DVD Corner

Weapons 4K UHD Review

“Weapons” is an overhyped horror film.

Describing the plot of “Weapons” without diving into spoiler territory is tricky, but allow me to give it a shot. The story is told through different character POVs in a nonlinear fashion and is set in the suburban town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania. The central mystery revolves around the unnerving disappearance of 17 third graders who were all in teacher Justine’s class. Only 1 student (Alex) did not go missing. The townspeople blame Justine despite there being no evidence to her being responsible. Justine has become an alcoholic and is obsessed with making sure Alex is safe to a creepy degree. Alex does seem to be hiding some big secrets which are later revealed.  The other characters that get the spotlight here are Archer (a father looking for his missing son Matthew), Paul (a police officer who is also Justine’s ex-boyfriend), James (a junkie burglar being pursued by Paul), and Gladys (a strange woman claiming to be Alex’s aunt). What happened to the missing children and who is responsible for their disappearance? All is revealed in the end.

Let me start off by saying the enormous success of “Weapons” is a great thing for the film industry. Anytime an original film finds an audience it’s a win in this era where sequels and remakes dominate the screens. With all of that said, it’s a shame “Weapons” didn’t connect with me as it did with others. 

After writer/director Zach Cregger’s wild debut “Barbarian,” it was clear the filmmaker had immense talent. When the first trailer for his follow up “Weapons” dropped, the horror and film worlds were buzzing with anticipation. The great marketing really pushed the mysterious nature of the story and had fans wondering what this horror tale was all about. Alas, what we did get turned out to be a rather basic story about grief and judgments that didn’t really have all that much to say or offer. Quite early on in the runtime, it’s apparent as to what is going on which leaves little room for mystery. Most of the time Cregger is content with keeping the story coasting until the eventful finale (which is the best part of the film). Cregger attempts to mix up the storytelling by injecting humor and telling the story via different viewpoints, but it doesn’t quite work when the viewer is ahead of the game as it were.

The cast is aces here with Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, the always underrated Alden Ehrenreich, and Amy Madigan (Gladys) turning in first rate performances. An unrecognizable Amy Madigan in particular has created a new horror villain that has made quite a splash.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? Viewers can expect a pristine 4K transfer.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The Atmos track is effective in every way from the score to the jump scares. 

Extras:
* Digital copy
* “Director Zach Cregger: Making Horror Personal”- Cregger talks about creating the story and characters. Film clips and cast interviews are also included.
* “Weaponized: The Cast of Weapons”- A featurette on the ensemble cast.
* “Weapons: Texture Of Terror” is all about the tone and production design. 

October 14, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Alden Ehrenreich, Amy Madigan, Gladys, horror, Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Weapons 4K UHD Review, Zach Cregger