Weapons reminds me a little of Longlegs, partly because of its successful marketing campaign, but mostly for its divisive reception. Most agree it’s a very well-made horror film with an intriguing mystery; however, there’s a clear divide regarding the mystery’s resolution. Like Longlegs, there’s a revelation in Weapons that some have accepted and others have rejected. I’m proud to be one of those who’ve accepted it.

One night, at 2:17 am, all but one child from one class from one school ran out into the dark, never to be seen again. The class’s teacher (Julia Garner) is accused of being involved in the mass disappearance. A mourning father (Josh Brolin) conducts his own investigation. Many members of the community try to cope and reason with the loss in their own way, while the true horrific nature of the children’s whereabouts eludes them.

The Characters

Pulp Fiction is probably the best-known film Weapons can be compared to structurally. Rashomon is an example I’ve heard used by more well-read film critics. Personally, it reminded me of Ju-On: The Grudge.

The film is broken down into several sequences following a single character and what they witness in the story. We see the story from the teacher’s point of view, from the investigative father’s point of view, from the principal’s, from a police officer’s and a local junkie’s.

Julia Garner’s teacher and Josh Brolin’s parent are our leads; their stories flow through all the other individual sequences. Both are almost impossible not to get invested in. The pain and uncertainty of Brolin’s father is blatant; he sleeps in his son’s room, pesters the local police and reviews his home security footage of the night his son vanished constantly. You immediately empathise with him, even in his most unflattering moments of sorrow.

Garner’s teacher attracts more suspicion than empathy. The harassment she endures is hard to watch but as you learn more about her past behaviour, you begin to understand the community’s distrust of her. She has a history of alcohol abuse and has been known to get ‘too close’ to her students. The nature of her character adds to the mystery and keeps you guessing as you learn more about her.

Whether it’s her, Brolin or any of the other characters, the cast of Weapons is one of the best seen in a horror film in decades.

The Horror

I don’t have to describe the haunting images of the children sprinting out from their front doors, arms spread like wings. They’re sprinkled all over the film’s marketing for a reason. It’s a disturbing and potentially iconic sight.

While there are plenty of jump scares and gore, Weapons features great moments of suspense and prolonged scenes of chilling imagery. This mix of scaring techniques creates an oppressive atmosphere that’ll get under anyone’s skin. That is until the ‘revelation.’

This is where Weapons will split people. Some will believe it, others will think it’s just silly. All I’ll say is that, as great as the film’s mystery is, it makes no sense. It’s not built like a murder mystery where one has a reasonable chance of guessing who or what’s responsible. Real logic cannot speculate why 17 children would run out of their homes at 2 o’clock in the morning. Like Longlegs, the answer is as weird as the question, so don’t expect a Shyamalan twist that’ll blow your mind. Weapons is not that kind of film.

This is another one that has rewatch value in abundance. It’s definitely a contender for one of the best films I’ve seen in 2025. Needless to say, I highly recommend it.

This could change with subsequent viewings but for now, I give Weapons an outstanding 10 out of 10.