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The Verge
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Weapons turns our deepest anxieties into a potent horror masterpiece
Zach Cregger's first major film Barbarian was tense and frightening, but it was also infused with a healthy dose of absurdity. The movie's twisted sense of humor made it easier to stomach its grotesque violence and a bit more difficult to anticipate how its unhinged story would unfold. But Barbarian also worked surprisingly well as a commentary on who really benefits from the redevelopment of decaying cities. Barbarian's unpredictable tonal shifts and impressive production value made it feel like Cregger had captured lightning in a bottle — the kind that is often difficult to replicate. But with his new thriller, Weapons, Cregger proves that he is more than capable of weaving tales of suspense without an overreliance on the element of surprise. Like Barbarian, Weapons' visuals are as arresting as its story is disturbing. But the new film works much harder to show you the meaning behind its stomach-turning scares. Though Barbarian wasn't exactly subtle, Weapons pretty immediately establishes its themes about what motivates mob mentalities and mass hysteria. And yet, you would be hard-pressed to guess what the movie has in store. The film opens on Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), an enthusiastic third grade teacher with a deep affection for her students. She's kind, patient, and attentive to their needs — especially when she sees that they're dealing with emotional difficulties. Justine's care goes a bit far for some, though. Principal Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong) tells her that she's not supposed to offer students rides home when their parents don't show up after school gets out. But she's the type of person who does it anyway because she wants to make sure that her students are safe. Whatever school board policies Justine might have broken in the past, parents like Archer Graff (Josh Brolin) don't seem all that concerned because she's never done anything that would suggest she harmed them. That is until every single one of Justine's students — save for a quiet boy named Alex (Cary Christopher) — disappears in the middle of the night. All the kids from other classrooms are accounted for. The entire town panics and suspects that Justine has done something nefarious to the children. Cregger spells out just enough of what's going on to make the movie read, on one level, as a dark allegory for the devastation caused by school shootings. Though people have questions about where Justine's students went, everyone knows that all of the children got up at 2:17 in the morning and dashed away from their houses. Police captain Ed (Toby Huss) can't explain the why of it, but he and the parents know it's true because multiple Ring cameras recorded footage of the children running into the night. The inexplicability of the situation makes it hard for the parents not to see the police as incompetent and Justine as a predator who should be in jail. But one of Weapons' more impressive feats is the way it builds on that contentious dynamic to make a point about how communities often conjure up convenient boogeymen to blame, rather than confronting the things that actually endanger children. That feels like one of the bigger ideas Cregger is trying to get at through Weapons' Rashomon-inspired structure, which revisits a series of key moments from different characters' perspectives. At first, suspicion of Justine feels plausible given the circumstances. But as the film shifts between points of view, it's clear that Cregger wants you to do some critical thinking about what kinds of people tend to be labeled as threats to children and why that is. Cregger also wants to scare the absolute shit out of you, which is why so much of Weapons' pacing is oriented toward suspense that builds to moments of gruesome madness. Though the movie is peppered with more than a few solid jump scares, its most potent horror tricks are actually cinematographer Larkin Seiple's unnerving shots of the missing children prancing down the street with their arms outstretched like they mean to take flight. The haunting strangeness of those visuals is a constant reminder that something deeply messed up is going on in the town, and you're left to guess exactly what that is right up until the movie's rollercoaster of a final act, an audacious conclusion to one of the year's most unsettling and satisfying films. Weapons also stars Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Amy Madigan, June Diane Raphael, Whitmer Thomas, Callie Schuttera, and Clayton Farris. The movie hits theaters on August from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Charles Pulliam-Moore Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Film Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Movie Review
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Fantastic Four' Star Julia Garner's Movie ‘Weapons' Rated 100 Percent on Rotten Tomatoes
The Silver Surfer, or in this case, Shalla-Bal, continues to make waves on the big screen. Julia Garner, who starred as the character in Fantastic Four: First Steps, has put on a follow-up performance that's earning early rave reviews in the upcoming film Weapons, which also features Josh Brolin and Benedict Wong. Julia Garner's New Movie, 'Weapons,' Debuts on August 8, but Early Reviews Are In While Garner's encore performance to her role as Shalla-Bal in Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn't officially hit theaters until August 8, the early viewings of the film have brought rave reviews from critics. Popular movie review site Rotten Tomatoes has 14 critic reviews currently for Weapons, and they've all given the thumbs up on the film. It currently boasts a 100 percent rating with just over one week until its official debut. Weapons is a thriller that features every child but one from the same class mysteriously vanishing on the same night at the same time. Garner, who also starred in the hit series Ozark, plays the role of Justine Gandy, an educator who finds herself at the center of the outrage, confusion and an intense media circus. Julia Garner Receives High Marks for Her Performance in 'Weapons' Along with the reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, other sites have also given their feedback on the film, particularly Garner's performance. Griffin Schiller of Awards Watch gave Weapons an 'A' rating and praised Garner in the process, stating that she gives a "remarkably honest and powerful performance." "Garner carries an inherent intensity balanced by an unassuming, delicate stature, and Cregger expertly utilizes this duality to craft a nuanced portrait of a flawed, passive person who recognizes the strength they have within themselves and channels that into being a force for good," Schiller wrote. "While initially her grief turned guilt causes her to turn to the bottle, that love becomes a motivator to do something, she owes it to her kids, as she takes the initiative looking in places the police won't and challenging the abnormalities that have been afforded one too many excuses. Justine's transformation is indicative of the kind of public servant she's been all along, however instead of remaining stifled by the broken system in place, she (rightfully) oversteps allowing Garner to turn in a remarkably honest and powerful performance." Reactions to 'Weapons' Earning High Marks on Rotten Tomatoes The early praise for Weapons was met with a mixture of reactions from moviegoers and fans. Some weren't surprised at all by the critics' reviews of Garner's new film, while others remain in "wait and see" mode, not yet fully on board. "We knew it was gonna be an all timer," replied one follower on X. "It is going to be best horror movie of this year after sinners or maybe better than sinners," read another bold comment. "Read the script last night and I could not stop reading. This movie is going to be incredible," chimed in another reader. "Pretty small sample, but hopefully a good early indicator!" read another response. While it's still early on, the coming days and the movie's first weekend in theaters will be telling, but Weapons is off to a great start.'Fantastic Four' Star Julia Garner's Movie 'Weapons' Rated 100 Percent on Rotten Tomatoes first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 1, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Geek Feed
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
Latest Trailer for Weapons Proves It's The Most Anticipated Horror Movie of the Year
Zach Cregger took everyone by surprise with Barbarian , and before he gets to go mainstream with his reboot of Resident Evil , he has one movie he's working on that has horror fans excited. Weapons is set to come to cinemas this August, and we have a disturbing new trailer for this mystery horror film. Check it out: Though the premise itself was interesting, everyone is excited by the top talent that the movie was able to gather including the likes of Josh Brolin, Benedict Wong, Julia Garner, and Alden Ehrenreich. We don't know what the movie is about exactly, but some are speculating that with the title Weapons and children being the focal point of the story; the film could be looking to say something about school shootings or violence being instilled in young children. Admittedly, Netflix's Adolesence kind of tackled the 'mysogny growing in young males' problem already, but it's going to be fascinating to see how Cregger is going to take on the issue with a horror lens. Then again, this is just speculation on the fans' part; and we don't know exactly what to expect with Weapons —which is what makes it so exciting. It also doesn't hurt that rumors were going around that Jordan Peele fired his agent because he wanted to direct this movie and Cregger got the job instead. Here's the official description for the movie: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. Watch out for Weapons when it comes to cinemas on Aug. 8.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix fans rave ‘you've got to see it to believe it!' as ‘amazing' period drama leaves them begging for more episodes
Fans were left stunned after Netflix drama Marco Polo was cancelled after season two, despite achieving a staggering 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The show, premiering in 2014, is inspired by the legendary Venetian explorer Marco Polo, and his travels around 13th Century Asia. It immortalises the birth of the mythic Yuan dynasty, and the reign of its founder, Kublai Khan, who brought the Mongol Empire to its peak. The show was praised by fans for bringing Asian culture back into the zeitgeist, and has even been compared to Game Of Thrones for its fantastical cinematography. In 2015, the series was recognised by the president of Mongolia, who bestowed the production team with an award, for their positive portrayal of Mongolian culture and history. The starring cast includes Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo, Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan, Joan Chen as Empress Chabi and Rick Yune as Kaidu. One fan left a five-star review on Rotten Tomatoes: 'What, a, plot. What amazing character developments, the colours, the costumes, the acting, the story plot in between each character, what a VILLAIN ARC! Oh my god, you got to see it to believe this villain origin story, the cultural mix and religious fighting historical representation, the acting, the fighting scenes, the plot twists ! 'The CLIFF HANGER !! The only negative thing about this season, is that it's the last. Was so annoyed to see there weren't any more with such a beautiful diversified talented and beautiful cast, plot, acting and imagery.' The series reportedly cost Netflix $200 million over the course of the two seasons, and despite its sumptuous production values and historical intrigue, the show did not perform well enough on the platform to justify the cost. Whilst Netflix hasn't shared viewership numbers, it was suggested that the series struggled to garner a following, and didn't achieve the desired ratings. 'Well acted and visually stunning. The second season can be better than the first, just spectacular... I just don't give 5 stars because of the ending that ends in an unexpected way, they canceled too soon!!! One of the best series ever!!!' wrote one reviewer. 'I don't know why they stopped this show. It's like Game Of Thrones but in Asia. I guess less people are interested." In 2015, the series was recognised by the president of Mongolia, who bestowed the production team with an award, for their positive portrayal of Mongolian culture and history However, some suggested the writing was subpar compared to the visual quality of the show, 'Amazing show at times. The writing was not equal to the show and I lost interest' 'The potential for converts isn't even up for discussion as Marco Polo delves into its byzantine, stylish second season, which has just enough nifty set pieces and cool characters to compensate (barely) for a humdrum wartime plot.' For anyone curious to uncover the secrets of the Mongolian Empire, Marco Polo is available to stream on Netflix now.
Gizmodo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Updates From Fallout Season 2, and More
The new Silent Hill movie has found distribution. Rebecca Hall's fighting zombies in her latest film. Final Destination teases Bludworth's secret origins in new Bloodlines footage. Plus, Spider-Man: Brand New Day brings another star of The Bear to the MCU. Spoilers now! Spider-Man: Brand New Day Deadline reports that The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas has joined the cast in an undisclosed role (not that that hasn't stopped people from immediately speculating that she could be playing Miles Morales' mother Rio, mind). The Dog Stars Deadline reports Benedict Wong will star alongside Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce in Ridley Scott's film adaptation of Peter Heller's The Dog Stars. Set 'in a near future where an unnamed pandemic has decimated American society,' the story follows Hig (Elordi), 'a civilian pilot living a lonely life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-marine (Brolin). The two men couldn't be more mismatched but depend on each other to fend off roaming invaders. When a random transmission beams through the radio of his 1956 Cessna, the voice ignites a hope deep inside the pilot that a better life exists outside their tightly controlled perimeter. Risking everything, he flies past his point of no return and follows its static-broken trail.' Zero Protocol According to Screen Daily, Rebecca Hall is attached to star in Zero Protocol, a 'zombie-action' film at Imaginarium Productions. Directed by Debs Hall (Willow), the story concerns 'an NYPD commissioner (Hall) who battles to manage a city-wide zombie outbreak exploding in real time, only to discover her teenage daughter is trapped in the middle of the red zone.' Return to Silent Hill Variety also reports Cineverse has acquired the distribution rights to Christophe Gans' Return to Silent Hill, the latest take on the classic horror game series. The story, a direct adaptation of the events of Silent Hill 2, concerns James Sunderland, broken by the end of his relationship to the mysterious Mary, as a letter from him draws him back to the titular town–only to find it transformed and filled with horrors as he begins his search for her. Evil Dead Burn Meanwhile, Evil Dead Burn is now scheduled for a July 24, 2026 theatrical release date. [Deadline] Final Destination: Bloodlines A new Final Destination: Bloodlines featurette promises to reveal the secret origins of Tony Todd's William Bludworth. A Useful Ghost After inhaling toxic dust, a man's late wife returns from the dead to possess the family vacuum cleaner in the trailer for A Useful Ghost. Fallout Walton Goggins took to Instagram to announce that Fallout's second season has wrapped filming. Rick and Morty Finally, Adult Swim has released the new opening titles for Rick and Morty's eighth season.
