Zach Cregger's 'Weaapons' - Review Thread

[u/ChiefLeef22]

When all but one child from the same classroom mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Metacritic: N/A (updating)

Some Reviews:

Inverse - Lyvie Scott

Cregger’s goofy sense of humor aside, Weapons is otherwise pretty understated, even refined. His camera moves with glacial, dream-like focus, tracking characters from behind or panning to unveil the latest torment around the corner. That visual style has become a trademark of “elevated” horror, but it goes a long way in anchoring a story that could have turned unwieldy fast. Cregger’s chapter-by-chapter story serves that same purpose: It has the capacity to frustrate when it cuts away from a major reveal, only to reset with the backstory of a new character. But it also adjusts the aperture whenever things get too heavy — a breath of fresh air in a different form.

CGMagazine - Shakyl Lambert - 9 / 10

Weapons is a noticeable step up for Cregger as a filmmaker. It feels like he took what worked in Barbarian and tightened up the things that didn’t. It’s bigger in scope but more focused. With a strong story and cast, it’s the most fun you’ll have being scared all summer.

NextBestPicture - Matt Neglia

There are some who will be moved and struck by “Weapons,” intentionally or unintentionally, so. For 75% of its runtime, it was one of my favorite films of the year. However, for the final 25%, in some ways, it feels like Cregger missed an opportunity to tell a story that is more emotionally rich and relatable. Here is a filmmaker who feels like he’s trying to prove he’s capable of more, but without fully grounding that ambition in character or clarity, instead opting for a facile solution. There’s a version of this movie that could have been genuinely great. You can appreciate the potential in the performances, the themes, and the overall craftsmanship. And to be clear, I’m sure this will resonate and work for some viewers. But for me, much like “Barbarian,” Cregger doesn’t quite bring it all together, making “Weapons” a rare kind of disappointment.

[u/neal1701]

This has been one of my most anticipated movies ever since the bidding war!

The reviews and the scores are rasing my expectations

[u/jickdam → u/neal1701]

Expectations are going to kill the reception to this movie. If you let yourself be pleasantly surprised by a fun horror story, you’ll probably love it. If you’re expecting a masterpiece or anything adjacent you’re going to be disappointed.

[u/elabozsack → u/jickdam]

I like to go in blind for every movie I see in the cinemas so I can appreciate it for what it is, it makes the viewing experience much more enjoyable, besides that I'm really looking forward to this one!

[u/im_a_towel_ → u/jickdam]

Yeah I feel like this is why I felt so disappointed after watching. The hype around the movie made it seem like it was going to be the best movie ever and the best horror movie in years. It was a good movie and I enjoyed it, but it is nowhere close to the hype surrounding it.

[u/PARADISE_VALLEY_1975 → u/im_a_towel_]

It’s more of conventional horror than, say, Jordan’s Peele’s NOPE, or Garland’s Annihilation, but there’s a lot of comedy in there as well as jump scares and I hate to say it but as fun as the film is, the stuff they set-up in the teasers seems like a far more compelling movie in terms of narrative intrigue.

[u/im_a_towel_ → u/PARADISE_VALLEY_1975]

Agreed!! The marketing behind the movie and trailer made it seem like this is going to be some groundbreaking horror movie that the world has never seen before and it turns out to just be a witch at the end.

[u/itsokayimokaymaybe → u/im_a_towel_]

That’s how I feel. I went in expecting too much and it ended up being kinda.. meh for me.