Director: Zach Cregger
Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan
Rating: (R16)
★★★★
REVIEWED BY AMASIO JUTEL
From his 2022 Detroit basement horror, Barbarian, Zach Cregger has levelled up in almost every way in Weapons (Rialto, Reading) — his sprawling, chaptered study of suburban small-town Pennsylvania. Somewhat thematically foggy, Weapons is a densely layered masterclass in script writing and cinematic horror technique.
On Wednesday, at 2.17am, 17 children from Justine Gandy’s third-grade class walked out of their homes, never to be seen again. All but one. Only Alex Lily remains. Justine (Julia Garner), the schoolteacher, is the focal point of anger for parents — the only person who can be directly tied to each of the missing children. Her witch-hunt is led by Archer (Josh Brolin), a crusading parent frustrated by the apparent failings of the police, who is investigating the home security camera footage from other bereft houses. Meanwhile, police officer Paul’s (Alden Ehrenreich) brutal assault of James (Austin Abrams), a local homeless man seeking the $50,000 cash reward for information, is caught on his car’s dashcam, and Marcus (Benedict Wong), the school principal, probes a Child Protective Services tip-off regarding Alex (Cary Christopher), the final puzzle piece, whose story synthesises Cregger’s expertly crafted traumatic tale.
This Paul Thomas Anderson-style sprawling character study takes inspiration from Magnolia. Alden Ehrenreich’s hairline, moustache, and authoritarian hubris are a nod to John C. Reilly’s Magnolia police officer Jim Curring, while Garner and Abrams split the Melora Walters character from that film into love interest and drug addict. Prisoners and Rosemary’s Baby are other potential comparisons.
Some have criticised Weapons for not delivering a clear theme or message — that Barbarian maintains its prescient social commentary, and Weapons struggles to communicate a point. I disagree.
Cregger has undoubtedly infused Weapons with a takedown of the police, with nods to suburban paranoia in a parable analogous to school shootings. The rageful, mob mentality witch-hunt, aimlessly directed, looking to place blame to rationalise inexplicable, sickening acts of violence that unsettle suburban, small-town safety. In a dream sequence, Archer sees a giant assault rifle floating above a house — an image of Lynchian origin (literally), pulled from Cregger’s subconscious to evoke an idea; a powerful image without deliberate meaning.
Where Weapons truly succeeds is in its execution of its pure, gnarly horror. Dark cinematography heightens the scares, leaving viewers on edge for the full two-hour ride.
Its ballistic and violent ending is surprisingly emotionally moving, and the striking image of Naruto running children’s silhouettes is immediately gripping.
Weapons leaves me excited for what is to come of haunted houses and basements in Cregger’s upcoming Resident Evil project.
