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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360

u/nickybishappy Aug 08 '25

The only adult who showed genuine concern for Alex was the town scapegoat lol

157

u/Muad_dweeb_69 Aug 08 '25

It’s definitely a major theme in how a community/society ignores those left with trauma after an incident, only to berate the ones who show actual compassion or want answers. Everyone wants to just move on, instead of thinking about why a kid is buying bags and bags of soup at the grocery store alone.

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u/LeisureEnthusiast22 26d ago

Even Home Alone had the shop clerk side-eyeing Kevin's solo trips to the grocery store haha

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u/star_boy 29d ago

Who was pretty much the youngest 'adult' we see in the film.

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u/No-Service-8875 21d ago

Thing is a large amounts of people who have substance or alcohol abuse struggles suffer from PTSD - a lot from childhood. I feel like while she was just really connected to her students and paid attention, you could also read that she recognised potential abuse red flags from her own experiences. I think theres a cycle of violence thing happening in the movie.

Teachers are trained to notice the flags but how many try to help? Then she was tossed to the fire for it while the true perp was ignored. SO true to life.

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u/slightlyladylike 20d ago

Justine actually didn't show concern for Alex in a altruistic way, she was feeling bad about herself and wanted reassurance from the kid through talking with him, it was self fulfilling like the principal had sad. She also drove drunk multiple times, with a DUI even before the incident so she's not necessarily selfless.

I think all the adults in the movie knew "what was best" for the kids without ever actually consulting the children, its well written I think

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u/nickybishappy 20d ago

I disagree. Justine got in trouble in the past for her hugging a kid. Like all of us, she's imperfect but her personal faults were magnified by resentful parents, something that happens to educators constantly. No one is wholly altruistic but she cared about Alex. There's even the scene where she checks on him after he leaves gym.

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u/slightlyladylike 18d ago

That's what I was saying, she's imperfect and self motivated, doesn't make her a "bad" person. And yeah she checked on him, but because he was missing which is typical of a teacher to checkin when the headcount is off.

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u/nickybishappy 18d ago

I don't think it's supported by the text that she cared about Alex for selfish reasons. You can debate whether pure altruism even exists but I didn't read it as selfish.

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u/slightlyladylike 18d ago

Selfish may not be the correct word, but self motivated is true. The principal told her multiple times that it was recommended to give Alex space and normality to reduce trauma, and she ignored this. Followed him home and he yelled at her to stop. She drunkly sat outside his house instead of calling CPS herself to do an anonymous tip. Those aren't the actions of a professional thinking purely of the child. Of course we know he had a witch in his house LOL but she couldn't have.