'Weapons' Review: Twisted, Tense and Totally Unmissable

Multiple Perspectives That Keep Twisting the Knife

Weapons is a perfect case of tease, tease and more tease until the second-last and final act when it finally throws the real punch. For most of its runtime, it has you scratching your head in the best way. Director Zach Cregger uses the Rashomon effect here, and he does not hold back. For those unfamiliar, the Rashomon effect is a narrative device where the same chain of events is repeated multiple times, each from a different character’s perspective. It is not just your usual flashback that ties into a main plotline. This is a deliberate retelling of the exact same scenes with completely altered perspectives.

This effect is tricky to pull off and often dismissed as lazy when done badly. But here, it is a masterclass in suspense-building. Weapons shows the same unraveling mystery through five main perspectives. There is Justine, played by Julia Garner, the teacher of the 18 kids who is seen as a flawed alcoholic hiding something about the night of the incident. Then there is Archer, portrayed by Josh Brolin, the grieving father of one of the kids who refuses to sit back and wait for answers. Next up is Paul, played by Alden Ehrenreich, a conflicted cop entangled in a messy affair with Justine while also crumbling under professional and personal pressures. The fourth is James, portrayed by Austin Abrams, a homeless and drug-addicted teenager who gets pulled into the situation in a way he cannot even comprehend. And the fifth is Marcus, the school principal who is trying to make sure there is order in the madness that is going on and faces the wrath of the same madness, absolutely not asking for it.

And then, there is a sixth and final perspective which forms the third act of the film. This is from Alex, played by Cary Christopher, the only kid who did not vanish that night. He clearly knows something no one else does. He is the missing piece of the entire deranged puzzle.

Cooking the Plot Like a Broth That Keeps Bubbling

Segmenting these narratives into chapters is a stroke of genius. It allows the plot to simmer with the intensity of a slow-cooked broth. Every new detail feels like an ingredient thrown into the pot. You keep watching, salivating for answers, as the broth boils over. If you have read any of my other reviews, you know I always end up using food metaphors when the story cooks just right. And here, the payoff is rich and satisfying.

But this is where the film also takes a major risk. If the big reveal does not land, the entire movie falls flat. Thankfully, Weapons delivers. The climax does not rely on a single shocking twist. Instead, it reveals its core conflict gradually and lets the suspense escalate from there. You do find out in the second-last act where the kids went and who is behind it, but it is the dreaded “what now” that hits harder. That part keeps you hooked long after the core questions are technically answered.

Horror in the Head, Not the Haunted House

Labeling Weapons as horror might be misleading. While it does have a few sharp jump scares, the film leans heavily into the thriller and mystery territory. There are no spirits or haunted houses here. The horror comes from the unraveling minds of the characters, from the existential dread of losing control, and from seeing the same moment looped through different lenses. There are no metaphors about society either, none of the usual elevated horror angles. Just raw, twisted storytelling and full-throttle tension.

Oddly enough, the one thing that the genre tag misses is the gore. There is a fair amount of it. Not on the level of Evil Dead or Inferno, but definitely enough to make you wince and look away more than once. Some of it is brutal, some oddly poetic, but all of it adds to the immersion. And yet, it never overshadows the narrative. It is there as texture, not spectacle.

Performances That Haunt and Hypnotize

An ensemble cast this strong is always hard to break down because everyone pulls their weight beautifully. Julia Garner’s Justine is complex and unpredictable, Josh Brolin brings gravitas to the unrelenting father, and Alden Ehrenreich balances chaos and guilt like a man trapped in quicksand. Austin Abrams gives a terrific turn as a confused, spiraling drifter who does not belong but gets sucked in anyway.

However, the biggest applause must go to Cary Christopher as Alex. The kid carries an entire psychological weight on his small shoulders. He does not get too many lines, but his expressions alone speak volumes. Innocence mixed with terror, clarity wrapped in silence- it is a performance that cuts deep. There is another standout actor who completely shocks in the final act, but naming them would be a spoiler in itself, so let's just say you will know when you see them.

Still Thinking About It Long After It Ends

Like all great twisted films, Weapons does not answer every question. And that is the point. There are gaps, and those gaps gnaw at you in the hours and days after. Some viewers might see that as incomplete storytelling. Others will understand that some chaos is meant to be left unresolved. That is where the unease lies, and it is also what makes the film linger.

This is not a tidy movie. It is not here to satisfy every logical impulse. It is here to rattle you, make you ask questions, and then watch you sit in that silence. It is the kind of film that makes you believe maybe horror has more to do with how the mind perceives reality than how monsters appear on screen.