OK, I’ll admit it — I’m a sucker for a good horror flick. That may come as a surprise to those who know me, but it’s true. That said, I tend to be a tough critic when it comes to the genre. Too many horror films lean on tired tropes and predictable formulas. So, when I heard Zach Cregger — of Barbarian (2022) fame — was behind Weapons, I had high hopes he’d work his magic again.

Good news: He does.

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Even better news: It’s one hell of a ride.

I saw Weapons in a packed NYC theater, and I can tell you, New Yorkers aren’t easily impressed — but audible gasps and even scattered laughter told me this one was landing. There was a buzz in the room. A shared unease. A weird delight.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Don’t be fooled by the opening narration claiming this is a true story. It’s not. This is fiction — eerie, unsettling fiction — that revolves around a mysterious incident where a group of third-graders all leave their homes at exactly 2:17 a.m. No explanation. No warning. They just… go.

The trailer and posters don’t hold back. They show that unforgettable image: One-by-one, pajama-clad eight-year-olds sprinting through dark suburban streets, arms outstretched like they’re flying. It’s haunting. And frankly, it may be too much for some viewers — even hardcore horror fans. Fair warning: it’s disturbing.

But the storytelling is what really sets Weapons apart. The film isn’t told in a straight line; it jumps between characters’ perspectives. Some of those perspectives clash. Some leave more questions than answers. That might frustrate viewers who want everything tied up neatly. But for me, that disjointed structure actually adds to the suspense. It keeps you leaning forward, trying to assemble the puzzle piece by piece.

At the center of it all are two characters — both deeply flawed, both strangely sympathetic.

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Julia Garner plays Justine, a teacher whose class vanished. Only her students. No one else’s. She plays the role with a jittery vulnerability that feels raw and real. And then there’s Josh Brolin as Archer, the father of one of the missing kids. His grief isn’t just visible — it’s volcanic. He turns pain into power, and his performance grounds the film in something emotionally authentic.

What I appreciated most is that Weapons isn’t content to recycle. It doesn’t just play the hits. It dares to do something different — and in a genre that often plays it safe, that’s rare.

And then there’s the ending.

Without spoiling anything: The final scene is the kind of cinematic swing that will have horror fans talking for years. It’s wild. It’s bonkers. It’s a big, bold, what-the-hell-just-happened kind of moment. I could hear people laughing nervously as the credits rolled — and I’m pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing Brolin’s character screams in the middle of the film: “What the #$% was that?”

In the best possible way.

Grade: A-

About The Peetimes: It was somewhat challenging to find good Peetimes because clues in solving a case/mystery are sprinkled throughout the film.

The second Peetime is the best.

There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Weapons.

Plot
When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.