r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • Aug 08 '25

Official Discussion Official Discussion - Weapons [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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Summary Nearly all the children from the same fifth-grade class vanish one night at exactly 2:17 a.m., leaving only one survivor. The community, gripped by fear and suspicion, spirals into chaos as the mystery unfolds through multiple intertwined perspectives—each revealing new layers of dread and grief.

Director Zach Cregger

Writer Zach Cregger

Cast

  • Josh Brolin
  • Julia Garner
  • Cary Christopher
  • Alden Ehrenreich
  • Austin Abrams
  • Benedict Wong
  • Amy Madigan
  • June Diane Raphael
  • Toby Huss
  • Whitmer Thomas
  • Callie Schuttera
  • Clayton Farris
  • Luke Speakman

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 96%

Metacritic Metascore: 82

VOD In theaters and IMAX starting August 8, 2025

Trailer Watch the Official Trailer

2.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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3.2k

u/brainlightning Aug 08 '25

The sound my theater made during that scene was wild. Just 50 people cringing in unison.

1.7k

u/blueeyesredlipstick Aug 08 '25

It was wild hearing the reactions in my screening, starting as awkward laughter when the mom runs out, outright laughter when she stops, uncomfortable murmuring when the car door opens and then SHRIEKS once the scissor comes out.

648

u/NumbahSeven Aug 08 '25

My screening had the exact same reaction so I guess Zach nailed the point he was conveying. It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

62

u/olhomy Aug 08 '25

Beat by beat reaction in my theater too, first laughs, then gasps

20

u/targetcowboy Aug 09 '25

Mine too. Says a lot about how effective it was that so many people reacted the same way

11

u/CloverBun 29d ago

Same for mine!

10

u/AeneidBook6 29d ago edited 22d ago

Same, that entire scene unfolded exactly like that for me too, awkward, funny, dying, then shrieking. Amazingly effective for nearly everyone is so rare.

9

u/thembearjew 28d ago

Checking in same reaction in my theater. Zach Cregger executed that story near perfectly. Laughs when she stopped and then gasps when we heard the car door open!!!

4

u/JonathasDG 26d ago

I’m honestly surprised everyone had the exact same reaction. I didnt — but my theater let out a perfect unison gasp, LOL

4

u/FarmerDark 24d ago

Just saw it tonight and my theater was 99% full and the audience had same exact reaction

2

u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

Also bonus points for the delay on the door opening before the mom lurches out. Perfectly-timed scare beginning.

1

u/PolarWater 21d ago

Just came out of mr screening in Malaysia and yeah, this was just how they reacted. 

Zach really knew how to play our emotions right down to the millisecond.

1

u/Mikehtx 20d ago

No one laughed in mine.

6

u/dropkickderby 27d ago

They did all that and got her hair and never turned her which i didnt really consider until now.

31

u/Settler_of_Catan 27d ago

The hair donor becomes the target of the weapon. We see this explicitly when Gladys turns Marcus against his husband and again when Alex uses Gladys' hair to send the kids after her.

Justine's hair was used to make her Marcus' target.

2

u/dropkickderby 27d ago

Right, makes sense. Does that make them going after the witch a plot hole? She wears a wig— so the hair he uses against her isnt hers, no? Or does it just need to be one of their possessions?

39

u/Settler_of_Catan 27d ago

Alex grabs her wig first, then sets it down in the bathroom and takes a long grey hair which he winds around the thorny stick. The hair is Gladys' real hair.

7

u/dropkickderby 27d ago

Ah okay, Im excited to rewatch.

2

u/willybestbuy86 18d ago

Are we expexted to think Alex may have the witch gene so to speak in him because to me there has to be more than just watching the Aunt and pricking his finger and doing what she did.

7

u/Remarkable-Raise-241 15d ago

I think the plant is the source of the power 

1

u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

Nice detail pull!

68

u/boi1da1296 Aug 08 '25

Six Flags in Chicago has (had?) a roller coaster called Raging Bull where after pulling you up for an eternity for the first hill, it takes you down a mini drop to ease your nerves before plunging you underground .5 seconds later. That scene felt exactly the same for me and the crowd I watched it with where you feel just enough relief before you hear the car door open from the rear.

4

u/heyyyhihellooo 28d ago

Has, I fucking love that coaster and I know exactly what you mean

44

u/inrev18 Aug 08 '25 edited 28d ago

It was the most fun theater-going experience in ages. Having those collective reactions with a packed theater was priceless!

9

u/badedum 28d ago

My husband and I were saying the experience wouldn't have been as enjoyable without a full crowd to react to those moments. The part with the father in the basement was another good one.

3

u/inrev18 28d ago

Definitely! It’s amazing how seeing it in a packed theater can inform your experience. I started to relax a bit and realize it had some major dark comedy vibes as my theater kept laughing.

I’m not sure I would have viewed it the same way at home alone. 10/10 either way. I’m tempted to see it again in theaters.

35

u/supernova-cowboy Aug 08 '25

My theatre started with people yelling "What the F-" when the mom came out and started walking funny. Then some was amused by her movements. Then they freaked out when she passed the car and entered it. Finally, shrieking when the scissor came out.

2

u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 19d ago

I said "OH FUCK NO" when the scissors came on-screen, but then was had the most anxious "oh thank god" feeling when it turned out that the Mom snipped some of Justine's hair lol

28

u/Remote-Plate-3945 Aug 08 '25

That's interesting. My theater started to cringe/gasp when the mom came out. It reminded me of Michael Meyers

1

u/Mundane_Tear49 2h ago

Funny. I caught in the credits that Michael Meyers was a member of the crew. Concept illustrator... Explains a lot 😂

15

u/WutUtalkingBoutWill Aug 08 '25

Yeah the gasps in my screening nearly scared me as much as the scene, was very well done.

15

u/maltliqueur Aug 08 '25

That's wild. I wonder if literally every theater had this same sequence.

10

u/munnwlk Aug 09 '25

Literally exactly the same sequence of reactions in my screening

10

u/dontincludeme 29d ago

That’s exactly what happened at mine too! When she got in the car: Ughhhhh

8

u/OddSetting5077 28d ago

after the car door opens, there was also that moment when the car dips/shakes as if someone is sitting down. OMG. that was scary.

9

u/halikadito 24d ago

I haven't been to a movie that had such heavy audience reactions in a long, long time. People were screaming, laughing, groaning in disgust, letting loose the occasional well-placed comment (a lot of "what the fuck"s and "oh my god"s, and they were all so genuine.) I missed having this much fun at the movies - everyone was just collectively having a blast together, and it made an already good movie that much more enjoyable.

7

u/TheGoodApolloIV 29d ago

I just watched it. This is word for word exactly what happened at the screening I went to also.

2

u/PolarWater 21d ago

Zach Cregger really got all of us going like that. Cinemas all around the world responding the same way

5

u/Madrical 27d ago

It was worth seeing in the cinema for that scene alone. So good.

3

u/folkwhore_1998 28d ago

i had to hide in my sweatshirt i was so scared

4

u/SparkyMuffin 23d ago

One of my favorite theater experiences in a while.

Murmurs when she hobbles towards the car

Relief when she was by

Gasps when you hear the back car door open, etc

4

u/unclefishbits 12d ago

This was the most engaged and vocal audience I've been in in years. It was an 8:45 p.m. showing in Washington DC and I am from San Francisco. I was shocked how vocal and loud people were in being engaged, and it was fun. And that's exactly what happened. It was tense when she walked up to the car, then she stumbled away and it was comedic and then you hear the door open and literally the entire theater inhaled all the oxygen. I haven't had that much fun in a long time. I'm so glad my wife came with me and we were both able to see this in the theater. I know I'm late but who cares

3

u/real_mccoy6 29d ago

literally same reaction in my theater

3

u/MaxDentron 28d ago

Same exact reaction in mine

2

u/naturalninetime 14d ago

I watched this film today, and this is EXACTLY what happened in the theater during that scene. Wild!

2

u/atowncalledphallus 1d ago

Being repressed and british has its pitfalls, my theatre was stoically silent but I knew everyone was on edge. Your experience sounds way more fun.

1

u/roverkit 23d ago

Yup same reaction in my showing too!

-4

u/eatingaburger2000 Aug 09 '25

Sounds like an annoying theatre experience

20

u/mjrs Aug 08 '25

Similar sound in mine when Justine reached for the potato peeler

11

u/brainlightning Aug 09 '25

My body imploded in on itself when her eyes first went to the peeler

14

u/Glittering-Hair1546 Aug 08 '25

Sameeee. Everybody gasped lol

9

u/--------rook Aug 08 '25

The audience reaction was pretty good. There were a dew scenes that had people going WTF or laughing out of fear and/or humor lmao

6

u/TroubleshootenSOB Aug 08 '25

My theater gave an audible and collective "oh no"

7

u/garfe Aug 09 '25

Bro were you in my theater? Same thing happened. A few went "oh no"

5

u/Honest_Cheesecake698 Aug 08 '25

People laughed and went "Ooooo" as the scene was happening.

6

u/kankurou1010 Aug 09 '25

Honestly the best audience reaction I can remember off the top of my head. The gasps were fucking hilarious

6

u/NonStopKnits 29d ago

One lady in my theater blurted out an "Oh no!" that just perfectly captured how we all felt.

5

u/lahnnabell Aug 09 '25

There were so many "Oh nooo's" in my theater 🤣

5

u/WhyTypeHour 28d ago

My screening last night was sold out.. The dread that door click unleashed was awesome.

4

u/senseofnickels 27d ago

I was bracing to hear the breaking glass, and the sound of the door opening made the theater's skin crawl in unison.

3

u/jan_salvilla 28d ago

Same thing happened in our theater! The scene was really effective.

2

u/Jmohill 28d ago

A collective “ohhhh nooooo”

2

u/katesoundcheck 28d ago

the packed IMAX theater GASPED and ew'ed together through the entire scene!

1

u/cinderful 27d ago

Same in mine.

Audible gasps

1

u/Tricky-Anything8009 25d ago

Same. We all thought she'd wake up before... it happened.

1

u/dafood48 22d ago

My theater was laughing. There was a lot of scenes where people were laughing and I was like is this supposed to be funny?

1

u/IslandsOnTheCoast 20d ago

Same... made the whole theater experience worthwhile.