Weapons: A New Horror Classic

Sep 22
3 min read

Horror in 2025 is having a renaissance. Between releases like Sinners and The Conjuring 4, Weapons arrives as a film that feels both familiar and new. It echoes the classic terror of the past century while delivering a modern cinematic experience, packed with social commentary and raw emotion.

Architects of Fear

Directed by Zach Cregger, a relatively fresh voice in the genre, Weapons proves his ability to balance style with substance. With an impressive cast including Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and Benedict Wong, the film anchors its tension in strong performances that make every character both human and suspicious.

Each part of the story is seen through the eyes of each of the characters, the puzzle gradually unraveling in your mind until the truth is revealed.

Gradually uncovering the events from each character's perspective creates tension, while also providing moments of refreshment and comedy just enough to make you forget you're in a horror movie.

One Town, One Child, Too Many Silences

The premise is chilling in its simplicity: an entire group of children disappears from a school in small-town America. All of them—except one.

From that moment, the questions unfold: Why did this happen? Why was one child spared? Who is responsible—the parents, the teachers, the authorities?

The film thrives in that uncertainty. Trust no one.

Slow-Burn Tension and Razor-Edged Weapons

Unlike much of modern horror, Weapons doesn’t drown itself in constant tension or endless jump scares.

Instead, it masterfully builds suspense with quiet moments, subtle interactions, and unsettling atmosphere—even in broad daylight. And just when you feel safe, the film strikes. Its touches of comedy work as pressure valves, making the terror that follows even more effective.

Terror With a Conscience: The System is the Monster

Beneath the surface, Weapons carries a weighty message: it reflects on school violence in the U.S., the tragedies of children lost to shootings and negligence, the failures of authority figures who stand by until it’s too late. It’s a horror film, yes—but also a mirror of a society that often looks away.

All of this resonates like an uncomfortable echo in the middle of the story. While none of this appears, it's clear that it's being screamed at you through visual and visceral voices.

Terror is no longer just fantasy, but the recognition that reality can be equally or more terrifying.

Faces that tremble

The breakout performance belongs to Kari Christopher, the child who remains when all others vanish. His portrayal is fragile yet powerful, delivering one of the strongest child performances in recent memory.

Meanwhile, the adults embody mistrust—are they protectors, or part of the danger?

A Puzzle Seen From the Inside

One of the most brilliant aspect is its narrative: we don't follow the story as omnipotent observers. We see only what the characters see; we feel what they feel.

Different perspectives intersect and complement each other, like pieces of a puzzle that the viewer must put together in their minds. They give us little clues that gradually reveal the story, giving us a huge sense of satisfaction when we reach the end, knowing that everything has a meaning.

We Leave the Theater, But the Echo Stays

Weapons isn’t just a horror movie.

It's an experience that blends suspense, social critique, and the primal fear of loss. Zach Cregger delivers a film that unsettles not only because of what’s on screen, but because of what it says about our world today.

If this is just the beginning of his career in horror, the genre may have just found one of its next great voices.