Time sure does fly by. It may be hard to believe it, but filmmaker Zach Cregger‘s horror thriller Barbarian came out three years ago. Personally, it seems like I just saw the film for the first time last year. I vividly remember walking out of that film and being extremely excited about what he would do next.
For quite some time now, we’ve known that his next film would be yet another horror outing, titled Weapons. We didn’t know much about it until very recently, and now not only do we know a lot about what it’ll be, but we’ve just gotten our first official trailer for it and boy does it look to be every bit as creepy and unsettling as his previous film.
A Mysterious Premise with Psychological Weight:
Unlike typical horror marketing, the trailer wisely avoids major reveals, preserving the mystery surrounding the film’s core premise—17 children vanishing overnight from a small community. Rather than dissecting specific scenes, it’s worth focusing on what Weapons promises thematically and creatively, especially considering Cregger’s evolving voice in horror. It’s such a breath of fresh air to see a trailer that doesn’t show every interesting scene that’ll be in the film.
A Cast Built for Complexity:
At its center is Josh Brolin as Archer Graff, a father grappling with the impossible disappearance of his child. Casting Brolin, an actor capable of exuding both grounded intensity and emotional vulnerability, signals that Weapons may prioritize character depth alongside its dread. Joining him is Julia Garner as Justine Gandy, a teacher who discovers her entire class is missing. Garner, known for her fearless, nuanced performances (Ozark, The Assistant), is perfectly poised to anchor the psychological turmoil such a premise demands. Her character’s link to Alden Ehrenreich’s Paul, a local police officer with a fraught history with Gandy, suggests the film may also explore fractured relationships and communal paranoia as the crisis unfolds.
Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan round out a compelling ensemble that hints at intersecting storylines, moral ambiguity, and generational trauma—elements that could elevate Weapons beyond its surface mystery. If Barbarian is any indication, Cregger delights in subverting expectations, and with a larger cast and more complex canvas, Weapons has the potential to explore horror through multiple lenses: societal breakdown, grief, memory, and collective guilt.
Final Thoughts:
Expectations are undeniably high. With Barbarian, Cregger brought a bold visual style, tonal whiplash, and structural risk-taking that made the film a breath of fresh air. If Weapons carries even half that audacity, it could push mainstream horror further into uncharted, cerebral territory.
Time will only tell if Weapons lives up to the hype. I know I’ll be first in line at my local movie theatre as soon as the film opens on August 8.
