REVIEW: ‘Weapons’ builds tension well, but loses way in second half

After writing and directing 2022’s “Barbarian,” Zach Cregger is back with another suspenseful flick that will keep you guessing.

His latest picture is “Weapons,” which centers on the mysterious disappearance of 17 children from their homes in the middle of the night. The children were all from the same classroom at a school in a small Pennsylvania town, and there are no leads to their whereabouts, other than that they all left at the same time.

The situation puts a negative light on the teacher of the class, Justine (Julia Garner), who much of the town puts some blame on for the disappearance. As Justine struggles with the situation, the film explores what she goes through, and how the incident is impacting other citizens as well.

“Weapons” is plotted in chapters, with each following the perspective of a separate key character. Sometimes these chapters intersect with others, and sometimes not, allowing the story to nicely develop while exploring the deep trauma that can impact an entire community after a big tragedy.

Cregger really digs into the lives of its characters and how the situation weighs on them, especially Justine and Josh Brolin’s character Archer Graff. He deserves credit for balancing that with a twisted, suspenseful mystery that builds well over time.

It keeps a viewer captivated, with the tension increasing as the characters feel added pressure as time goes on with the kids missing for more and more days, while creepy things also happen. That is at least true for the first two acts. 

As the film goes on and retreads the same time period from the perspective of more characters, it puts more of a burden on the final portion of the movie to really deliver. Sadly, it doesn’t. While the last third of the flick or so does provide some entertainment and eerie bits, it is overall a let down.

The actual concept revealed in the film’s latter portion isn’t bad in theory, but its execution leaves plenty to be desired. It feels undercooked and results in a lot of unanswered questions. That in itself isn’t a universal problem, movies being ambiguous isn’t an instant negative.

However, when a movie plays out like a mystery, with the audience being willed to pull the thread, it’s good to have a payoff that brings everything together coherently and satisfyingly. This, unfortunately, doesn’t happen in “Weapons,” to its detriment.

It’s really too bad because there is a lot to like in “Weapons,” especially the cast. Garner, who was phenomenal in the 2020 drama “The Assistant,” shines here with one of the major roles. It’s clear Justine is a person who once shined bright, and is now under the darkest of clouds, thanks to Garner’s portrayal.

Her resolve to keep looking into what happened to the kids shows her dedication to teaching, even though she is personally spiraling. Josh Brolin is also solid as the father of one of the missing children. It shows how, for some, grief can turn to action when a tragedy is unresolved.

The perspective of the other characters adds layers to the picture, too, and watching them interact enhances many scenes. At least that’s true with most of the characters, but there maybe could have been one or two perspectives that were either cut or merged together. Plus, as previously stated, it doesn’t come lead to much good in the end.

Technically, the film is sound. Visually, it looks clean, it’s edited well for thrills and includes some horror elements with good effects. Cregger gives the film a sort of 80s aesthetic with the picture, too, adding some style.

“Weapons” has things going for it, from its artistry to its acting, along with a compelling premise. However, the narrative starts to feel strained the more it goes, and the final act ultimately harms the picture quite a bit. When a film builds something up and fails to come through, it’s disappointing. That was the case, leading to a 3.2 out of 5.