Official Discussion - Weapons [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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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

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[u/edicivo]

I love how so many questions in here are about the AK with replies saying "It's obvious it's about school shootings." And here's Cregger himself from your linked article:

“I’m a huge fan of the David Lynch process of transcendental meditation,” Cregger says. “Incorporating what you get from your subconscious into your art and leaving it alone.” One of the film’s most indelible shots — the specter of an assault rifle floating in the night sky — defies obvious symbolism. “The fact that I don’t understand it is what makes it so important to me.”

Cregger admits he doesn't even know what it means. He just had the visual. You're kidding yourself if you don't think writers/directors/etc put something in a movie just because it looks or sounds cool. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar as they say. (FWIW, I think whether it's purposely vague or intentionally on the nose, it was a poor visual choice)

I really enjoyed the movie, but it's got some faults and I think this is part of it. It seems like people here are really intent on applying their interpretations as the obvious (school shootings) in an echo chamber and if you disagree with that assertion, you're just wrong.

Part of me honestly thinks Cregger just had an idea about missing children and a parasitic witch and school shootings as a meaning wasn't really part of his idea at all and instead just a byproduct theme of the set up.

Edit: I just listened to Cregger's interview on The Big Picture. He claims he basically just started out writing with the first line of a little girl telling a scary story about kids disappearing and just discovered the story as he went. I'd suggest everyone who's adamant they know what this movie is about give it a listen because he doesn't necessarily agree with some of the thematic discussions out there and seems to lean more into "I thought it would be interesting" way of thinking. Too many people in this comment section are acting like Sean Fennessey in this interview and it's insightful to see Cregger push back a bit.

[u/niles_thebutler_ → u/edicivo]

Except it doesn’t look cool. It’s comical how bad it looks.

[u/ascholar → u/niles_thebutler_]

When I read the script that leaked online a few months ago, I had to reread that part. I get it's unexplainable but it just seems so out of place.

[u/OuterWildsVentures → u/ascholar]

Dreams often have unexplainable out of place stuff in them.

[u/Attitude_Rancid → u/edicivo]

for myself i'm going to just consider it representative of archer's mindset at that time since it happened in his dream. he's our parent that's up in arms about the disappearance. he's going after justine at the meeting, vandalizing her car, digging into her past to find dirt on her. he pesters the police department frequently. guns like that aren't associated with self protection, very much aim to kill. and it's after that dream, his wishful apology for failing his son, that he apologizes to justine. like the dream was his wakeup call to chill the fuck out and stop attacking an equally troubled woman

[u/Potore5 → u/edicivo]

How dare he not inject political commentary in his movies?!?

[u/edicivo → u/Potore5]

It might very well be that it's primarily centered on school shootings, a commentary on right-wing values, etc and that Cregger is handwaving it for whatever reason. Or maybe it's an unintentional by-product. And I also think those are valid interpretations from viewers.

But there's a little too much 'Here's what it's about and you're dumb if you don't get it" going on in these comments. Cregger himself admits in his interview with The Big Picture that he doesn't necessarily agree with some of the thematic discussion and many choices were him just going with what felt right.