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Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Horror Movie ‘Weapons' Earns Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
Topline 'Weapons,' a new horror movie opening in theaters next week, earned a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from its first reviews, after the movie's eerie marketing campaign—including a video of more than two hours of surveillance footage—went viral online. "Weapons," from director Zach Cregger, opens in theaters next week. (Photo by Alberto E. ...for CinemaCon) Getty Images for CinemaCon Key Facts 'Weapons' has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on its first 11 reviews, meaning all critics so far have given the movie a positive review. 'Weapons,' which opens in theaters Aug. 8, is a horror film about an entire classroom full of children vanishing in the middle of the night, except for one, according to distributor Warner Bros. The movie was written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously wrote and directed the horror movie 'Barbarian' (2022), which was also well-received and has a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 'Weapons' stars Josh Brolin as the father of one of the missing children and Julia Garner as the children's teacher. Deadline projected 'Weapons' could earn $25 million or more in its opening weekend, a solid start for an original horror movie. What Are Critics Saying About 'weapons?' Lyvie Scott, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic for Inverse, said 'Weapons' is 'haunting and cerebral as it is almost cartoonishly funny,' praising the movie's balance of 'gory shocks' and 'visceral physical comedy.' Chris Evangelista, a critic for the horror movie website SlashFilm, said the film 'taps into very modern fears without laying it on too thick,' stating the movie portrays paranoia and fear parents may feel after watching cable news. Evangelista called 'Weapons' 'one of the best horror movies of the year' and said Cregger is 'one of the most exciting voices in the genre right now.' In a five-star review for the horror publication Dread Central, critic Josh Korngut praised the cast performances and called the movie 'near-perfect,' calling it 'shocking, original, and grotesquely funny all at once.' Some critics, including Rotten Tomatoes-approved Matt Neglia, felt the movie lost steam at the end, stating Cregger 'missed an opportunity to tell a story that is more emotionally rich and relatable' and opted for a 'facile solution.' How Did The 'weapons' Marketing Go Viral? 'Weapons' garnered attention in the spring for a marketing campaign some movie publications compared to that of the 'Blair Witch Project' for its use of found footage and its realistic portrayal of the marketing materials. Warner Bros. published a video of surveillance footage on YouTube, titled '2025_░_░_06: which portrays children running through town in the middle of the night. The video is exactly two hours and 17 minutes long, similar to the time the children disappear in the movie: 2:17 a.m. The studio also published an online website, which is fashioned like a local news outlet and contains news articles about the children who disappear from town in the film. Surprising Fact The bidding war to secure the rights to 'Weapons' was reportedly intense, with multiple production companies making offers. New Line Cinema, a production company owned by Warner Bros., won the auction in January 2023 after making a $38 million offer, with Cregger earning $10 million and the ability to decide the final cut, a deal the Hollywood Reporter called 'unprecedented' for a filmmaker who had only directed one movie before. Other companies that made bids include Universal Pictures and Monkeypaw Productions, the production company owned by horror director-producer Jordan Peele. Deadline reported Peele parted ways with his management shortly after losing the auction. Further Reading Summer Box Office Opening Forecasts For 'Fantastic Four', 'Weapons', 'Freakier Friday' & More (Deadline) New Line Wins Intense Auction for 'Weapons,' the New Movie From 'Barbarian' Filmmaker Zach Cregger (Hollywood Reporter)
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Zach Cregger's 'Weapons' debuts with perfect Rotten Tomatoes score amid glowing early reviews
Weapons, the upcoming horror film starring Josh Brolin, has premiered with a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on early critic reviews. Directed by Zach Cregger, known for his breakout horror film Barbarian, the new release is receiving strong critical approval ahead of its August cinema debut. The plot follows the disturbing disappearance of 17 children from the fictional town of Maybrook, who all leave their homes voluntarily at exactly 2:17am. No signs of force are found, and the community is left shaken as investigators search for answers. The mystery has already been praised for its structure and narrative tension. Dread Central called the film 'an instant horror classic,' and described it as 'joyously cruel, constantly surprising, brutally funny, and 100% cursed from top to bottom.' Gizmodo highlighted the premise as 'smart, seductive, and deeply disturbing,' noting that even a weaker version of the story would have been worth watching. SlashFilm described Weapons as 'a wonderful mixture of bad vibes and macabre fun,' while Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior called it 'the most 'WTF?!' movie ever,' but also one of the most enjoyable. The cast includes Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams, and Cary Christopher. While the Rotten Tomatoes score currently reflects only 10 reviews, the early reception suggests Weapons could become a standout title in this year's horror calendar. Zach Cregger's direction has been a focal point of the praise, with reviewers noting stylistic links to Barbarian but a fresh and cohesive execution. Weapons opens in theatres nationwide on August 8.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Nicholas Hoult delivers definitive Lex Luthor in James Gunn's Superman reboot
Nicholas Hoult's portrayal of Lex Luthor in James Gunn's Superman is earning widespread praise as the most faithful on-screen adaptation of the iconic villain to date. According to SlashFilm's Devin Meenan, Hoult captures the essence of the comic book Luthor—particularly the version shaped by writer/artist John Byrne in the 1986 mini-series The Man of Steel. Byrne reimagined Lex as a ruthless corporate mogul hiding behind a façade of legitimacy, a shift that has defined the character for modern audiences. Unlike previous portrayals, Hoult's Lex leaves behind the comic flair of Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey, as well as the eccentric energy of Jesse Eisenberg's version in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Where Eisenberg's Lex veered into chaotic territory, Hoult returns the character to his comic and animated roots. Hoult's performance has been compared to Clancy Brown's iconic voice work in Superman: The Animated Series. His Luthor is cold, intelligent, and calculating—a true mastermind. Meenan praises Hoult for delivering a villain with real menace through calm intensity, never overplaying the role. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Gunn explained that Lex's hatred stems from envy: "[Lex] is the world's greatest man in so many ways... Then you got a guy who comes in who's done nothing to deserve the ability to fly... That sort of obsession with being passed over is what drives Lex." This internal conflict comes to a head in the film's third act. Lex finally confronts Superman, acknowledging his jealousy and framing it as humanity's only hope for progress. Hoult drew from Lex Luthor: Man of Steel by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, a comic that explores Luthor's psyche in detail. Fans and critics agree: Hoult's Lex Luthor strikes the perfect balance of intelligence, charisma, and menace. His performance lays a strong foundation for the newly rebooted DC Universe.
Business Insider
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
My daughter was struggling to read. A private tutor didn't help, but glasses did.
Our daughter had low reading marks despite having a strong work ethic. We hired a private tutor and doubled her teaching, but neither helped. We finally realized learning wasn't the issue. She couldn't physically see the words. My daughter Rylie loves to get lost in otherworlds. In print, she soars the skies with "Phoebe and Her Unicorn." On screen, she wades through the swaying hand-drawn grass of "Kiki's Delivery Service." And, together, we kick it into hyperspace to cruise the galaxy in " Star Wars." There are no limits to where she's excited to explore. It wasn't always like this, though. Rylie turned 8 this June. Just 14 months ago, she couldn't read. Plus, as we found out later, she had been missing key elements of the worlds that wowed her in books and movies. That all changed with a conversation that had my wife and me wondering how we missed the signs of her struggles for so long. Rylie's reading struggle surprised us Rylie is an intelligent child. She retains song lyrics and grasps complex game rules. She can quickly end a fight between my wife and me by replaying word-for-word the conversation we had the day before. Yet, at age 6, she could not read. Rylie's teacher raved about her work ethic and overall educational acumen. Rylie clearly had the drive and the tools, yet her reading marks were low. My wife and I could not understand why she struggled. We doubled down with more teaching and hired a private tutor for $60 an hour, once a week. Rylie's language skills improved, but she didn't make a breakthrough with her reading. That changed with one question. Rylie's issue came into focus The first "aha" moment came one spring day when my wife volunteered in Rylie's first-grade class. After school, I joined them. That's when my wife asked Rylie, "What is the word of the day written on the chalkboard?" "What do you mean, 'What word?'" my wife and I asked. "I can't see the words," Rylie said without emotion. Everything came into focus on our end. "Oh! You need glasses!" we said gleefully in unison. Rylie's eye-opening revelation We took Rylie to an optometrist who confirmed what we'd suspected: Rylie struggled to read because she struggled to see. The doctor diagnosed her with moderate myopia, aka nearsightedness. After she got glasses, Rylie's reading marks went up from below average to reading at the level of her classmates. Her math and writing marks have also gone up. I wish I'd taken a picture of Rylie putting on her glasses for the first time. She had a permagrin as the world around her shifted into focus. That weekend, we rewatched one of her favorite movies, "Star Wars: A New Hope." During the attack on the Death Star near the end, she hollered out, "Wow, there's so much going on in the background!" My wife and I locked eyes as we realized Rylie's vision kept her from seeing beyond the central characters in movies. It was another aha moment for me. I write about family films for Rotten Tomatoes, SlashFilm, and Not Another Kid Movie. While Rylie has seen many more films than the average child, she's missed a lot of the details. Because of this, we're rewatching a lot of films. Her eyes move from corner to corner in amazement. I watch her dazzled eyes with equal dazzled amazement. What parents should look for Looking back, there's one more clue I didn't notice that other parents should keep an eye out for. Rylie used to get sick on car rides. Sometimes, a mere 20 minutes would make her stomach lurch. The discomfort was caused by a sensory mismatch. Her brain sensed motion, but her eyes struggled to focus on anything outside the car. The more she looked inside than out, the dizzier she got. Now, with her glasses keeping her eyes focused and not blurry, she rarely gets sick, even on Oregon's winding coastal roads. If I could go back, I'd ask my pediatrician for more specialized testing to earn Rylie back several years missed exploring the world around her, both in reality and in her stories. She's making up for it, though. Rylie reads before and after school—graphic novels and chapter books. She asks for movies with powerful cinematography and expansive effects like twisted alien landscapes and bustling animated metropolises, details she couldn't see before. I happily oblige, sharing the fictional worlds I roamed as a kid and getting a tour of the new worlds she's discovered thanks to her new glasses.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Reynolds had an R-rated Star Wars story he pitched to Disney that might've gotten emotional
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If Disney were in a daring mood, we might've heard a different F-word other than "Force" filling the Star Wars universe if Ryan Reynolds had gotten his way. The Deadpool star recently revealed on The Box Office Podcast (via Slash Film) with Scott Mendelson that he'd approached the studio with an idea for a Star Wars movie that wouldn't have been family-friendly. While no specific details were shared, he did explain that it would've been an R-rated movie, which ultimately got turned down. For Reynolds, it comes as no surprise, but it does still confuse the star as to why, even now, some studios are still scared to take a break from playing it safe. "I pitched to Disney, I said, 'Why don't we do an R-rated Star Wars property? It doesn't have to be overt, A+ characters, there's a wide range of characters you could use,'" Reynolds recalled. If there's anyone who knows what makes an R-rated movie a hit, it's Reynolds, whose Deadpool franchise has now ventured into the billions with the last instalment, Deadpool & Wolverine, being the fifth biggest MCU movie ever and the most successful R-rated movie of all time. "And I don't mean R-rated to be vulgar, R-rated as a Trojan Horse for emotion. I always wonder why studios don't want to just gamble on something like that." While big screen efforts within the Star Wars universe have kept things pretty safe (ignoring the lightsaber decapitations and tortured characters burning to a crisp, of course), one chapter within the galaxy far, far away that has indeed embarked into more mature territory lately was season 2 of Andor. Some of its characters have endured experiences that have never been highlighted in the franchise until now, suggesting that there might be space for more similar elements in the future. In the case of Reynolds' idea, though, the actor made it clear he wasn't even concerned about being in front of the camera to tell whatever story he had in mind. "I'm not saying I'd want to be in it. That would be a bad fit. I'd want to produce and write or be a part behind the scenes. Those kinds of IP exist very well on scarcity and surprise. We don't get scarcity really with Star Wars because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people." While Reynolds' tale might not see screens, plenty of other Star Wars stories are waiting to be told on Disney's schedule. Check out every upcoming venture into the galaxy far, far away that's set to arrive in film and television here.
