Weapons | Official Trailer

Quick Take

Weapons is a smart, deeply unsettling horror-thriller that plays out like a suburban nightmare with storytelling tricks up its sleeve. Directed by Zach Cregger (of Barbarian fame), it’s the kind of movie that doesn’t announce itself—it sneaks up, and then it hits.

What Works

• Non-linear storytelling and ensemble cast
  It’s built like a puzzle, split into interlocking chapters focused on different characters—teacher Justine, grieving dad Archer, a cop named Paul, a junkie named James, and a quiet kid, Alex. The story rewinds, overlaps, and flips perspective in a way that keeps you guessing while giving each character real depth.(Roger Ebert, Pitchfork, FilmBook)

• Tonal balance—scary, cerebral, with a dash of dark humor
  Cregger blends creeping dread with moments that are, oddly, funny—like waking jolts followed by brief relief. It’s disarming, and that contrast is part of what makes it work so well.(Inverse, SlashFilm)

• Strong performances
  Julia Garner delivers a prickly, emotional turn as the accused teacher. Josh Brolin is quietly heartbreaking as a father ruined by grief. Supporting turns — from Ehrenreich, Wong, Abrams — all add texture.(Roger Ebert, Pitchfork)

Where It Stumbles

• Pacing and payoff aren’t always satisfying
  Some critics mention the film drags a bit in places, and the concluding revelations don’t always land with full impact—some of the supernatural elements feel like easy outs.(AP News, ComingSoon, Yahoo)

• Less raw terror than Barbarian
  While it’s still scary and unsettling, it doesn’t quite shock you into submission the way Barbarian did.(Bounding Into Comics, TechRadar)

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What the Critics Are Saying

• /Film calls it "one of the best horror movies of the year"—a twisted, methodical exercise in dread, with just enough left unexplained to feel powerful.(SlashFilm)

• Cinemablend says it’s one of the most spectacular big-screen horror experiences of 2025.(Cinemablend)

• Roger Ebert praises its structure as more than a gimmick—it’s thematically resonant and emotionally layered.(Roger Ebert)

• Inverse highlights the film’s blend of existential dread and cartoonish humor.(Inverse)

• Heaven of Horror gave it a solid 4/5, noting its Magnolia-like structure and fear that lingers.(Cinephile Corner)

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Bottom Line 

It's not always sleek, but Weapons sticks with you. It's unsettling, clever, and emotionally grounded. The mystery drives you forward, the characters—flawed and fragile—keep you rooted. It may not redefine horror, but it's a wickedly sharp reminder that genre can still surprise.

If you're into horror stories that challenge your expectations—and want something that creeps under your skin more than slaps you in the face—you should give it a watch.