Weapons - Spoiler Review & Score

Weapons (2025) — CLENCH MAGAZINE Review (Spoilers Included)

Zach Cregger, who stunned audiences with his debut Barbarian, returns with Weapons, a film that pushes the boundaries of horror-drama through immersive storytelling and bold stylistic choices. Cregger’s signature handheld cinematography returns, placing viewers right inside the action with shaky, intimate shots that heighten tension and create a claustrophobic atmosphere. It’s a visceral experience that pulls you deep into the film’s unsettling world from the opening frame.

The cast is uniformly strong, led by Julia Garner as Justine. Garner’s performance is layered, showing vulnerability, strength, and complexity as she navigates a world that keeps shifting beneath her feet. Garner has become known for deeply emotional roles—Ozark, The Wolfman—but here, while her acting remains top-notch, her visual presentation feels recycled. It’s hard to shake the feeling that this is the same character in different clothes. With her incredible range, I’d love to see her reinvent her look to better match the breadth of her talent.

Supporting Garner are Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Benedict Wong. Wong delivers a standout sequence roughly midway through the film—a frantic, desperate run through crowded city streets that injects a surge of adrenaline into the narrative. This moment feels like the turning point, ramping up stakes before the film’s chaotic finale.

But the real star is Amy Madigan, playing the antagonist Gladys. Madigan delivers a chilling, magnetic performance that lingers long after the credits roll. Her portrayal is haunting and off-kilter, blending menace with a twisted charm that makes her unforgettable. For much of the film, you question whether Gladys is even real, and when her true nature is finally revealed late in the story, the film ignites. She channels the spirit of classic horror villains like The Grand High Witch in The Witches and Mrs. Ganish from Drag Me to Hell. Madigan owns every scene she’s in, making Gladys the most compelling reason to watch the movie. It’s a shame she only fully emerges late in the film, leaving the audience wanting more.

The plot centers on seventeen children from the same classroom who mysteriously vanish overnight, apparently taken by an unseen force. Justine finds herself in the middle of this dark mystery when Paul and James attack her, only for her to shoot them dead with Paul’s gun. Meanwhile, Alex disobeys Gladys, leading to a tense pursuit by his parents. In a desperate move, Alex copies a ritual he witnessed Gladys perform, using a lock of her hair to break her control over the children. This triggers a violent chase through multiple homes, culminating in the children catching and tearing Gladys apart, breaking the spell that held them. With Gladys dead, Archer rushes to reunite with his son. The children, previously catatonic from possession, begin to recover—some even speaking again—and Alex moves in with an aunt after his parents are institutionalized.

Despite these strengths, Weapons suffers from significant tonal and pacing issues. While the film is marketed as a horror, it’s more of a drama sprinkled with dark comedy and horror elements. This uneven mix creates tonal whiplash—moments of tension quickly dissolve into scenes with sketch-comedy vibes that sometimes land but often undercut the suspense. The film struggles to find a consistent mood, which makes it harder to fully engage.

The biggest problem is the storytelling structure. The narrative unfolds through five different characters’ perspectives, but every time the film begins to build momentum, it resets to a new viewpoint. This approach kills pacing and becomes frustrating, especially since the main mystery is clear well before the halfway mark. The repeated rewinding feels like padding, dragging out the story unnecessarily. Justine, the heart of the film, disappears for nearly 30 minutes in the middle, while side stories take center stage. These detours often lack tension and felt like watching paint dry—I even thought about running to the post office during one particularly slow stretch.

When Weapons hits its stride, it’s genuinely thrilling. The horror sequences deliver real scares and atmosphere, and the antagonist’s scenes are deeply unsettling. But the side plots drag down the film’s momentum, largely because we’ve seen events multiple times from different angles.

Plot holes and odd narrative choices weigh the film down. It’s never explained why Gladys needed the children—there’s no scene showing her interacting with them. These unanswered questions could fill pages. Early on, the narrator tells us the kids disappeared and were never heard from again. In retrospect, we learn this is a lie. Why would the narrator lie to the audience? That misdirection feels strange and unnecessary and should have been cut. The film also chooses not to end from Justine’s perspective, missing a chance to close her story fully. While these may seem like minor quibbles, resolving them could have elevated the film from very good to unforgettable.

If it weren’t for the batshit crazy ending, Benedict Wong’s adrenaline-pumping street run, and Amy Madigan’s powerhouse performance, Weapons would land at a solid B (86). But these elements push it to a 92—an A rating. The film has its flaws but features standout moments and performances that make it destined for cult status.

Will I watch it again? Absolutely. But I’ll fast-forward through the slower parts or wait for a fan edit that trims the fat and sharpens the narrative.

Weapons is a wild ride with enough brilliance to make the bumpy journey worthwhile.

Final Score: 92/A