New Line Cinema, a studio division of Warner Bros. Pictures, released the box office hit “Weapons” in theaters last August. Grossing $266 million worldwide, the film’s popularity has continued to increase due to its initial success upon release and because of the Halloween season.
I believe the success and popularity of “Weapons” stems from aspects of its themes that are entirely unique, making it one of the greatest mainstream horror films released in years.
Like most big horror titles, upon its release, there were rumors and speculation that the film was based on a true story or around true events. While that would be very interesting if that were the case, the rumors are false. I would argue, however, that the true idea behind the film’s creation is still just as fascinating.
The introductory narration does state, “This is a true story.” The statement is meant to be taken as rhetorical instead of literal. Instead of being based on real events, “Weapons” director Zach Cregger used real grief. Inspired by the loss of a close personal friend, Cregger applied his own experiences with loss and emotional struggle to the film’s creation. This source of inspiration is arguably more real and deeply emotional than if it were simply a portrayal of real events.
In the small town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, the plot begins with the mysterious overnight disappearance of 17 third graders. At exactly 2:17 a.m., all class members besides the child protagonist, Alex Lilly, left their homes, physically moving as though they were drawn to do so by something supernatural.
The narrative of “Weapons” follows multiple interconnected character perspectives of a student, his teacher, a local police officer and other Maybrook residents. Each perspective is intertwined and leads into one another through either a character’s relationship to Alex or through the efforts toward investigating the students’ disappearance.
Despite the characters’ actions, everything they do is ultimately controlled both directly and indirectly. The themes of control are the reason for the title “Weapons.” The film demonstrates manipulative weaponization through paranormal and psychological means combined in a way that has never been done before in film history.
The unnerving nature of “Weapons” could be compared to the television classic, “The Twilight Zone,” with the main difference being that “Weapons” plays into far more serious and intense themes. Tension is uniquely created by using diverse elements of the supernatural, cryptic tones and potentially underlying preexisting viewer paranoia. Playing on viewers’ paranoia is the most significant factor that divides “Weapons” from other recent horror films.
The attempt to portray genuine aspects of witchcraft and demonology in a way that combines reality and romanticization creates an experience suitable for theater audiences. These aspects are portrayed in “Weapons” far more accurately than they are in any other film, because it uses a combination of reality with dramatization as opposed to romanticization.
“Weapons” felt like a breath of fresh air in the current age of cheap jump-scare thrillers and cash-grab slashers that are so common. Creating tension and building fear in an entirely new way, this film was not only better than the majority of modern horrors, but also stands out uniquely among some of the most popular horror films in history. For this, “Weapons” deserves five out of five Loper stars.
