Zach Cregger's latest horror film, "Weapons," plunges audiences into an unsettling mystery when, at 2:17 a.m. on a school night, seventeen third-grade students from Justine Gandy’s class in the sleepy suburban community of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, vanish simultaneously. They are seen running out of their homes, arms outstretched, like small airplanes flying low. Only one shy boy, Alex, is inexplicably left behind, bewildered alongside the town's frantic parents. This intriguing premise sets the stage for a horror movie made more unconventional by Cregger’s choice to have a local girl describe the ostensibly supernatural events, leaving much of the shocking and gory narrative to unfold with a degree of unexplained ambiguity, a hallmark of successful modern horror.

Coming off his critically acclaimed 2022 film "Barbarian," Cregger significantly expands his sinister powers of suggestion in "Weapons." He demonstrates a unique talent for revealing the threats lurking behind seemingly innocuous environments, transforming a quiet Pennsylvania town into a hotbed of fear and suspicion where mild-mannered parents turn into an angry mob. The film’s close-to-home setting and relatable, flawed characters give it a feel akin to the best Stephen King narratives. The unexplained disappearance of the children allows the audience’s imagination to run wild, evoking associations ranging from QAnon-style conspiracies to the painful aftermath of a school shooting, as parents desperately seek answers, consolation, and blame.

Instead of following a single protagonist, Cregger ingeniously splinters the mystery among six characters, each explored in distinct chapters. The narrative frequently rewinds, replaying key scenes from different perspectives to offer fresh insights. Key figures include Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), the stressed teacher who becomes a target of the parents' anger; Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), a hot-tempered father whose son Matt is missing, obsessively watching CCTV footage; a troubled police officer (Alden Ehrenreich); a school administrator (Benedict Wong); and a scuzzy junkie (Austin Abrams). The quiet, bewildered Alex (Cary Christopher) is also central, his flat answers and slow blinks conveying a deep sense of unease. Later, Amy Madigan appears as the bizarre Aunt Gladys, almost unrecognizable behind her smeared clown-like makeup, whose arrival injects an unexpected, campy turn into the film's grimly self-serious tone.

Initially, "Weapons" maintains a severe atmosphere, reinforced by Larkin Seiple's steady camerawork and a bone-vibrating score. However, with Gladys’s introduction and the escalation of violence—where adults are turned homicidal by the same suggestive force that compelled the children—the film embraces a darkly comedic and twisted sensibility. The title's meaning becomes chillingly clear in the home stretch: the community is divided into "targets and weapons," illustrating how anything, from an impressionable child to a vegetable peeler, can become dangerous. While Cregger's artfully oblique approach allows imaginations to soar for much of the film, the eventual emergence of an explanation may narrow the runaway ideas. Regardless of differing opinions on its darkly comic finale, "Weapons" is a remarkable, cruel, and twisted bedtime story reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm, designed to leave audiences with a palpitating heart and a sense of unease.

Beyond its critical reception, "Weapons" has also achieved significant commercial success, crossing the $100 million mark at the domestic box office. Produced on a budget of $38 million, its $100.3 million domestic take and $72.3 million internationally led to a worldwide total of $172.6 million. The film was number one at the box office for two consecutive weeks and opened with a strong $42.5 million domestically. This success is part of a string of hits for Warner Bros., positioning Zach Cregger as one of Hollywood's fastest-rising filmmakers. Following "Weapons," Cregger is set to adapt the popular horror video game "Resident Evil" for Sony, re-teaming with "Weapons" star Austin Abrams in the lead role.