Weapons: The First Horror Film in Years That Actually Scared Me
Weapons scared me about as much as I’m capable of being scared by a movie as an adult—while also making me laugh in moments where it was clearly by design, and without breaking the tone of the film.
The trailer didn’t inspire much confidence in me: it leaned on that stupid, generic spooky kid gimmick, and the premise seemed like a rip-off of Picnic at Hanging Rock. Thankfully, the film dispenses with both of those elements relatively quick, and completed its runtime as the best horror film of the year.
For context: I think this is better than Sinners, previously my pick for the best horror film of the year, because unlike Sinners, this is actually scary. Scary horror films are so rare I often forget that's the point of the genre, so while Sinners was a well-made film with an engaging story, Weapons blew it out of the water by actually delivering fear, while also weaving in intentional comedy, so the scares were fun instead of relentless. This is a film that not only frightens, but entertains, which is also rare, as the few other genuinely scary horror films that I've experienced often tend to be more like endurance tests than entertainment.
Early on, there are some well-executed, Conjuring-style jump scares. Though I did catch myself wondering: “Am I reacting because it’s actually scary, or because this is an IMAX screening and the sound mix is blasting my eardrums?” But the single best jump scare—which made me scream out loud, something I've only ever done during one other film in my lifetime—is completely free of musical stings. It’s just pure anticipation and suspense. After that moment, the film successfully leans into sustained tension.
Structurally, it’s unpredictable. It doesn’t bother tying up every loose end, and it avoids the traditional three-act rhythm—yet it stays engaging from start to finish. That’s a hard balance to strike, and Weapons pulls it off.
I also thought the director’s previous film, Barbarian, was a piece of garbage. Honestly, I only went to see Weapons based on the strength of Companion—and then got concerned when I realized the director didn’t actually write or direct that film, just produced it, so Barbarian was his sole prior horror credit.
Two small, non-spoiler notes:
1.) While this is not a Stephen King imitation—it has its own voice, another point in its favor—the villain is, for my money, a better, creepier, and more book-accurate Pennywise than either adaptation of IT has managed.
2.) The villain also evokes the scariest single scene in the original Pet Sematary, except by centering those elements on the film's antagonist, it sustains the dread of that scene for the entire movie instead of peaking in one scene,
If you’re interested in seeing it, do yourself a favor: don’t read (or watch—or listen to!) any other reviews, and learn as little as possible before going in.
