The Mosley Review: Weapons

Oh what a joyess day it is for us horror fans. Not only do we have a young and promising storyteller delivering another original piece, but I believe this film signifies the return of the slow burning reveal of a terrifying plot. In most horror you have the macguffin that draws you in with the question of what is it? Eventually, whatever the origin of the macguffin is revealed and how to defeat or kill it is shown. What has been forgotten in these stories is the question of why? Why is this happening? Why did everyone disappear? The film answers those questions by taking you on a multi-layered perspective and character driven arc that held many wonderful surprises. I truly loved that it wasn't such a linear story being told as each character is linked to a singular event, but its the aftermath that was truly unsettling and fun. The wonderful cast of characters all have a stake in the plot and no matter how broken they may be, they're all compelling in the best way.

Julia Garner was outstanding as the teacher of the class of students that went missing, Justine Gandy. There is a level fear, loneliness and slow self destruction that is happening with her that I enjoyed seeing. She is a young teacher in a small town, but at the same time, she is a human being and I found her relatable in her solitude. The ever present danger that surrounds her from distraught parents was insane. I did like that the film explored that aspect of her, but it didn't follow that beaten path as she starts to investigate what happened to her class of kids. Josh Brolin is a powerhouse in his own right and as one of the parents, Archer Graff, he was hell bent on finding his son. At one point its alluded to that he may have done something damaging, but it is never really defined and I liked that. It keeps his character on a more even keel in my opinion. His perspective was endearing as his grief materializes into a creepy nightmare. I loved that his grief gave him strength and forced him to use his skills to solve the mystery of his missing son. Alden Ehrenreich is quickly becoming a character actor that I love seeing pop up in the most unusual places. As a wayward police officer, Paul Morgan, he suffers from the stress of not only the town mystery, but from his own addictions and marital problems. Paul was the showcase of the regular guy type of horror that comes with his job. Especially when he comes across the town junky, James, played excellently by Austin Abrams. The action between them was painful and sometimes the comedic tension relief the film needed and Austin excelled in that. Benedict Wong was awesome as the school Principal, Marcus Miller. I liked his level of professionalism and sometimes light hearted nature. Like many other characters, there's a level of brutality that befalls him that was unexpected and sad. Cary Christopher was the biggest standout in the film to me as the only child, Alex Lilly. The amount of fear, stress and pain the boy endures on psychological level was something I haven't seen in a long time. To see his innocence taken away by the intensity of violence and terror he witnesses was masterfully portrayed. Amy Madigan was great as his supposed aunt Gladys. The less said about her is for the better in a good way because I want you the audience to experience her story. I'll just say that she leaves a very lasting impression and influence on people and thats due to Amy's wonderful performance.

The score by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay & Zach Cregger was unsettling and splintering in the more scary moments of the film and bombastic during one of the few action sequences. This film was beautifully shot as well and didn't use the many gimmicks of horror we've all come to know. I loved the clean movements of the panning shots and slick flying segments of the camera in the opening of the film as you see the kids run through the neighborhood. The imagery was eerie yet majestic. Some may not have the patience for it, but it is truly rewarding as the story comes to a satisfying conclusion that also leaves you with a few more questions. Zach Cregger has written and directed yet another original, disturbing and fun horror film of the year and it is definitely a must see. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!