Movies: Weapons

While I recognize patterns for a living, it doesn't take a professional to spot the similarities between Zach Cregger's breakout film Barbarian and his newest horror movie, Weapons.  Both feature bizarre occurrences lurking behind the veneer of suburban life, multiple POV characters who reset the action just after a big reveal, and plot twists that are best left unspoiled: 

Again, you should go into Weapons cold, because learning about the mystery is half the fun.  The basic premise can be shared, though: in sleepy Maybrook, Pennsylvania, 17 children from a third-grade class wake up at 2:17 in the morning, open the front doors of their houses, and run into the night.  Suspicion immediately falls upon their teacher Justine (Julie Garner) and sole surviving student Alex (Cary Christopher), but it soon becomes clear that bigger forces are at work in Maybrook...

Cregger is an astounding horror technician, skilled at creating creepy settings and believable characters.  He also doesn't shy away from including some fun jump scares and gore where appropriate (though two nightmare sequences in the film are arguably misplaced).  Unfortunately, like with Barbarian, his plots don't make a lick of sense when you think about them too hard, so I'm not sure Weapons will merit repeat viewing in the future.

Rating: 7/10