Weapons was a fascinating instalment in to a growing list of great horrors in 2025. It was first advertised in the cinema in the film trailers with very little outside marketing that I saw in the UK, but it peaked my interest enough that I was going to check it out.

Once I saw showings came available, I was then at the time unsure if I was going to bother going but images of Gladice was popping up all over social media and being compared to Longlegs. Eventually I decided to go watch it because I didn’t want to see any spoilers in case it was a hidden gem after all.

The premise in the trailers was simple enough, children in a classroom go missing and only the teacher and one of the class remained. It struck an interesting mystery which could have easily gone straight rather than taking any kind of paranormal route. That alone was what peaked my interest and why I could see the comparison to Longlegs.

The film is split into chapters as we see a growing narrative over the course of different POV’s with the characters we are introduced to via Justine. Like branches of a tree, it expands the narrative slowly and allows the suspense to continue right up to the last 15-20 minutes. Some may find this a bit tedious, revisiting various plot points multiple times. I know my friend did that watched it with me. We were all obviously shocked watching Justine be hunted down by Marcus but by the time we got to Marcus’ POV my mate said he already stopped caring about it. However for me personally, I liked the fact that we didn’t get any solid confirmations about whatever you can speculate the plot to be until the film shows it too you.

Too many times in films, especially horror which is ripe for clichés, everything becomes predictable. The jump scares, the motivations, the plot as a whole. Yet with Weapons, it holds its cards close to its chest and this may be the thing that separates it from your run of the mill horror.

People may compare this to Barbarian, the two films are very different. I would personally add to the argument by saying that Barbarian is certainly the stronger film in terms of horror. Weapons builds more of a mystery but the horror is tacked on throughout. The trailer was very well crafted to hold the mystery but also certainly painted this more of a horror film then it realistically was. Horror goes beyond a creepy face, jump scares and a face full of black sludge. It should also provoke an emotion out of you. Whether it’s the anger I felt during Eden Lake, the sadness of Train to Busan or the hopeless despair I felt during Martyrs. That is what makes horror memorable.

However the amazing performances from the entire cast, the amazing direction, cinematography and sound overall gives you a solid film. It’s well crafted, polished and Zack Creggor will get better with time. With time Weapons may age like fine wine and those who had a hangover from this will be able to appreciate the craftmanship in it.

Feel Reel Rating: 7/10