‘Weapons’ shocks with new take on classic horror

Henry Sincic

Contributor

“Weapons” is a welcome addition to the spate of excellent horror movies released in the past few years, and indeed, may just well be the best one of this year. A well acted, well directed and well shot film, it generally represents first-rate filmmaking. For the most part, it successfully blends thriller and chiller elements together, with a smattering of comedic levity thrown in for good measure. After all, what good is horror if you can’t have a little fun with it?

The plot centers around something familiar in the annals of modern horror: missing children. Namely, a whole classroom of kids from a small town school walk out of their homes one night at exactly 2:17 a.m., never to be seen again. The entire movie is based around finding them. This setup is delivered to us in short at the beginning of the movie, and we are mercifully spared from any unnecessary scenes of setup before the plot can truly kick into gear.

Julia Garner, who has deservedly shot into superstardom this year, plays Justine, the teacher of the vanished classroom. Garner is a talented actress who lends a unique presence to the film. She perfectly portrays someone who is trying desperately to keep their composure, but who is also slowly cracking under pressure. Josh Brolin is here, too. Like the Goonie he once was, he’s searching for clues to solve a mystery, though in this case, he’s trying to find his son, one of the missing kids. As always, it’s nice to see him, and it’s even better once he teams up with Garner to find the missing children.

The movie “Weapons” follows the disappearance of a classroom of children. Photo from IMDB

One thing that stands out about “Weapons” is its editing. It feels like scenes are perfectly paced and cut so as to produce the maximum intended effect, whether that is to unnerve or outright startle. The structure of the film, too, warrants a mention. The movie is split into segments, each focusing on a different character’s perspective of the events “so far,” while also introducing new information that helps us form a “big picture” of what exactly is going on.

The moments of tension are well-placed. One can’t help but to feel on edge when Paul, Justine’s police friend/potential situation-ship, pricks his finger with a druggie’s needle. Oh, and that druggie? His side of the story is explored later on, fueled by a highly comedic performance by Austin Abrams.

It’s clear that Zach Cregger, who wrote and directed the film, took massive inspiration from Stephen King. The first act features a captivating premise with shades of a supernatural element.

If there is any fault with “Weapons,” it’s that the payoff (that is to say, the explanation of what is going on) feels a little lackluster. Certainly, the climax is handled in a way that is entertainingly different from the norm, going as far as to be an out-and-out comedy in the “final battle,” but I still wish that such a boilerplate supernatural explanation would’ve been eschewed for something more inventive.

To this longtime horror fan, the movie is extremely original. The concept of people being turned into mindless, ruthless killing machines has been done before, to be sure, but this movie gives the trope a whole new flavor. I think it’s safe to say that this one is a good’un.