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. – (Source)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96% (Critics) / 90% (Audience)
MetaScore: 81 – Universal Acclaim (Critics) / 8.0 – Generally Favorable (Audience)
Directed By: Zach Cregger
Written By: Zach Cregger
Starring: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan
Studio: Warner Bros.

The Good:
Weapons is a surprising movie in pretty much every way and I was so happy that I only watched the first teaser then went on a media blackout of all things associated with the film because it resulted in a much more satisfying movie experience. I was on the edge of my seat wondering just what the heck was going on and to Zach Cregger‘s credit all the reveals were startling to me and nothing that I was able to guess beforehand.

I loved the kills too and they were so gruesome and violent in ways that were just as unexpected as everything else in the film, The other surprising thing about Weapons is that it is a legitimately funny movie. The audience I was in laughed a lot and the way that Cregger weaved the funny in with the horrific was masterful. This was especially true in two of the chase scenes that happen…they scenes alternated between funny and scary right up till the moment that things just became disturbing and it takes a talented filmmaker to balance those two emotions as successfully as Cregger did in Weapons.

And the most surprising thing about Weapons is Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys. Looking like a cross between a demonic Miss Frizzle and Carrot Top, Madigan is constantly unnerving as she plays the nonchalant malevolence of the character all while looking like a demonic clown grandma. The dichotomy of Aunt Gladys’ ridiculously over-the-top appearance with how she also just radiates evil had me immediately hoping that whoever gives out the awards for movies makes sure to remember Madigan’s work here.

The Bad:
Separately I wasn’t really all that interested in the characters that Josh Brolin and Julia Garner played. While I knew I was supposed to relate to Brolin’s grief, confusion and anger over his son disappearing I really wasn’t all that invested in him and the same went for Garner’s maligned teacher who was turned into the town pariah because of the vanished kids all coming from her classroom. Garner’s character being a bit of a trainwreck even removed from the events of the movie should have grabbed me more but I just felt cold towards her. It wasn’t until Brolin and Garner teamed up that I actually perked up and started to be invested in them.

The Ugly:
I am still wigged out by the characters stabbing themselves in the face with forks over and over for a good minute. That was pure nightmare fuel.

Final Verdict: Weapons is a hilarious but horrific film that firmly establishes that write/director Zach Cregger is a major voice in horror and Barbarian was no fluke. Now give Amy Madigan all the awards, Hollywood!

LOOMIS RATING: Weapons gets 4 out of 4 Gun-Totin’ Dr. Loomis’