Weapons

by Mike McGranaghan

If I had only two words to describe Weapons, those words would be: Holy shit!

Writer/director Zach Cregger follows up his wonderfully demented Barbarian with this even more wonderfully demented film. Audiences, especially horror audiences, are much more sophisticated these days. We don’t have cases like The Exorcist or The Blair Witch Project where the whole country seems to collectively freak out over a fright flick. This one could come close to inspiring such a phenomenon, though. It goes to places you’ll never expect.

The story takes place in a Pennsylvania town where all the children in a classroom belonging to Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) inexplicably run away from home at 2:17 AM. All but one, that is. Lots of people, including anguished father Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), think Justine must have been doing something fishy. She claims to be every bit as distraught as the parents. From there, the mystery unfolds from the perspectives of different characters. Aside from Justine and Archer, there’s local cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), school principal Andrew (Benedict Wong), homeless junkie James (Austin Abrams), and Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), the only kid who didn’t vanish.

I’m not always a fan of movies that have this sort of fractured storytelling, but it really works here. Cregger essentially creates a series of mini cliffhangers, so that each time the perspective shifts, we’re left on the edge of our seats waiting to see how the next person’s experience fits into the overall story. Then, in the last half-hour, the pieces click into place for a finale that pulls out all the stops in terms of outrageous terror. There’s mastery in how the director continually builds eerie suspense while holding the payoff for the exact right moment.

Each character’s arc is intriguing, and an excellent cast helps the movie feel unified, even as it’s bouncing around. Julia Garner continues to impress with the latest in a string of authentic, emotionally grounded performances in horror fare. (See also Wolf Man and Apartment 7A.) Many of the best scenes feature her and Josh Brolin, who brings simmering anger to the role of Archer. The actors get to evolve the dynamic between their characters over time, a task they accomplish in a manner that lends weight to the tale.

The best, most unforgettable performance comes from an unrecognizable Amy Madigan as Alex’s great aunt Gladys, who proves to be an important figure in the town’s troubles. Clad in a bad wig, poorly applied makeup, and an outfit that would make a member of the Red Hat Society blush, she’s a singularly unnerving presence. Madigan does more than look creepy. She imbues Gladys with a personality that makes your skin crawl. It’s not hyperbole to say the actress deserves awards consideration for her work. No doubt some viewers will have nightmares about Gladys.

I have intentionally not said much about what actually happens in Weapons. The less you know in advance, the better. Without going into specifics, Cregger unfolds a series of increasingly ominous scenes that raise your anxiety level on a steady basis. Several of them contain elements of dark comedy, which only makes them spookier. After the ninety-minute mark, that sense of dread explodes with a string of shocking events. A pitch perfect final line of dialogue induces one last shiver before the credits roll.

Movies where children are in peril can risk falling into exploitation. Weapons sidesteps that by thematically dealing with the common parental fear of having something bad happen to your kids. Parents, in particular, are going to be susceptible to freaking out. Whether you have children or not, the film provides an insane experience that will leave you rattled in the most ecstatic way imaginable.

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