I just saw the movie Weapons. Zach Cregger made a decent film that’s worth talking about, but quite frankly, I’m not sure I’m in the camp of people giving it the 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
I’ll say this first: the movie’s not forgettable. The characters are not forgettable. Josh Brolin does a great job as Archer Graff. Julia Garner brings a lot of depth to Justine Gandy, and Alden Ehrenreich’s Paul Morgan—cop, ex-boyfriend, and conflicted soul—adds another layer to the story. There are a few protagonists, and plenty of antagonists. It’s not your typical flow. It’s more akin to Midsommar or Hereditary than your standard horror flick. It’s deeply unsettling, profoundly disturbing, and strangely funny.
But a problem exists in the characters.. there was a lot of development–but we did not end up even liking any of them. No one was … ready for our acceptance..
But sadly, for me, in the end, it’s more of a miss than a dead-center bullseye.
Let me explain. The movie does a few things very well. It doesn’t take itself too seriously at points when it shouldn’t. Even during the dramatic final conclusion—one of those moments in any film where you’d expect the audience to be on the edge of their seats—it slips in a scene that would go well with a laugh-track. If you had put some Benny Hill music over that scene, it would have completely lost credibility.
But here’s the thing: while you’re laughing, you drop your guard… and then it hits you with a horrific, graphic, gory scene. That’s what Cregger does best here—he lulls you in with a little levity, only to jab at you when you least expect it. It’s not light after all. It’s mostly dark. He mocks your frivolity.
It’s tough to do a movie review without spoilers, and I’m not going to spoil anything. I will say this: the most memorable character in this movie is one you don’t even see in the previews. I did myself a huge favor by avoiding spoilers altogether. The reviews I skimmed beforehand were short, vague, and gave me nothing concrete, and I’m glad for it. I recommend you do the same.
That said, I can’t help but wonder if the marketing and buildup to this film were a bit over the top compared to what it actually delivers. We were led to expect a Stranger Things-esque production—mystery, vibe, nostalgia—and yes, we definitely get a vibe. In fact, much of the film is bright and sunny, like Hereditary, using that unsettling trick of placing horror under a blue sky. Cregger nails that.
The flow works. The storyline is interesting. The acting is superb (despite not ending up liking many characters)..
There are moments that put you on the edge of your seat, and there are moments that make you wince and cringe at what’s unfolding on the screen. But then… it just ends. And that’s the biggest jab of all.
If you expect a solid ending, depending on your point of view, you might get it. But I think a lot of people walked out of the theater wanting something different. That’s strange, because up until the wrap, the movie was going well.
The run-up to Weapons had everyone thinking it would be the horror movie of the year. For me, it’s one of the good ones. But we’ll wait until year’s end to decide if it really earns that crown.
