Weapons (2025) is Not What You Think it is

Where could the kids have run off to at 2:17 A.M.?

After running off in the middle of the night, Weapons found its way into theaters in 2025. All except one child from an elementary school classroom mysteriously vanish at 2:17 A.M. As the community waves fingers, a few curious people investigate.

Weapons is not what you think it is, and that’s a good thing. Man, is this movie a wild time! I was on the fence about seeing this movie due to all the mixed reviews, but as I have learned, you need to see movies for yourself. Horror comes in all different forms, and Weapon’s unique storytelling takes this film to new levels.

There is no central character in Weapons. Instead, the story follows a series of vignettes from different perspectives. This is my favorite story format. Stories are never about one thing or person, which brings multiple perspectives to the table. That is genius writing.

Julia Garner has gained popularity as an actress since Wolf Man (2025). She plays Justine, a teacher under fire from her missing class incident. I was yelling at her actions a lot as she became a stalker.

The film follows characters you’d never expect. Josh Brolin is great as a dad searching for his son. The story picks up with several characters, like Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a cop who’s hiding an incident, James (Austen Adams), a homeless drug addict, and Marcus (Benedict Wong), the school’s principal, who winds up in the predicament.

Cory Christopher deserves praise for his role as 9-year-old Alex. I felt so bad for what Alex endures. Christopher excelled in the role, especially with how his character takes on an adult role.

Funnily enough, the night before seeing Weapons, I watched Amy Madigan in Uncle Buck. I have always been a fan of Madigan’s performances. She portrays strong women who are not afraid to clap back. Playing against type, Madigan is impeccable and unsettling in her unusual performance as Gladys. Her performance deserves an award.

Following his success on Barbarian (2022), Zach Creggar is still fresh with ideas. He was inspired by the 1972 Vietnam photo, ‘Napalm Girl,’ of a child running with outstretched arms. First, Cregger just had the premise. He immediately hooked himself when more ideas flew through the door. He also reflected on real-life inspiration.

You know it’s a Cregger movie with his unique non-linear storytelling. He filmed scenes with different approaches to perspective. I prefer a non-linear story approach because it adds more excitement and surprises.

I admit that I had no idea how to feel about this movie for the first third. Even Creggars said he had no idea if the film would work. It’s supposed to be about kids disappearing at 2:17 A.M., so why are we following all these unnecessary characters? There are a couple of instances where the story doesn’t work, but be patient. Everything fits perfectly.

Weapons is eerie. It’s also funny. This is horror-comedy. In the return to movie theaters since the pandemic, I am ever thankful for audience reaction.

Did you know Weapons was originally supposed to skip theaters and release on Netflix? Oh yeah, and it was supposed to come out in 2026. Due to popularity and thanks to New Lines, the theater leaves an unforgettable impression. Laughing with the audience and my friend was the best time ever. The climax is the zaniest ending ever!

Do not look up anything about Weapons. Avoid reviews and see Weapons in theaters. It’s the film that several horror fans are searching for.