‘Weapons’: A review

BY ASHTYN HANSARD

Digital Media Director

On August 8, Warner Bros. released its newest horror film, “Weapons.” Having seen a very limited number of horror movies on the big screen, I decided to head to the theater with my roommate and check it out. It’s safe to say, I was very impressed.

Warning: there will be minor spoilers in this review.

In “Weapons,” Ms. Gandy’s class of 17 children vanish in the night at 2:17 a.m. on the dot, all running out the doors of their homes and into the dark. However, one little boy, named Alex Lilly, did not disappear. No one knows where these kids went or why he’s the only one left.

I was already intrigued by the premise of the film that I had seen in trailers, but nothing had prepared me for what I would be seeing that night in the theater. Every twist and new connection made had me on the edge of my seat, and the jumpscares had me hiding under my blanket.

The cast of this movie is no joke. Julia Garner, who plays Justine Gandy, does a great job playing a caring teacher who’s being criticized by the parents of the children who disappeared. She dives well into the mental gymnastics it would take to exist in this situation.

Josh Brolin is amazing as Archer Graff, a parent of one of the missing children. He does whatever he needs to find his child, even if it means upsetting other parents and teaming up with someone he doesn’t trust.

The real takeaway performances from this movie are Amy Madigan and Austin Abrams.

Madigan is insane as Gladys Lilly, Alex’s aunt. Her mannerisms and acting choices make her unforgettable, even when you may want to forget her. She even had me clutching my non-existent pearls at some of her scenes.

Abrams plays a brilliant comic relief in this tense thriller. While playing a young man doing anything he can to get money, his one liners and facial expressions help ease the tension when it becomes too much.

Not only was the casting amazing, but the cinematography blew me away as well. Many of the first views the audience gets of Justine are shot from the backside, subtly painting her as a more mysterious character than we think she is.

There are also several ominous shots throughout the movie, putting the viewer in the place of the character we’re with. Let me tell you, watching a jumpscare in a first-person point of view is much more terrifying than watching from the sidelines.

Speaking of cinematography, one quality of this movie that I really loved was that we get to see the events of a few days from multiple characters’ points of view. While we’re left on some cliffhangers when switching to a new person, everything ties up beautifully in the end.

It was also very interesting to see the slight difference in characters’ actions when seeing them through the eyes of another character. It changes the vibe of the situation, creating more depth in the characters.

While watching this movie, I couldn’t help but notice how anxious I was getting the more I watched. 

I know it’s not that crazy to be getting anxious while watching a horror movie, but I thought that the building of tension was done spectacularly. Every scene leaves you waiting for the big twist, pushing the story even farther.

The score also helped create tension. Ryan Holladay and Hays Holladay did a wonderful job composing. Every new score works extremely well with its intended scene, upping the scare factor with every note.

At the very beginning of the movie, a child narrator says to the audience that this movie was based on a true story. While I believed it at first, I started to get very confused as I got closer to the conclusion. 

While I wasn’t able to get an interview with the director, Zach Creggar, I did find a story written by Klein Felt for The Direct. While “Weapons” is not entirely based on a true story, it does incorporate real-life situations. 

Creggar used his experience through some personal tragedies to begin creating “Weapons,” although he doesn’t dive into what exactly those tragedies were. He was also inspired by child abductions that have occurred in the United States over the years.

“According to the U.S. Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center, a child goes missing or is abducted every 20 seconds in the United States. Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare, so “Weapons” asks the question: ‘What would happen if literal dozens of kids disappeared all at once?’”

While it’s an upsetting idea to think about, I believe it was a topic that was covered tastefully. 

When the children are eventually found, they’re psychologically affected. The child narrator says as the last lines of the movie, “Some of the kids even started talking again this year.”

While it may seem a bit odd out of context, I thought this was a brilliant ending line. At this point in the movie, these kids have been missing for roughly a month. Being gone for that long, especially in the condition they were in, would leave some lasting effects.

This line helps demonstrate the mental effects and abuse that these children endured while gone. 

“Weapons” is a brilliant horror movie that dives into a terrifying reality while also touching on the mental components that occur afterwards. I will warn that there are a few gory scenes, but the story is one of a kind.