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| Images Courtesy of New Line Cinema |
Zack Cregger
stunned horror fans with the absolutely insane film Barbarian. He
returns with Weapons, which simultaneously etches its blood-stained
legacy into the horror annals while also managing to top his debut.
A lurid, grimy, modern day fairy tale, this is a film that somehow
manages to thread comedy, action, horror, and drama effortlessly.
Featuring a bravura cast wide performance, a nonlinear presentation, and one of
the most well-earned finales in recent memory, this is without a doubt one of
the best films of the year.
At exactly 2:17am 17 of 18 students in a third-grade classroom get out of bed
and vanish into the night. What follows in the mystery laden aftermath is
murder, mayhem, and nightmarish terror. Cregger's solid script is the
connective tissue, deftly balancing the genre mashup while also commenting on
how communities in America are slowly disintegrating due to suspicion and
divisiveness. A prison of violence, grief, and the unknown is coiled
around an almost wholesome center in which the loss of innocence and devotion
to family are paramount.
Julia Garner stars as the ill-fated students' teacher. Her performance dovetails with Josh Brolin’s who plays the father of one of the missing children, who suspects the teacher. At its core, Weapons slowly examines the process of grief and how its various permutations can create a pressure cooker in a small community, and these two talented actors disappear into their roles, both obsessed with solving a mystery that most likely should never be solved. Cary Christopher is perhaps the star who shines brightest as the lone student who remains, and when the narrative shifts to his point of view is where the tension ratchets up and secrets are revealed. Christopher’s childlike reactions to the situation are organic and pure, juxtaposed from the evil that has nestled in his town. Amy Madigan rounds out the cast with a scene stealing performance as Alex's long estranged aunt.
This is a nesting egg story with graphic violence throughout. Larkin Sieple's cinematography captures the heartbreak and carnage deftly, with almost every organic scene having a sense of dread enshrouded upon it. The camerawork and Joe Murphy's editing, particularly in the unforgettable finale, are perhaps the strongest element. This is the type of experience that will stick with the viewer long after the abrupt credits roll, and even that choice is a masterstroke by a director who truly understands the human condition.
Now playing in theaters, Weapons is a staggering, blood-soaked achievement that demands to be seen. Deliberate in its presentation, glacial in its revelations, Zack Cregger has created a terrible entity that is not only a reflection of our true selves, it is also a brutal parable about communal grief and suspicion. Viewers looking for a fresh, intelligent, and relentless story will not be disappointed.
--Kyle
Jonathan