Weapons (2025) Movie Review: Zach Cregger Delivers a Razor-Sharp and Shattering Horror Masterpiece

Following his breakout success with the instant classic Barbarian, writer-director Zach Cregger returns with Weapons, a film that proves his debut was no fluke. This new feature is a fully actualized, devastating piece of cinema that refines Cregger's signature blend of nerve-shredding suspense, dark humor, and unpredictable narrative twists. It is, quite simply, one of the most intelligent and effective Horror films of the year, layering profound dread on top of a central, tantalizing Mystery. It is an essential watch, not just for fans of the genre, but for anyone looking for truly original storytelling.

The premise is immediately chilling: an entire class of children vanishes on the same night, at the same moment, leaving behind only one lone survivor. As a panicked small community struggles to find answers, the film follows multiple characters—a construction contractor, a police officer, and a teacher—as they navigate the devastating impact of this mass disappearance. This 2025 Movie Review suggests that Cregger has successfully honed his delicate balancing act to a new level of razor-sharpness, delivering an electric, terrifying, and unforgettable cinematic experience. For the full verdict, read our full Movie Review below.

Director: Zach Cregger
Writers: Zach Cregger
Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan
Genres: Horror, Mystery
Runtime: 128 minutes (2 hour 8 minutes)
Release Date: August 8, 2025

Story and Screenplay

The brilliance of the Weapons screenplay lies not just in its compelling premise, but in its audacious narrative structure. Cregger adopts a time-scrambling, multi-chapter approach reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino or even Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film breaks the narrative into separate vignettes, each focusing on a different character’s perspective and unfolding at slightly different moments in time, all tied to the central mass disappearance. This structural choice is highly effective, creating a constant sense of disorientation and paranoia.

The story is a fascinatingly layered one. We begin with the investigation led by police officer Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich) and the heartbreak of teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), whose class is gone. The introduction of Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), a rugged construction contractor and father of one of the missing children, provides the emotional core, driven by desperate urgency. The quality of the narration is exceptional because the segmented storytelling keeps the audience perpetually off-balance, setting up multiple, genuinely shattering cliffhangers. The originality here is paramount: the script expertly blends the unbearable tension of a high-stakes investigation with flashes of dark, almost slapstick humor, only to slam the viewer back into cold, unforgiving reality.

Acting and Characters

The film is anchored by three phenomenal lead performances that fully align with Cregger’s complex, genre-bending vision.

Julia Garner as Justine, the elementary school teacher, is superb. Her performance conveys a profound mixture of guilt, desperation, and growing terror as she is forced to confront the surreal reality of the situation. Her character's descent into the mystery is captivating and deeply empathetic.

Josh Brolin gives a commanding and deeply resonant performance as Archer Graff. He embodies the furious, grieving father, lending a necessary gravitas and a touch of grounded realism to the escalating chaos. His raw, palpable energy fuels the most intense parts of the film.

Alden Ehrenreich as the police officer Paul is equally fine-tuned. He plays the straight man struggling to maintain order in a world that has lost its logic. The character work across the board is strong; Cregger gives every actor a chance to shine, even in smaller roles, such as Austin Abrams as a homeless drug addict who becomes an unlikely and paranoid witness. The chemistry, or rather the lack thereof, between the characters is intentional, isolating each person in their own struggle with the unexplainable event.

Trailer Weapons (2025)

Direction and Technical Aspect

Zach Cregger’s direction demonstrates a clear progression from Barbarian. Here, his vision is fully actualized, displaying a masterly control over pacing, tone, and space. The film feels less like an assembly of ideas and more like a singular, devastating statement.

The cinematography, handled by Robert Seiple (best known for Everything Everywhere All at Once), is dynamic and essential to the Horror elements. Seiple's work is keenly aware of Cregger's intent, creating a visual language that uses tight, claustrophobic framing and low angles to generate dread. The director brilliantly exploits darkness and lines of sight, leaving just enough negative space to conceal any ready-to-pounce threat, ensuring the tension is constantly present. The visual style is at its best during a prolonged chase sequence through a gas station, which seamlessly transitions from borderline farce to sudden, brutal reality, showcasing the director’s mastery of tonal shifts. Furthermore, the film uses spooky dream sequences to break away from realism, spinning up an off-putting and surreal atmosphere that perfectly evokes the quirks of a real-life nightmare.

Soundtrack and Atmosphere

The film’s atmosphere is one of pervasive, gnawing dread. The core feeling of the film is unsettling—a mixture of visceral terror and the confusion that comes from confronting something truly supernatural or unknown.

The sound design plays a critical role in establishing this atmosphere. It often manipulates the auditory experience to create discomfort, using subtle, high-pitched or distorted sounds that prey on the audience's sense of safety. Unlike films that rely on jump scares, Weapons uses its soundscape to build sustained psychological tension. The score is minimalist yet effective, knowing precisely when to swell to heighten a moment of shock and when to recede completely, leaving the viewer exposed only to the unsettling silence of the small, terrified town. The overall mood is cold, clinical, and increasingly paranoid, creating a psychological space where no character—and no viewer—feels truly safe or certain of what they are witnessing.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Narrative Complexity: The time-scrambling, multi-chapter structure is brilliant, maintaining suspense and allowing for satisfying payoffs.
• Tonal Mastery: The seamless and audacious blending of pitch-black humor with genuine, spine-chilling horror is Cregger's greatest achievement here.
• Performances: The lead cast, particularly Josh Brolin and Julia Garner, perfectly anchor the emotional chaos of the premise.
• Sustained Tension: The film is consistently terrifying and engaging, with an unbearable level of tension maintained throughout its runtime.

Weaknesses:

• Ambiguity (For Some): The final explanation of the central mystery, while satisfying to many, may be too open-ended or esoteric for viewers who prefer concrete answers.
• The Humor: The flashes of dark comedy, while expertly deployed, may be jarring or inappropriate for viewers expecting a purely serious Horror film.

Final Verdict/Conclusion

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

Weapons is a triumph of modern American horror filmmaking. Zach Cregger has taken the elements that made Barbarian a success and sharpened them into a formidable, cinematic weapon. The film is a smart, devastating exploration of grief, fear, and the unknowable, wrapped in a deeply unsettling Mystery.

This movie is a demanding watch, but one that is immensely rewarding. The unique narrative structure, coupled with the incredible ensemble cast, elevates the material far above standard genre fare. This film is highly recommended for anyone who loves psychological horror and complex narrative puzzles. If Cregger continues to produce work of this caliber, he is on his way to becoming one of the most important voices in contemporary genre cinema.