Zach Cregger knows pacing. His follow up to 2022’s Barbarian, Weapons, provides the same slow hammer pull, always knowing when to let the bullets fly. The story chronicles the disappearance of a class of elementary students, save one, and the townspeople’s attempt to unravel its mystery. It is a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, but trust me, all the pieces fit.
Julia Garner and Josh Brolin lead ensamble cast with not a single weak link among them. Garner, as troubled schoolteacher Justine Gandy, is working her A-game here–nominations to follow. Each character is uniquely flawed, and every actor renders them, lovingly, bruises and all. You’ll dislike something of each but still root for them in the end. Weapons is what happens when great writing meets skilled performance.
Cregger structures the screenplay to shift from character point-of-view to point-of-view, reseting the narrative starting point until they all intersect. We pick up clues with each telling, building tension upon tension. The burner is set to low, cranked up in tiny clicks, until the house is on fire. When it arrives, the conclusion is the most satisfying you’ll see all year.
Like Barbarian, Weapons paints in darkness and shadow making even large spaces feel claustrophobic: yawning doorways, suburban streets, kitchen interiors. It’s all about what you can’t see. Cregger lets your imagination run wild until the flashlight beam falls. Weapons has many jump scares, but they are earned through thoughtful direction, cinematography, and lighting. The film is at its best when the lights are off and the quiet deafens us.
Weapons ranks among the best films of 2025. Like any good thriller, it is filled with many “hell, naw” moments, but we get just as many nervous chuckles. It is a masterful balance of thrill and horror…with a tasteful sprinkling of comedy. You may never walk through a darkened doorway again but get your butt into a dark theater for Weapons.
Verdict: 9.0
Tiny Table 3 
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