I went into Weapons unsure of what to expect. I'd heard it was intense, and I was worried it might be too scary for me. I generally don't enjoy horror, especially movies that rely on jump scares. Thankfully, Weapons turned out to be more psychological than frightening. There were a few tense moments, but nothing that crossed into the kind of horror I usually avoid.
Before I even started watching, I made a frustrating mistake. When I went to rent it on Amazon, a preview auto-played a short 20 second scene. I assumed it was from early in the movie, but it's actually a scene that comes much later. Weapons is all about mystery and slowly figuring things out, so knowing even that one piece ahead of time dulled the experience for me a bit.
hat impressed me most was how the film is structured. It jumps between different perspectives, and each one reveals a little more about what actually happened. You're slowly piecing together the truth alongside characters who are just as confused as you are. I found that approach really engaging, but I can see how it might frustrate someone expecting a straightforward, gory thrill-ride. This is more slow-burn mystery than adrenaline rush.
The whole thing has this grim fairy tale feeling to it. It's whimsical in flashes, but there's always something darker underneath. That fairy-tale quality makes the story feel timeless, like it could happen in any small town, in any era. And it gives the film this sense of dark morality… actions have consequences, innocence is fragile, and cruelty spreads in ways people can't control.
The violence is sparse, but when it comes, it's extreme. The movie holds back for long stretches, but when it finally goes there, it goes all the way. There's humor too… this weird dark comedy where disturbing imagery gets presented in such a grotesque way that you can't help but laugh, even though you feel a little uncomfortable doing it. Those tonal shifts keep the film from being relentlessly bleak, even as it gets pretty dark.
The ending really brings everything together. It's satisfying in a way, but not comfortable. Everything the film has been building finally gets laid out, and its final sequence is almost exhilarating to watch. There's this thrill for a second, but then the last moments hit you with this wave of sadness. This feeling that justice and healing aren't the same thing.
Overall, Weapons really surprised me. It's dark and clever and violent, but it also has these moments of weird humor and this melancholy grace that I wasn't expecting. It works as a mystery, but it's also kind of a modern fable about guilt and consequences and how punishment and redemption don't always line up the way we want them to. Even though I knew more going in than I should have, I still found it haunting and strangely moving. It's one of those films that leaves you sitting quietly when it ends, not sure if what you just watched was tragic or just... true.
Filed Under: HBO, Horror, Thriller