Weapons review

By Axel

2025

I recently watched the horror film “Weapons”, directed by Zach Cregger starring Julia Garner. My expectations for this movie going into it were admirably high. I only knew about two aspects of this movie; I knew about the running and I knew about Gladys which I will dive further into later. This movie had been on my mind ever since I saw the trailer for it because the premise of a class of children all going missing intrigued me. Also fair warning if you’re reading this there will be spoilers, I can’t help that and I’m sorry. I had only ever seen Julia Garner in Inventing Anna which I thought was undoubtedly a great acting performance. I have seen the only other movie that Zach Cregger has directed and I absolutely loved it so I was so happy that he finally came out with another horror film. If you haven’t already watched Barbarian I thoroughly recommend watching it, it might help bring us out of the air bnb crisis.

So without further ado here are my thoughts on all aspects of Weapons.

Plot (Story Arc and Plausibility): 7 out of 10 

This plot had me hooked since I saw the trailer and I heard the premise of the film. This film started off really good and I loved the change of perspective. I think why I am giving this a 7 is that the mystery of the plot was lost too early. The fact that the kids were in the basement seems like it should have come later in the movie. I also wish that there was more of a background story behind Gladys’s character. I would love to see a prequel come from this explaining what the magic actually is and where it comes from. The biggest letdown of the plot for me was definitely the ending; it felt way to clean and tidy.

Attraction (Premise & Entertainment Value): 9 out 10

This movie I think also drew a lot of people just from the trailer. While I was watching a complete unknown I heard someone shout “ I wanna watch that” when the Weapons trailer played. I think right now in the current zeitgeist horror movies are for better or worse on the rise in popularity. I think the whole premise of 17 kids mysteriously going missing also is something people might be interested to see. And as someone who has watched it the entertainment value is perfect and I think it is definitely written for gen z.

Theme (Identity & Depth):6 out of 10

I would say that this movie didn’t have that much identity. The only theme that really stood out to me while watching was the feeling of abandonment. Other than that it was kind of just a mystery horror film with a great plot. I will say I think if they make a second or a prequel that more depth could definitely be added. I think possibly the perspective of Alex is meant to show what abandonment looks like.

Acting (Characters & Performance): 10 out of 10

I was so pleased with Julia Garner’s performance in this movie. This was such a big switch from Inventing Anna and I was pleasantly surprised by it. From what I have read about her I find that she is a very quiet person so I am always surprised when she plays these lively roles. This is such a good child acting performance from Cary Christopher especially only being 9 years old. And the woman who played Gladys did probably the best acting job of the year 2025. Truly exceptional, I want to be best friends with her now even though she is technically the villain.

Dialogue (Storytelling & Context): 9 out of 10

I love the way this story was told so much, I like the aspect of the narrator being one of the kids in the class. I love how we have multiple perspective jumps and each jump has a long portion. I especially love the perspective of Alex, the kid who’s Gladys’s nephew. I think there could have been a little more use of context within Gladys’s story but the way the story is actually told is quite exceptional.

Cinematography (Visual Language & Lighting, Setting, and Wardrobe): 8 out of 10

I think that the cinematography of this movie was not the director’s main focus. This film did have good cinematography but compared to other horror films it isn’t as insane. The reason I am giving the cinematography an 8 is mainly due to Gladys’s character and the end chasing scene. The way they have Gladys’s dress and do her makeup is so fun and interesting for a villain; her makeup almost makes her look uncanny. The kids chasing her scene is so well filmed as well as the scene where the children eat her alive; There were certainly cinematic standouts.  

Editing (Pace & Effects): 9 out of 10

I do not have much to say editing wise , I thought that it was good. I enjoyed the pace of the movie a lot. There weren’t many special effects used in this film to be honest but I enjoyed how creepy the makeup effects were. The way they made the parents of Alex look was so creepy, alongside the school principal after Gladys got to him. The way they made gladys appear on the ceiling was one of the jumpscares that truly scared me and that was great. When they did use special effects they were done well and cleanly.

Soundtrack (Sound Design & Film Score): 10 out of 10

There wasn’t much to the actual soundtrack but the most memorable song was so memorable and I really enjoyed the scene using it. The song “Beware of Darkness” by George Harrison was featured in the scene while the children are running out of their homes into the dark. Never have I ever wished to be someone in a movie more than watching that scene with that song. They looked so incredibly free running with their arms out and the song choice truly added to that. The actual horror score itself is also very creepy and great, Zach Cregger always has great score choices.

The “It” Factor (One-of-a-Kind & Transcendent): 9 out of 10

I think that the “It” factor was truly just the actual script writing/storytelling. This is such an interesting plot that has so much potential. I will say though I almost didn’t want this movie to end, It also sort of felt unfinished. However what we did get to see was truly tantalizing and almost perfect. I felt like Zach had a great vision and executed it so incredibly well, I want to see more and I think that is a very good thing.

Final thoughts+ Final rating: 9 out of 10

I think this is so good for a horror movie and felt like a breath of fresh air after watching the truly horrifying “Bring Her Back”. I think this is just truly an overall perfect movie, the only thing that I truly wish is that there was more context. I want to know more about gladys, and I want to know more about where this twig tradition has come from. I thought all of the acting was so amazing, and James is the best character alongside Gladys who is the best horror film villain I have seen in a while. A great movie overall I truly recommend watching it, you are definitely in for a good time.