Each character carries an immense amount of misery and weight throughout the film, some even more so by the end. The way director Zach Cregger encapsulates the overwhelming grief, anger, and confusion adds a level of force that continues to sink its teeth into you with each passing moment and each character’s perspective. The film, in ways, uses school shootings as a backdrop, as they are sadly all too common. There is immense grief among the parents and community, oftentimes with few answers. There is rage and deep confusion caught up in the mix of something truly unimaginable. For those on the outside, who feel no emotional attachment, grief, sadness, and rage become things to weaponize. The events at Sandy Hook Elementary spiraled into conspiracy theories pushed by people with radical, evil ploys. Much like the main antagonist in the film—who inserts herself into the lives of her family—she needs to feed off the control she has over others, using people as weapons.

Additionally, throughout the film, ideas revolving around parasites, generational differences, and ideology play key roles, with one major generational divide spanning from kids to parents to the elderly aunt, Gladys. From what I recall and take from Cregger’s presentation, Gladys (Amy Madigan) is the embodiment of a parasite among Alex, his family, and the town. The parasitic theme is echoed in Alex’s classroom, where Justine teaches, and in a nature documentary that Andrew (Benedict Wong) and Terry (Clayton Ferris) are watching. Andrew and Terry, a gay couple, are shown alongside a cordyceps documentary on TV, just before Gladys makes her way into their home. She eventually takes control of Andrew and forces him to brutally kill his husband, showing no remorse. Representing a generational form of hatred, Gladys makes it a priority to kill Terry and take over Andrew.

One of the most impressive aspects of Weapons is its comedic moments, which benefit from Cregger’s long-time WKUK experience. For a film blanketed in grief and despair, the humor is perfectly sprinkled in without affecting the tone or story. It’s extraordinary to see both Zach Cregger and Jordan Peele find success after their days in comedy, taking their skit-writing expertise and applying it to the grand spectacle of their films, knowing exactly when and where a moment will work.

Weapons delivers several horror moments, I believe, that will be remembered as remarkably iconic in the years to come. Most notably, the scene that had me sit up straight thinking, “oh my fucking god” as Justine (Julia Garner) is parked outside Alex’s (Cary Christopher) house in the middle of the night, asleep after drinking. The door to the house opens, and Alex’s mother walks toward Justine—scissors in hand—in such a creepy, skin-crawling way. The camera stays locked on her from inside the car, following her to the window before she disappears from view and gets into the back seat. The shot remains on Justine, and you truly have no idea what’s going to happen next. There are so many moments like this that deliver a horror experience unlike any other film this year.

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like the idea of telling the story from different character perspectives. I told myself, as soon as it became clear that’s what was happening, “This is one of my most anticipated films of the year, and it’s Zach fucking Cregger directing—what could go wrong?” Turns out, it works so well by the end. Each chapter offers personal backstories that expand on precise details while stacking tension and building toward the massive third act. On top of crafting a fantastic film overall, each chapter feels unique in how it captures its character and their life during this moment. Helping each section feel distinct, composers Ryan and Hays Holladay—alongside Cregger—created a unique score for each chapter. The biggest standout is James (Austin Abrams), a homeless drug addict constantly on the move and getting into trouble. His chapter’s score was especially strong and became one of my favorites in the film.

I wouldn’t say Weapons is an easy film to pull off—its story and themes are heavy—but it nails most everything and takes you on one hell of a ride. Zach Cregger once again proves how much he has matured since his days in The Whitest Kids U’Know while still holding onto some of those roots. The film also feels incredibly personal to Cregger, as he, too, has felt the pain of loss. I’m still not sure what my favorite film of 2025 will be, and I often feel strange ranking films given how unique each one can be. But Weapons is the one I think I’ll be thinking about the most by the end of the year. It’s genuinely one of the year’s best and a refreshing example of how one of horror’s newer voices can create something truly extraordinary.

Written & Directed by: Zach Cregger

Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan