Weapons (2025)
Weapons is a 2025 American mystery horror film written, produced, and directed by Zach Cregger. It stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and others. The plot revolves around the mysterious simultaneous disappearance of 17 children from the same classroom, leaving their community desperate for answers. The film explores themes of mystery, horror, and psychological tension.
The story centers on Justine Gandy, a teacher whose classroom lost all but one child in the disappearance. The investigation and experiences of the adults affected, including parents and law enforcement, create an intense and unsettling narrative. The tone balances horror and dark humor and is noted for its atmospheric and creative scares.
Weapons is scheduled for release in the United States/India on August 8, 2025, distributed by Warner Bros./New Line Cinema with a runtime of approximately 128 minutes. It has received critical acclaim for its originality and depth in the horror genre, highlighting a blend of mystery and emotional storytelling beyond typical horror fare.
Key Cast of the Movie:
- Josh Brolin as Archer Graff, a grieving father
- Julia Garner as Justine Gandy, the teacher
- Alden Ehrenreich as Paul Morgan, a police officer
- Cary Christopher as Alex Lilly, the only child who did not disappear.
The film originates as a spiritual follow-up to Cregger’s prior hit Barbarian, emphasizing a highly creative narrative and intense atmosphere through innovative filmmaking techniques.
Weapons Review
The 2025 movie has received praise as a highly original and twisted horror-thriller with an engrossing mystery at its core. The story revolves around the sudden, simultaneous disappearance of 17 children from the same classroom, with only one child left behind, and explores the ensuing grief, suspicion, and unraveling in the community.
Critics Reaction
Critics highlight the film’s atmospheric and patient storytelling, which unfolds like a puzzle box through multiple intersecting narrative threads centered on key characters such as the teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) and the grieving father Archer Graff (Josh Brolin). The screenplay’s structure, alternating perspectives and timelines, builds suspense slowly but steadily, complemented by creative and disturbing scares that enhance the eerie mood rather than rely heavily on jump scares.
Experience
Weapons stands out for its tonal complexity, balancing dark gallows humor with moments of warmth and malevolence. It delves into themes of American suburban decay, grief, suspicion, and isolation beneath an initially placid surface. The film’s final act intensifies with unsettling violence and a mythic, cathartic climax that ties the characters’ fates together powerfully.
Acting and Performance
Performance-wise, Julia Garner and Josh Brolin receive commendation for strong portrayals, though some reviewers wished for deeper exploration of their characters. The film also features a memorable supporting cast, including Alden Ehrenreich and Cary Christopher as the lone surviving child. The narrative’s episodic vignette style is effective in painting a detailed portrait of the community but may leave some segments feeling less engaging.
Overall Review
Critics said Weapons is less about direct horror tropes or a clear “message” and more an exceptional thriller that fuses mystery, emotional storytelling, and unsettling thematic undercurrents. While there is some heavy exposition near the end, it doesn’t detract significantly from the overall experience, which is described as sharp, disturbing, and emotionally resonant. The film’s originality and craftsmanship make it one of the more compelling and twisted major studio horror releases of 2025.
Most Twisted Studio Movie of the Year
What makes Weapons the most twisted studio movie of 2025 lies in its unique blend of elements that push the boundaries of typical horror and thriller genres. The film’s narrative is deeply unsettling, revolving around the mysterious simultaneous disappearance of 17 children from the same classroom, leaving only one survivor. This premise alone sets a dark and twisted tone that resonates throughout the story.
These are the Initial Reviews of the movie from the Premiere and Fan Screening. The release date of the movie is 8 August 2025.
The tickets for Weapons (2025) movie are available on BookmyShow and District.
Stay tuned to AbsoluteCinema.in for more updates, reviews, and detailed box office reports.