. I had to cuff my ear to hear all of it. It’s so odd. Why not just turn the volume up on the narrator’s recording?

Conclusion

Weapons is an especially great horror movie, and deserves to be considered a modern classic with the likes of Hereditary, Longlegs, and It Follows. They could have done more in a couple of areas, but it’s truly unique, suspenseful, and actually scary. It tells a great story, which not all horror does. It serves as an important metaphor, which is always welcome. It does this all while looking fantastic. If you’re a horror fan, you need to see Weapons.

Rating: 9.5/10