Weapons (2025)

Seventeen kids sprint out of their houses at 2:17 in the morning, arms out like little airplanes, and it’s the creepiest setup in years. The answer turns out way simpler than that setup promised. Some people feel cheated by the turn. I mostly loved it. Zach Cregger tells the story in chapters, hopping between points of view, and a couple of those detours feel like the movie checking its watch. The craft is wild, though. Julia Garner plays the blamed teacher like a raw nerve with nowhere to hide, Josh Brolin is a grieving dad running on fumes and suspicion, and Benedict Wong gets a scene I’m still not over. The jump scares actually pay off, and the jokes land in places horror isn’t supposed to have jokes. An original horror movie pulling $270.1 million worldwide against a reported $38M budget is a rare sight. An 8.3 because it’s scary, funny and mean in exactly the right mix. $2,011 says you wake up in the middle of the night this week, check the clock and pray it doesn’t say 2:17.

What works: A chilling hook, a clever chapter structure, sharp dark humor and a cast, especially Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, that sells every panic.

What doesn’t: The answer to the mystery is simpler than the setup suggests, and a couple of the chapter detours slow the momentum.

Who it’s for: Horror fans who like a puzzle box with a nasty streak of comedy and don’t mind laughing between scares.