Zach Cregger’s sophomore outing as a writer-director seems to be another hit based on the early reactions hitting social media on Tuesday. Weapons won’t premiere in most theaters until August 8th, but many critics began outlining their opinions of the movie on Tuesday, and they definitely weren’t disappointed. So far, there are no full-length reviews for the movie online, which means it doesn’t have a Rotten Tomatoes score or other easy metrics to go on. However, if you’re willing to take these glowing posts at face value, it sounds like Weapons lives up to Cregger’s reputation, and perhaps exceeds it.
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“Zach Cregger has crafted a horror masterpiece and the best film of the year with,” wrote The Playlist‘s Griffin Schiller on X. Schiller compared the movie to Prisoners and Magnolia, and warned that it is a very clear social commentary. The movie reportedly interrogates the sensationalist mob mentality that can make a traumatic situation even worse. Schiller called it “A chilling masterclass in suspense and POV storytelling that exposes a society with dwindling empathy that tolerates dehumanizing acts.”
Other critics also highlighted the suspenseful drama of the story, saying that it builds on Cregger’s strengths from his last movie, Barbarian. Collider‘s Perri Nemiroff wrote that only Cregger could “land such an ambitious concept” with this style. “Every actor is delivering big,” Nemiroff added, hinting that a full-length review might go into each performance more deeply. Weapons has an all-star cast including Julia Garner, Austin Abrams, and Amy Madigan. Nemiroff felt that the in-depth character writing helped in this department as well.
As for the fear factor, it sounds like Weapons is not for the faint of heart. Horreur Quรฉbec‘s Matthieu Cรดtรฉ called it “downright terrifying,” adding, “I cant recall the last time a movie gave me chills like this one did.”
One area where critics seem to be split is the ending. Next Best Picture‘s Matt Neglia wrote that “the final act brought it down a few notches, and I’m sure I won’t be alone in feeling that.” However, Slash Film‘s Chris Evangelista had the opposite take, writing, “The grand finale had me cackling with twisted glee.”
Of course, fans will have to decide for themselves when the movie comes out, and more details reviews may give us a clearer perspective. Whether these early reviews hold up or not, the comments make it clear that horror fans are very eager to get out and watch this one as soon as they can. Weapons hits theaters on August 8th.