The movie “Weapons” brings the viewer on an uniquely fun and engaging ride.
When elementary school teacher Justine enters her class to find only one student, she is unaware of the unspeakable horrors her class will soon face. “Weapons” focuses on a class of 18 students, and all but one go missing in the middle of the night.
The film stars Julia Garner, who plays Justine, the teacher of the missing class; Josh Brolin, who plays the role of Archer, the parent of a missing child who plays a crucial part in the investigation; and Alden Ehrenreich, who plays Paul, a local officer. Throughout the movie, complicated dynamics are explored as the community grapples with nonsensical tragedy.
I was thoroughly impressed and engaged throughout the duration of this movie. From set design to complex narratives, this movie left me guessing throughout its just over two-hour runtime. Each character felt real and relatable.
Seeing Justine go through an unfathomable loss and then face the grief from the family was a difficult watch. The subplot of the relationship between Paul and Justine also felt very real and vulnerable, as they made bad decisions in rough times.
The biggest point of contention was characters getting a parasite-like infection. The special effects on these infected individuals were unbelievable. It was so appalling and realistic that I found myself looking away frequently. The quest to find the cause of these infections was highly engaging. It was difficult to guess — once the cause of the infections was revealed, I was shocked.
I would rate “Weapons” a 4.5 out of 5. “Weapons” is a highly engaging film with complex characters, incredible editing, and realistic special effects. My only qualm with the film was that some subplots felt like they lacked context. I would still recommend this film to anyone looking for a good spooky movie to watch.
–Feb. 20, 2026–
