‘Weapons‘ belongs to a genre of cinema that is not at all among my favorites. The story could very well have been inspired by a novel by Stephen King, but it is actually an original script written by director Zach Cregger, on his second attempt as a screenwriter and director in the ‘horror’ genre. There is also some witchcraft mixed into the story, but what I dislike the most is the fact that children are involved in the story. Movies with this kind of mixture have to be very good to like them. Well, ‘Weapons‘ is very good and I liked it.
The action of the film reminded me of several television mini-series, including the excellent French production ‘Les revenants’. In a small town in deep America, one night at 2:17, 17 children disappear. They are all from the same class, Mrs. Justine’s. Only one little boy named Alex does not disappear. Alex and Justine are investigated by the police, who fail to find any logical thread that can clarify the situation. In the absence of explanations, the suspicions of the parents and the other inhabitants of the town turn to Justine. The lonely woman has her own problems, but she does not seem to be involved. The narrative evolves non-linearly, the points of view of the narrators change, from Justine and Alex to one of the police officers investigating the case, to the school principal, to a drugged tramp who happens to be in the vicinity and to Archer, the father of one of the missing children. As the narrative progresses and the different perspectives offer new clues, the explanations become increasingly unsettling and implausible.
The narrative that is completed from different perspectives is already a classic procedure. Kurosawa, Ridley Scott or Gus Van Sant have used it. Zach Gregger uses it intelligently and builds a story that makes sense provided you accept the conventions of the cinematic genre. The introduction is excellent, it creates tension and expectations. The development introduces the main theme (which I will not reveal) and does it effectively. The last part exposes the solution, and here I was a little disappointed, as if from such an intelligent narrative I expected a slightly more complex solution. Julia Garner is excellent in the main role of the teacher, and Josh Brolin does what he does best. This film brings the psychological horror thriller back to the attention of the audience. Cell phones aside, ‘Weapons‘ could have been produced in the ’70s or ’80s. It was made now and brought back to life a genre that has not produced many quality films in recent decades.