Weapons 2025 - Review

Weapons - Review

For me, Weapons isn’t just one of the best horror films this year. It’s a bold, daring ride that reminds me exactly why I love the genre.

Summary of the Plot

In the small Pennsylvania town of Maybrook, something extraordinary happens at 2:17 a.m.: Seventeen out of eighteen children in a classroom leave their homes unsupervised and vanish into the night. The sole child left behind and his teacher, Justine (Julia Garner), become the epicenter of suspicion and guilt. Meanwhile, a father (Josh Brolin), a cop (Alden Ehrenreich), a junkie, a principal, and several other characters each present fragments of the story. As perspectives shift and truths unravel, the film builds toward a chilling revelation.

What I Loved

• Originality & Scope: The central idea, so many kids disappearing from the same class, same time, is haunting and fresh. It’s rare to find a horror narrative this bold and imaginative in 2025.
• Characters & Ensemble: Each viewpoint adds weight. Garner’s portrayal of a teacher under unbearable pressure stood out to me, giving emotional depth to what could easily have been a formulaic role. The ensemble all delivers.
• Atmosphere & Craft: From the shifting perspectives to the way the cinematography plays with silence, space, and dread, the film uses its technical tools in service of unease. The slow build is effective.
• Emotional Resonance: It’s not all jump scares. There’s genuine tension, grief, suspicion, and the feeling of a community unravelling. It lingers days after you leave the theater.

My Only Quibbles

• Pacing in Places: The segmented narrative is clever, but it sometimes takes its time to fully gel. There were moments where I felt the pace slow, and I wondered if all the threads needed so much setup.
• Ambiguous Resolution: The finale satisfies more than many horror films do these days, but part of me wished for a little more closure. The mystery is intriguing, but it also leaves you with questions.

Conclusion

Overall, Weapons hit hard! In originality, in dread, in emotional weight. If you ask me, in a year crowded with horror offerings, this one stands tall. It might not be flawless, but it’s daring, inventive, and thoroughly satisfying for someone like me who wants more than just loud scares. I loved that it made me think, made me feel uneasy long after the end, and left me excited about where horror can go next.

If you’re looking for a horror film that steers clear of the usual tropes and gives you something wild, layered, and memorable, this is it.