Weapons (18)

Zach Cregger follows his breakout hit Barbarian with a confident, twisted blend of mystery, horror, and pitch-black comedy.

Set in a small town, the story begins when every child in a sixth-grade class vanishes from home at exactly 2:17am. Except for one. Teacher Justine (Julia Garner) quickly becomes the focus of suspicion, though she’s as baffled as anyone. Drawn into the search are the determined Archer (Josh Brolin), troubled cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), and drifter James (Abrams), as shifting perspectives slowly reveal unsettling truths.

Cregger masterfully balances gruesome shocks with eccentric character beats, keeping tension high while letting the absurdity breathe. Dreams bleed into reality, alliances form under pressure, and then a more humorous kick arrives with a seriously unhinged woman named Gladys (Madigan), who shifts everything up a gear, revealing secrets in ways that are both goofy and much, much scarier.

Garner anchors the chaos with a heartfelt performance, her bond with Brolin’s driven Archer giving the film emotional weight. Ehrenreich and Abrams add charm and unpredictability, while Madigan steals every scene she’s in. And beneath its inventive horror, Weapons carries sharp observations on the education system and the fear of ageing. It’s great.