Weapons

From the very first trailer, Weapons had me hooked. The premise alone was something to be intrigued about; a bunch of kids all running from their homes at the same time at night? I couldn’t miss that, doubly so that Zach Creggar is sat in the director’s chair. He’s had my eye since I saw Barbarian two years ago, he has a very talented eye for building suspense using nothing but the camera, those skills are very evident in this film as well.

What a great segway am I right? Okay so, Zach directs the absolute hell out of this movie. He has a unique look around his films, he knows how to weaponise both viewer’s expectations and the frame itself. There are multiple times in this film that I was feeling an intense buildup to a scare only to be blindsided by a quiet yet engaging shot that strikes fear into my very heart. Each one of his shots and cuts are carefully planned out to get the absolute most out of the scene, he has a frequent love for one takes; designing them in such a way to encourage you to look at everything you possibly can. Zach is a very engaging director, he knows how to get your attention and doesn’t relinquish it for the whole runtime. Furthermore, he gets consistently great performances out of his actors. Both Julia Garner and Josh Brolin give engaging and heartfelt performances, allowing the audience to get immersed in their individual stories but also experience the wider mystery along with them. A special shoutout to Austin Abrams as well, as this is apparently one of his first major roles, he absolutely smashed it!

The film isn’t without its faults though, as much as I loved the film overall, the way it’s presented can often feel disorientating. The film is told in a non-linear narrative, constantly jumping between different characters over the same period of time. I did often find myself a bit lost when things were taking place. It took me out of the film a little bit but not enough to hinder both my enjoyment and engagement in the narrative. As a final note, I’d highly recommend you go into this film knowing as little as possible. As one of its greatest strengths is its unpredictability as to where the story is heading, it keeps you guessing and on your toes. Knowing anything beforehand would significantly impact your enjoyment of the film.

Overall, Weapons is an absolute triumph of suspense. Zach Cregger delivers a richly intense and engaging story that will surprise you at every turn. Would highly recommend you take the time to go and watch it!

8.5/10