Zach Cregger, the visionary writer-director behind 2022's 'Barbarian', returns with 'Weapons', a horror film that intricately weaves a tale of mass disappearance and underlying dread. The film opens dramatically at 2:17 a.m. on a school night, when 17 third-grade children from Justine Gandy’s class vanish simultaneously, running out into the night like 'stealthy little airplanes.' Only one boy, Alex, remains, adding to the bewildered and angry reactions of the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania. This unsettling premise is conveyed through the perspective of a local girl, immediately setting an unconventional tone that embraces ambiguity, reminiscent of successful horror subgenres seen in films like 'Hereditary' and 'Longlegs'.

Cregger significantly expands his powers of suggestion in 'Weapons', delving into threats lurking beneath seemingly innocuous environments. The mass disappearance transforms mild-mannered parents into an angry mob, echoing the painful aftermath of real-world tragedies. Josh Brolin plays Archer Graff, a father whose son Matt is missing, and he confronts Justine (Julia Garner), the teacher, at a school meeting. This dynamic taps into resonant societal phobias, such as fears of brainwashing in schools. Instead of focusing on a single protagonist, Cregger splinters the narrative among six characters, separated into distinct chapters. The story rewinds with each new section, allowing key scenes to be replayed from different perspectives—the teacher (Garner), the parent (Brolin), the cop (Alden Ehrenreich), the school administrator (Benedict Wong), and two undisclosed individuals. These prismatic shards piece together an expertly designed puzzle, revealing details like the identity of the person who scrawled 'WITCH' on Justine's car.

Adding to the film's unique horror is the recurring glimpse of a face in smeared, clown-like makeup, sometimes played by Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys. Gladys's appearance over halfway through the film shifts 'Weapons' from a grimly self-serious tone, reinforced by Larkin Seiple's camerawork and a bone-vibrating score, to an unexpectedly campy turn. As Cregger escalates the violence, introducing an adult turned homicidal by the same suggestive force that compelled the children, the film's title becomes clear: the community is made up of 'targets' and 'weapons,' where anything, from an impressionable child to a vegetable peeler, can become dangerous. While the initial artfully oblique approach allows imaginations to run wild, the emergence of a single explanation near the end narrows the film's conceptual edge. Regardless of how audiences perceive the darkly comic finale, Cregger delivers a cruel and twisted bedtime story, akin to the Brothers Grimm's original tales.

'Weapons' has also performed strongly at the box office, holding the No. 1 position in the U.K. and Ireland for a second weekend, adding £1.5 million ($2.1 million) and bringing its total to £6.2 million ($8.4 million). Its success follows Cregger's critically acclaimed 'Barbarian', solidifying his reputation in the horror genre.

In other cinematic releases, Celine Song’s romantic drama 'Materialists', starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, debuted at No. 2 in the U.K. and Ireland with $1.7 million. Indian superstar Rajinikanth's 'Coolie' launched at No. 3 with $1.27 million. Disney’s body-swap comedy 'Freakier Friday', a sequel to the 2003 film, dropped to No. 4, grossing $1.24 million for a running total of $5.4 million. This sequel sees Anna (Lindsay Lohan) as a music producer and single mother, and Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) recording podcasts, with the plot involving a double body-swap between Anna and her teen daughter Harper, and Tess and Harper's step-sister Lily, leading to comical generational clashes. Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Marvel film 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps', which earned $930,095, bringing its total to $28.1 million after four weeks. Julien Colonna’s 'The Kingdom', a gripping Mob drama set in 1990s Corsica, offered a fresh take on gang wars. Starring Ghjuvanna Benedetti as teenager Leisa, the daughter of a faction boss, the film follows her bonding with her father amidst revenge plots, showcasing captivating performances and a slow but engrossing pace.

Upcoming releases include Paul Dugdale’s documentary 'Yungblud. Are You Ready, Boy?', Studiocanal’s Stephen King adaptation 'The Life of Chuck' starring Tom Hiddleston, and the large-scale wartime drama 'Dongji Rescue'. Other notable upcoming films include 'The Regulars', 'Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk', 'The Thursday Murder Club' starring Helen Mirren, and Ari Aster’s contemporary western 'Eddington'. Classic cinema is also returning with reissues of Sergei Eisenstein’s 'Battleship Potemkin' and 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', and a one-off return for 'Spinal Tap'.