Star Cast: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Cary Christopher
Director: Zach Cregger
Weapons Movie Review Synopsis:
WEAPONS is the story of a small town shaken by a chilling mystery. In McCarren County, 17 children suddenly wake up from their sleep at 2:17 AM. They leave their houses and run away, never to be seen again. Shockingly, all 17 children belong to the same class in the same school, Maybrook Elementary. The cops begin their swift investigation. They learn that the class has 18 students in total and the only one who didn’t disappear, Alex Lily (Cary Christopher), is questioned. But he has no answers. The investigators also grill class teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner). She becomes the most hated person in the town as the parents of the missing children speculate that she must have some information or maybe she is responsible for it. A month passes since the disappearance. The cops are struggling to get any leads while anger against Justine increases. This is when Justine, overcome by guilt, decides to step out to look for answers. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Weapons Movie Story Review:
Zach Cregger’s story is fantastic. Zach Cregger’s screenplay is one-of-a-kind and doesn’t follow the conventional method. Yet, he ensures the entertainment and thrill quotient doesn’t get diluted. The dialogues are sharp.
Zach Cregger’s direction is terrific. He is equipped with a winning script and he enhances it with his storytelling. Nothing in the film is ordinary and hence, one can’t help but get engrossed right from the first scene. Instead of introducing principal characters at one go, he chooses to focus on them one by one. The experiment works [it kind of also gives a déjà vu of a similar narrative style in YUVA; 2004]. Since this is a horror film, the scary moments are bound to terrify viewers but again, it’s not run-of-the-mill and Zach adds a dash of humour to them. The sequence where Justine is camped outside Alex’s house is novel and chilling. Zach, however, reserves the best for the second half when the mystery finally unveils. The climax is outrageous and crazy. It’ll leave viewers in shock and also in awe.
On the other hand, although Zach Cregger has neatly tied up all loose ends, some aspects are unconvincing. These questions arise once the makers give out the suspense and it’ll make you wonder – did the authorities really go all out in finding the culprit? Thankfully, it’s a minor complaint and doesn’t detract from the film’s impact.
Weapons Movie Review Performances:
Julia Garner dominates the first half and delivers a fantastic performance. She was restrained in the recently released THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS but here, she gets in a different zone and does full justice. Cary Christopher has a crucial part and does very well. The way he expresses himself through his eyes is worth watching. Josh Brolin (Archer Graff) leaves a huge mark, as expected. Alden Ehrenreich (Paul) lends able support. Austin Abrams (James) is entertaining and gets into the skin of his character. Benedict Wong (Marcus) is okay initially, but goes to another level in the second half. Amy Madigan (Gladys) is the surprise of the film. Whitmer Thomas (Alex’s father) and Callie Schuttera (Alex’s mother) do well.
Weapons movie music and other technical aspects:
Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay and Zach Cregger’s music gives the film a cinematic feel. Larkin Seiple’s cinematography is unconventional and stylish. Tom Hammock’s production design and Trish Summerville’s costumes are top-class. VFX is classy while the action is very gory. Joe Murphy’s editing is slick.
Weapons Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, WEAPONS will leave viewers astonished with its unique script, strong execution, chilling drama and shocking climax. The film is bound to enjoy positive word of mouth from the moviegoers but two factors go against the film – limited awareness and a shortened first week window due to the release of WAR 2 and COOLIE on Thursday, August 14. However, if it strikes a chord with its core audience, WEAPONS has every chance to become a sleeper hit and enjoy a steady run in the weeks that follow.