Weapons - The scoop and digest

Writer-director Zach Cregger's latest is a completely different animal to Barbarian.

Josh Brolin - Archer Graff

Julia Garner - Justine Gandy

Alden Ehrenreich - Paul Morgan

Austin Abrams - James

Cary Christopher - Alex Lilly

Benedict Wong - Marcus Miller

Amy Madigan - Gladys

Summary

In Maybrook, Pennsylvania, seventeen children from Mrs. Gandy's class suddenly disappeared the night before at exactly 2:17 a.m.

The only student to remain is unpopular recluse Alex Lilly.

A police investigation begins, but goes nowhere.

Film focuses on six characters and/or parts, with most intertwining until the big reveal.

Campbell's soup

Despite what trailer would have you think, this is not a horror.  It's a mystery thriller featuring some decent jump scares, which quickly evaporate.

While disjointed and seemingly at war with itself, shit is never boring, boasting strong performances and keeps you invested.

At the start, Justine's finds her car vandalised with 'Witch' on the side. 

Alex's 'aunt' Gladys is exactly that, preying off the energy of children to retain youthfulness.  The ritual involves cutting the palm of her hand with a thorny twig, wrapping a lock of hair from others around it and ringing a bell, hypnotising victims and turning them murderous.

Ignoring witchcraft, concept of staying young by heinous means has been done several times before.

Examples include:

Queen Ravenna - Snow White and the Huntsman, Winnie, Sarah and Mary - Hocus Pocus and Gerri/Bathory - Fright Night 2: New Blood.

The final 15 minutes or so goes for action, and when Alex turns Gladys's spell against her, the possessed children literally tear her apart, breaking the curse. 

It's not as stupid as 28 Years Later, but still unintentionally funny.

Magnolia was a key influence, along with Cuckoo and Twin Peaks.

During Archer's nightmare, father chases Matthew, like the beginning of Silent Hill (1999), and/or 2006 film adaptation.

There's also huge similarities to The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Hansel and Gretel.

Of course, we can't forget Stephen King's The Shining.

2:17 (room 217 in novel) and somebody sticking their face through a door imitates "Heere's Johnny" from Kubrick's adaptation.

Interestingly, Matthew 2:17 describes the massacre (or slaughter) of innocents.

Manga/anime

Marcus headbutting his husband Terry multiple times reminded me of the battle between Jubei and Gemma in Ninja Scroll (1993).

Kids running with aeroplane arms are identical to the titans in Attack on Titan.

Goof

Inside Justine's classroom, there's a poster of Odontceti and Mysticeti.  Unfortunately, the correct spelling for the scientific classification of toothed-whale is Odontoceti.