Writer/director Zach Cregger has gotten a lot of praise throughout the horror film world for his 2022 film BARBARIAN and he likely will again with his newest frightener entitled WEAPONS. Both films are atmospheric, well-directed, and chock full of unnerving jump scares, but while Cregger is superb at delivering vivid heebie-jeebies to audiences, I’m not convinced that he truly believes in the genre. Cregger continually lets logic slip through the cracks which takes an audience out of his narratives, plus he seems far more content to play the horrors for laughs than gasps or even screams. It’s confounding as he has the potential to be a real voice in this genre, yet he seems to be laughing at both its tropes and ticket buyers.
It’s a shame too because BARBARIAN had much to admire before its heroine started to act like an utter moron and the final act lapsed into a ludicrous chase scene. WEAPONS has big issues too despite having a very tense first hour, one that is anchored with a superb performance from Julia Garner. Unfortunately, the film’s next hour and eight minutes diminish that promise as it becomes increasingly jokey and moves focus away from her character.
Cregger lays out his story with an unseen child narrator telling us that 17 children went missing in the wee hours one morning, sprinting out of their suburban homes, never to be heard from again. The kids are revealed to be the third-grade students of quirky local teacher Justine Gandy (Garner). Only one student remains behind, a quiet boy named Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), who seemingly wasn’t summoned to run away like the others. Alex, his parents, and Gandy are questioned by the cops, but no one is arrested and the trail goes cold quickly. A number of months later, the police seem to have moved on, and for the most part, the parents are trying to get on with their lives as well.
Bullshit. In what world does Cregger think this would ever happen?
If 17 children disappeared like that in one fell swoop, the police and parents would be obsessed. So too would all kinds of other detectives, reporters, the Feds, newscasters, podcasters, you name it. The town would be crawling with investigators, news media, and even armchair detectives for a considerable amount of time. Hell, Nancy Grace and her entourage would take up two floors alone at the Holiday Inn for months. No stone would be left unturned. But Cregger ignores such obvious realities, most likely because he doesn’t want to encumber his narrative about loner Gandy having to do her own sleuthing because the police investigation has stalled.
Still, even with such narrative blunders, Garner’s Gandy remains a riveting character. The educator is a complex woman, devoted to her students, yet prone to run-ins with her superiors. Gandy also has no hesitation in plying her alcoholic ex with libations at a local watering hole to get him back in the sack. Does such a contradictory and dark character know more than she’s revealing about the kids disappearing?
Such vital questions add to the tension and mystery here, but once Justine’s intriguing chapter closes and moves on to that of Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), an obsessive parent of one of the missing children, the film starts to lose its focus, steam, and scares. There are five character chapters in all, and the more time we spend with other backstories, the more the dread subsides. So many of the newer character revelations feel pedantic, like those found on a TV police procedural. They may connect the dots but they rarely increase the suspense. Additionally, a steady stream of over-the-top violence start to invade the space, making for far too many cheap laughs. Some horrendous deaths occur that seem even to be played for guffaws, and yet, no authority in sight makes any hay out of such morbidity. Why? Is Cregger losing interest in all this the more his story goes on, along with the cops in the story? Is that why it keeps getting crazier and crazier? It should be focusing on the emotional devastation missing children have on a community, but the crux turns towards gross bloodletting and cartoonish brutality. Ultimately, it all starts to feel deeply cynical.
By the time the explanation for the mystery arrives, the story has grown so farfetched and grotesque as to be mostly disappointing. The film suffers too from relegating Gandy to the edges after her strong start. The other actors are fine but Garner shines most and her lead character becomes a supporting player midway through. Ultimately, what should have been an examination of primal fear and the abuse of innocence turns into something more resembling an exercise in genre exploitation. Was Cregger screwing with us the whole time, making fun of everything? Maybe not, but a lot of it sure feels that way.
If this talented filmmaker decides to dwell on genuine terror that can exist in our increasingly frightening world, he may create storytelling that feels substantive and lasting. But for a film that calls itself WEAPONS, it seems that Cregger would rather use what’s in his arsenal to tickle our funny bones and make fun of frights, rather than send truly terrifying chills up our spines.
