Weapons

Directed by Zach Cregger, Weapons details the horrific happenings that ensue after 17 classmates simultaneously (and mysteriously) run from their respective homes in the middle of the night. Filmmaker Cregger, armed with his own screenplay, offers up a deliberate yet persistently (and impressively) engrossing endeavor that only grows more and more spellbinding as it unfolds, and it’s clear, certainly, that the picture benefits substantially from Larkin Seiple’s perpetually compelling visuals and a series of perfectly-cast, top-notch performances. (Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, cast as the movie’s sympathetic protagonists, are excellent here, although it’s ultimately clear that Amy Madigan, as the less-than-subtle villain, walks away with the title of MVP.) There’s little doubt, as well, that Weapons‘ unconventional, puzzle-like narrative structure plays a significant role in enhancing the increasingly mesmerizing atmosphere, while the peppering of memorable, attention-grabbing sequences and digressions (eg a thoroughly unexpected gas-station attack), as well as the ongoing question surrounding what happened to those kids, paves the way for a completely captivating midsection and second half – which, when coupled with one of the best and most satisfying climactic stretches to come around in ages, ultimately cements the film’s place as a singular horror masterpiece that deserves a place alongside genre staples like The Shining and Hereditary.

**** out of ****