Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers.
The highly anticipated film “Weapons” hit theaters on Aug. 8 to high critical and audience acclaim. “Weapons” is an unconventional horror film directed by “Barbarian” director and “Whitest Kids U Know” alum, Zach Cregger.
I didn’t have high expectations going into the film as I did see it a little bit late and reviews had started pouring out, some of which being negative. However, I had a really good time with this film.
The main character, Justine Gandy, is played by Julia Garner, who viewers may recognize from ‘Ozark’ and the new ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ as the Silver Surfer. As always, her performance was electrifying. I truly do not think that anyone else could have played Justine Gandy and made her likable.
The other leads of this film and the supporting characters were also very well casted. Amy Madigan in specific is unrecognizable in her role as Aunt Gladys, which I feel comfortable spoiling since I’m sure everyone has already seen all of the Aunt Gladys memes. She is terrifying, funny and downright hard to look at.
I absolutely loved the score of “Weapons.” The choice to play George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness” for the opening scene rather than generic scary music was genius. The score is not so much scary as it is unsettling and eerie. It definitely gave me goosebumps even when nothing scary was happening on screen.
As many people have criticized online, I do think the symbolism is a bit on the nose. Though, it is overshadowed by the amount of depth and unseen lore contained within the plot. There are many different kinds of symbolism pertaining to different subject matters sprinkled throughout the film, the brief pieces where it’s too easy to catch are only a sliver of the film.
I think the pacing was great considering the unconventional format which was used. The film cycles through the POVs of different characters, going back and forward in time. It was fun seeing everyone’s different perspectives, what they were doing in the world, and unfurling aspects of the story between each character. It leads to a very satisfying ending once all the story strings are tied. There is one character that I think was completely unnecessary to have a POV of, but through him we were introduced to arguably the funniest character in the film.
The plot is entirely original, which is something that we do not get to say about movies very often anymore. In the world of remakes, it’s refreshing to see something that you haven’t before, and probably will never see something like it again. “Weapons” is a self contained masterpiece, an original thought that produces original feelings within the audience.
“Weapons” had a very satisfactory ending. The amount of build-up needed to achieve an ending such as the one which was released was perfect, maybe even more than perfect. It’s somewhat funny, something that the audience needs after the rollercoaster of act three. The ending left me walking out of the theater feeling not as scared as I would have been without the comedy.
If you haven’t already, go see “Weapons” before it leaves theaters. It’s certainly a film which is intended to be watched with a large audience on a large screen in a big dark room. You can now buy it digitally on a variety of streaming services.
The Goods
- Acting
- Pace
- Comedy
- James
The Bads
- The "Paul" Sequence
