“Weapons” Film Review

                                                             Weapons

            It was supposed to be a normal day at Maybrook Elementary School. Kids were in class, learning their

subjects. No one would suspect that something was amiss.

            But new teacher Justine Gandy’s classroom has 17 kids missing. Only one kid shows up. Parents think

Justine has something up her sleeve. But you know the saying “Keep your friends close and your enemies

closer?” Nothing can prepare Justine for the dark truth that lies ahead. (Beware of the following spoilers ahead).

            Positive Elements: Justine is a caring teacher, despite her troubled past. After getting off on the wrong

foot, she teams up with Archer to find the missing kids. Archer saves her life, and feels guilty about not telling

his son Matthew “I love you.”

            Alex loves his family to a fault. He grows concerned for his parents, and is suspicious of his Aunt Gladys.

(Spoiler Warning): Alex (unintentionally) saves the kids from a cursed spell.

            Spiritual Content: Remember that aforementioned cursed spell I mentioned? (Spoiler Warning): Gladys is

the one behind that. Yep, she’s a witch; performing rituals, concocting spells and hypnotizing people. Gladys

meditates around burning candles. We are shown the exterior of a church.

            Sensual Content: Justine has a complicated relationship with Paul (one of the police officers). The two

have sex (a brief scene shows them from the waist up). However, Paul is in a relationship with Donna who wants

a baby. Some sexual references are present in the dialogue. Marcus has a same-sex relationship with another

man (we don’t witness any activity between them). One character goes shirtless. It’s implied Justine was fired

from her previous teaching job due to “inappropriate behavior.”

            Violence: Weapons isn’t a mindless slasher flick, but don’t mistake the phrase as a light warning. Though

the suspense is slowly drawn out, a few scenes are jarring.

            It begins with mild jump scares (presented in two nightmare sequences). But when Gladys makes her

entrance, the real horror kicks in. Bewitched people attack others, screeching like wild animals. One person

repeatedly rams his head into another man’s skull. Two people are killed via gunshots (one lies in a pool of

blood).

            Marcus is killed by a car and we (briefly) see half of his body. Alex’s parents stab their faces with forks.

People rip through wooden doors in pursuit of Alex. (Spoiler Warning): The 17 kids chase Gladys (causing

property damage in the process) before murdering her (the moment mostly happens offscreen, but her arms

and legs are grotesquely torn apart, lying on the grass).

            Language: About 60 f-words join multiple s-words, misuses of God’s name (paired a few times with “d—

n”), “a—hole,” “h—,” “b—ch,” and “d—n.” Justine is called a “witch” by several people.

            Drugs/Alcohol: Justine is an alcoholic; she buys heavy liquor and (offscreen) gets drunk with Paul at a bar.

Donna splashes alcohol on Justine in a moment of rage. It’s noted she had a DUI in the past.

            James is another character who is smoking weed and other drugs. He is visibly stoned in several scenes.

One police officer is stabbed with hypothermic needles.

            Other Negative Elements: Justine oversteps boundaries with one of her students. One act of police

violence is covered up. Some characters lie and try to cover their tracks. A few characters steal items from other

people (in one case James pawns silverware for money). Someone vomits black blood on another’s face.

            The parents blame Justine for their missing children. One goes so far as to deface her car.

            Conclusion: Weapons is Zach Cregger’s sophomore directorial debut (his first was Barbarian back in

2022). When released in August 2025, critics raved about it (the film has a 93% critics score on Rotten

Tomatoes). It is easy to understand why: the story, suspense, and performances elevate it to new heights. While

many horror films rely on cheap jump scares, Weapons finds it’s footing. Every twist subverts your expectations,

pulling you deeper into the mystery.

            However, Weapons is rated R, and in case you need a refresher, here are some content conundrums.

Language is almost frequent (60 f-words make up for about almost half the profanity tally here). Dark

spirituality has a disturbing effect on the plot. While the violence isn’t as gruesome, some scenes could be pure

nightmare fuel. This film is not meant for kids and young teens: parents need to express extreme caution before

viewing on their own.

            Problems aside, the acting is excellent. Julia Garner (Netflix’s Ozark) brings empathy and concern as

Justine. Josh Brolin (True Grit (2010)) channels the raw anger as Archer. Even supporting characters give it

their all, manifesting fear, grief and sadness at the right cinematic beats.

            But the real star is Amy Madigan (Gladys). She is unrecognizable with the makeup, pulling off a female

version of Pennywise (minus the shapeshifting trait). Madigan switches from flightiness to cold and calculating,

never missing a beat. Gladys is the next horror movie icon, and Weapons is proof. Madigan won the Oscar for

Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards.

            Though Weapons is critically acclaimed, the content issues require families to press pause. Christians

might find the occult part a bit too much (see Deuteronomy 18:9-13 for reference). But for mature adults who

desire more than a cheap horror flick, Weapons knocks it out of the park.