⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5 stars)
Science fiction director J.J. Abrams attributes his love of storytelling to the purchase of a small, unopened wooden box. Purchased at a magic store in New York City, the box is wooden, plain and without any indication of what's inside. Still to this day, Abrams has not opened that very box. To him, the unopened box represents infinite possibility, hope and potential. It's this unknowing that is the catalyst for imagination and one that Weapons director Zach Cregger expertly wields at the helm of this horror spectacle.
The central mystery of Weapons revolves around primary school teacher Justin Gandy (Julia Garner) and student Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher) as one night at 2:17am, every student but Alex, woke up, got out of bed, opened the front door and walked into the dark, never to return. Through five distinct chapters, which follow key characters, the central mystery is gradually revealed, while also exploring the emotional trauma this event inflicts on the small American town.
Given the core mystery of Weapons, the film does feature frequent disturbing images and situations featuring children. It is also not recommended for those uncomfortable with images of the occult and witchcraft. The film also features brief sexual content and drug use, but it is not focused on for long or shown gratuitously.
The allure of trying to piece together what made a classroom of children leave their homes in the middle of the night and disappear into the darkness forever is, without a doubt, the film's biggest strength. By way of nightmarish dream sequences and non-linear storytelling, the audience is gradually treated to reveals and twists that eventually reveal the larger picture at play, culminating in an immensely satisfying and fun watch that can only be experienced with a packed theatre. The whole cast delivers grounded and excellent performances throughout, with special mention to Josh Brolin playing Archer Graff, father to one of the missing children, who both provides a lot of the emotional weight to the film whilst also delivering a lot of the laughs.
Director Zach Cregger's signature style for combining engaging and captivating horror with clever writing and perfectly delivered comedy is on full display in his latest. He continues to prove his masterful skill for blending both genres, particularly peaking towards the climax of the film, where over-the-top violence and comedic absurdity blend together into a conjunction of outrageous laughter and uncomfortable squirming. This is a theatre experience that cannot be missed.
Jump scares are frequent and often used as hallucinations or for comedic relief. However, Cregger's love for the horror genre is best shown in the film's haunting central premise and several sequences featuring violent attacks and its multiple instances of body horror. A special mention should also be given to the make-up and costuming department, which excelled in fully realising their spoiler-filled horrors on screen.
Combined with standout performances from the whole cast and a thoroughly entertaining mix of supernatural horror and well-performed comedy, Weapons is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, eager to find out what happened to that classroom of children who ran into the dark that one fateful night.
Reel Dialogue and Third Space have entered the world of YouVersion: Download the app, dive into the plans, and engage with the Bible in a fresh and exciting way.
REEL DIALOGUE: The search for truth
Shakespeare’s writings show us all that the search for truth is not relegated to this era. When looking for truth, mankind has been searching for the answers since the beginning.
When looking for the answers to truth, besides relying on mere intuition and personal conjecture, the search for the answer to this question has to be outside of the human experience. Some may look for answers in science, philosophy, and religion, but how can people know where to find the answers to ethical and moral queries?
Through this journey of inquiry, the Bible is an excellent source to consider. The wisdom found in the words of this book only gives specific answers to some situations that come along. Still, it offers the framework for making the right decision. It even provides solutions to life’s more prominent considerations. In this investigation, the best places to start are in some of the books of wisdom in the Old Testament (Psalms and Proverbs) or the book of Romans in the New Testament.
Keep seeking the truth.
