Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Weapons 

This is one of the most brilliant Horror films I have seen all year! Now Zack Cregger gives us the follow up to his horror breakout film Barbarian with this fresh new story called Weapons which was a terrific follow up to his previous film. As this picture cements himself as one of the best original voices in the horror genre that is among one of the best filmmakers working today. As what stands out greatly about this film is the ability to think you know where the story will go and then it goes in a totally different direction you never expected. This film keeps you on edge from the first frame to it’s final shot Weapons will stay with you long after it is over and it is one of the most brilliant films within the genre I have seen all year from Writing, performance, score and direction Weapons is a terrific film that I can easily see being on people’s favourites of the year. 

Firstly, Now this film is going to be talked about I feel all year for how it can be interpreted with the story. The film is told in a non linear form of storytelling which I love as their are some films that use that way of narrative explaining that works and some they just do it for a stylistic way but it does not work for that specific kind of story here it works in the best ways. As they sync up previous character arcs with the next so it feels like it comes back around to the exact same moment again and the film follows multiple adults within the backdrop of kids who one night just went missing and it takes place a month after the occurrence happened and the strain emotionally and mentally it has taken on the people closest to the kids. The film has this dreading feel to each frame you can sense within how each character carries themself as Judy Gardner has developed a drinking issue due to her stress, Josh Brolin has become utterly obsessed with finding someone to Balme in an attempt to find answers and we see all of these people’s stories overlap with each other. The way the film deals with the loss of a child and the sense of not knowing what to do in those uncertain times is greatly brought to the screen. The film is much different then Barbarian his last film but I will say that film made such a huge impact on the success of this film because that previous film was so different stylistically and the way that it approached it’s storytelling made such a impression on audiences people have been aching to see what he has in store for his latest film and Weapons does not disappoint if anything he has outdone himself in terms of growth as a filmmaker since then. This film has stronger character growth, tighter writing both for the narrative and its characters and the performances are so damn good from everyone involved. Weapons has this eerie presence always lurking in the frame and it is able to greatly discuss the grieving process of loss and how it effects others in different ways and the many shapes and forms that can take on the human spirit. There is horror and scary elements for sure but for me the quiet moments about the character’s pain and how they go about dealing with it stuck with me longer than the horror aspect of the film. It walks a great line between social commentary and also giving those chills and thrills we expect from this type of film and it has so much to say to the audience I am so happy to see this film spark serious conversations as their is so much to think about when walking away from this. The way Zach Cregger approached this film in terms of style, writing and direction was masterfully brought to the screen in what I think is his best written film yet and the reason why this film stands out so much and is getting so well received is due to the incredible way this film was put together creatively. 

Secondly, The performances from the whole cast is amazing! So first off they’re Julia Garner who gives a sensational turn as a woman who is falling out emotionally every passing day due to the overwhelming emotional distress she is put under by the entire town. Julia Garner shows this woman who is just wanting the kids to be alright like the rest of them but is an unfortunate target due to the public thinking she had a hand in their disappearance. Overall Julia Garner gives an emotionally devastating and raw performance that stays with you. Then their is Josh Brolin and if she embodies the sadness and emotional weight of hurt by what is going on his character is the embodiment of anger of the parents as he wants his kids back like everyone else but just like when a child goes missing parents will do things they normally don’t do in order to get answers. Josh Brolin targets Julia’s character as he thinks she is hiding things and you can see the sheer seething anger in his eyes and the determination for him to find his child and Brolin brings the required emotional depth to properly bring this character to the screen and show the sheer emotional frustration he goes through he is absolutely terrific. Then lastly there is Amy Madigan who brings a terrifying and relaxed presence to the screen that sent chills through my spine. She has this command to the screen she is in that you have not any idea what she will do or say next and she does the most horrifying things with a grin on her face and soft spoken tone and it makes for a much more terrifying performance then if she was to be constantly screaming or yelling her calm like state while doing terrible things was so unsettling. Her supporting turn in this was a scene stealing performance that will be talked about all year in terms of horror films that just sticks with you she is a highlight of the film and one of the strongest parts of the film. The whole cast is terrific there is no weak link in the entire film all of them give their absolute all. 

Lastly, Weapons is one of the most layered and well structured horror films that stays with you long after it is over. You can see Zach Cregger has grown greatly as a filmmaker since Barbarian and has woven deep rooted themes in this film for people to pick about and study for years to come while still giving those signature scares he is known for without just feeding the same thing we have already seen. This non linear picture is about grief, desperation and what lengths parents would go to in order to get answers to find their child with supernatural elements wrapped around it as well and all of it is greatly explored. Weapons is by far one of the best horror films of the year and the sheer writing that is behind it is one of the defining reasons why this film is so damn good Weapons is phenomenal! I recommend anyone who enjoyed Zach Cregger’s previous film Barbarian to check this out as he serves another dish of great horror and social commentary messages once again. 

This film revolves around the disappearance of a classroom of children who one night went missing never to be seen again and after a month of them being gone we see the impact of their disseverance has had on the town around them

Rated R : for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use.

Julia Garner : Julia Garner is freaking brilliant in this film! Now there are tons of great characters in this but the way she goes about exploring her character’s arc really left an impression on me! She has had quite the year with this and Fantastic Four this summer she is on quite the hot streak. She plays this teacher that is dealing with being hated on by the entire town as they think she knows why the kids went missing and has all the answers when in reality she is as confused and lost as everyone else is. She has no idea why they all one day got up and left and she feels this need to talk to the one kid that didn’t go missing but the school and parents have said it’s in her best interest to have distance between the two and not engage with the kid as he also has gone through a lot emotionally and is trying to navigate his feelings through what has happened. You can see the emotional stress just crushing her heart from the inside out as she resorts to drinking to numb the pain she has dealt with for over a month now and lives very much in isolation and does not talk to people as she think she will be screamed at if she engages with anyone or scolded in some way. We see the life totally drained from her as she can’t take anyone else thinking she is this terrible person and Julia has a great way of conveying so much of what her her heart is saying through her eyes and that turmoil she is experiencing without having to say much words. She feels in a way she has to prove to people she is not crazy or did not do anything wrong by those kids and even if it means not listening to people that advise her to stay away she will do what she has to in order to find out what happened to these kids. As she lives in fear each night as her car gets vandalized she feels like she is always being watched and knows that is no way to live so she has to do something about it and move the eyes off her as she can’t take it anymore. Julia Garner brings this tragic person who seems like a good person that is going through a tough time to the screen in a heartbreaking realness that just makes you feel for her and want to hug her. She has this weight on her chest and brain that is eating at her as she is on the verge of tears in the film almost constantly and it isn’t to feel pity but to understand that a human being can only endure so much hate from people until they feel suffocated and paranoid that they could be hurt from such hatred and the way she wraps herself in that within the role really was striking and she goes through emotional hell and we see her just in the purest way wanting to know the kids are okay. She has no bad intentions like the town is painting her to be and the emotional vulnerability she brings to the character is astonishing Julia Garner is the lead of this film I would say and out of her two performances this and Fantastic Four she blew me away with her work on this as she just chews up the scenery and owns every scene she is in. Garner shines in this film delivering a devastatingly brilliant turn in what I think is one of her strongest performances to date. 

Zach Cregger : Cregger delivers a film that will studied for years due to the complexity of the story he has created! Now he has grown hugely since his work in Barbarian and has cemented himself as one of the best voices in horror for this decade! Now when he made Barbarian many had never heard his name before so the impact of his last film was huge as so Many people saw that film due to the positive word of mouth. Here he paints a film about children disappearance and the maddening affect it has on parents when they are gone for a long time with no answers. As yes this is a picture that has scares and horror but it is more of a psychological horror and not your traditional spooky flick it has quite a lot of commentary to say about the strain it takes on a parents heart when their child is gone and the sheer unusual activity they would do to find them. The film does still give the dark and terrifying scares you’d expect but he does not want to just repeat that he has already done he tries to find new ways into the horror genre he has yet to explore which I greatly admire. He is trying to show how each parent and adult is dealing with the impact of the situation and how emotionally their carrying themselves and putting in under the landscape of a horror setting I think is a great use of this topic as in so many ways it is horrific. Then he throws in supernatural elements that mixes in with the drama to heighten the suspense of the first theme and has this eerie feeling to it that just works and the sense of dread lingers in each shot of the film. Zach Cregger is able to have hard discussions about erratic behaviour adults do in order to find their kids but also is Able to work even deeper to show the depths of grief desperation and anger that comes along with that and then adding as I said scares to it makes it pop in such a engaging way. I think this is far better then Barbarian which is a huge compliment as a I loved that film when I saw it when it came out and he has outdone himself for sure and he is only getting stronger as a filmmaker. I can see this film getting dissected and analyzed to the 100th degree due to the many messages in the film which will spark deep conversations about it which I love and I cannot wait to see what he does next. His ability to insight terror in the audience with limited blood and gore but just from the impeccable story he lays out for the audience is so impressive it is the same kind of storytelling Jordan Peele does where it is more psychological terror and it is so effective in it’s execution overall Zach Cregger has crafted one of the best horror films of the year and a film with such multi layer complexity that is astonishing.