Film Review: Weapons

The only reason I held back from applauding at the end—though I was dying to—was to avoid looking cringe. Still, Weapons has already secured a spot in my top four horror films of all time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it finds a place in yours as well. Here are a few reasons to seriously consider visiting your nearest theatre right now.

1. The Trailer

Few trailers have ever felt like a true event, but this one was. It was enough to make me cut my summer vacation short by three days just to catch Weapons in theaters. In under two minutes, it sets the tone brilliantly: promising a lot, revealing almost nothing. The simple yet haunting narration, delivered by a child’s voice, hints at the film’s central strength—its original and enigmatic story. In cinema, a powerful story is the sharpest weapon a film can wield if it hopes to become a classic.

2. The Story

The premise is unsettling in its simplicity: one night, every child from a particular class—except one—leaves home at the same exact moment, runs into the darkness and vanishes. Their teacher becomes the obvious target of blame from the parents since she’s the only figure connecting them all. What follows is a tense investigation from those most closely involved, each chapter focusing on a different protagonist and their perspective. The film deliberately unspools its mystery at a slow, ominous pace, until halfway through when its true subject matter finally emerges—something the trailer kept masterfully hidden. The narrative evolves in a way that conceals its real intentions, saving them for a striking, devastating crescendo. And no, I won’t spoil the revelations here—they deserve to hit you unprepared.

3. The Experience

From start to finish, Weapons thrives on atmosphere: terrifying, suffocating, and electric with dread. The direction and camerawork channel anxiety and horror with precision, enhanced by exceptional sound design, giving the impression of a film that belongs to another era yet feels urgent and modern. Cinephiles will also recognize subtle nods to classics like ITand The Shining. The performances are uniformly strong, with not a single throwaway character. The standout for me was young Alex (Cary Christopher), who balanced sorrow, mystery, and drama with remarkable depth throughout his personal odyssey.

To me, we are standing before a modern classic as well as another gem in this fabulous list of '24-'25 Horror films. This is undeniably an important moment in time for cinema, a true renaissance, considering how the genre re-invented itself after a long period of predictable material made to fill the void. From the mysterious Weapons to the ground-breaking Substance, from the deeply unsettling Longlegs to the epic Nosferatu, from the freaky Smile2 to the obscure Daddy's Head, this last couple of years is meant to leave a strong mark in the books of history and we're lucky to be witnessing it in the making. Cheers!