‘Weapons’ is a twisted bedtime story with a dash of humor

CEBU, Philippines — It’s challenging to review Warner Bros’ “Weapons” given the limited plot details revealed in its marketing. But one thing can be said: director-writer Zach Cregger’s sophomore effort is a crazy, twisted bedtime story with a plot twist many won’t see coming.

From the synopsis, we know it focuses on a town shaken by the disappearance of 17 children from the same class, all of whom left their homes towards an unspecified location at exactly 2:17 a.m.

However, the film’s child narrator says the real story begins a month after the disappearances. It unfolds through the characters’ points of view, in order: the teacher of the vanished students, Justin Grandy (played by Julia Garner); parent Archer (Josh Brolin); police officer Paul (Alden Ehrenreich); drug addict James (Austin Abrams); school principal Marcus (Benedict Wong); and finally Alex (Cary Christopher) – the only student from Miss Grandy’s class who didn’t disappear.

Miss Grandy becomes the target of the town’s contempt, accused of having something to do with the disappearances. Her flaws are used against her, a compelling character arc of an individual who may not have committed the crime she’s accused of. This becomes a critique of the mob mentality that fixates on personal shortcomings as evidence of guilt.

Archer, the father of one of the missing children, is grief-stricken and desperate for answers. He uses his CCTV footage, which captured the last moments of his son running away, and his engineering skills to investigate where the children might have gone.

The film briefly steps away from the main story to explore the intersecting stories of Paul and James, who are at odds after Paul catches James committing a petty crime. Both arcs eventually connect to the central mystery in the final minutes, before the story shifts to Marcus – whose perspective reveals the plot twist. “Weapons” concludes with Alex’s point of view, circling back to where the events began.

A story doesn’t need to be told chronologically. If “Weapons” were presented in chronological order, it might have been a dull, suspense-free experience. Cregger’s non-linear approach shows that he knows how to subvert audiences’ expectations and keep them on edge for the two-hour runtime.

When it comes to performances, Garner, Brolin, and Ehrenreich bring humanity to their characters, with their flaws making them all the more compelling to watch. There’s another actor worth praising, but naming them would spoil the revelation. What can be said is that their performance makes the film’s slow build toward its latter half pay off.

One surprising element is how humorous “Weapons” can be, even near its climax. Cregger is fully aware of how wild the premise and plot twist are, and instead of taking them too seriously, he leans into the ridiculousness, making for a memorable cinema experience.

Some viewers may dislike the amount of comedy in what is otherwise a horror movie, but the blend is a reminder that horror and comedy have more in common than most may realize, especially when it comes to inciting a reaction from the audience.

What holds the film back are a few plot points left unexplained. Given its already lengthy runtime, adding a few minutes to clarify certain character motives wouldn’t have hurt. Even with that nitpick, it’s easy to see why the script sparked a heated bidding war – one so intense it led Jordan Peele to fire his managers after he failed to secure the producing rights.

“Weapons” is a cleverly told horror film that cements Cregger as one of Hollywood’s strongest contemporary storytellers of the genre. Backed by nuanced performances and compelling characters, it’s already shaping up to be one of the best horror films, not just of the year, but in recent memory. Four stars out of five.