Weapons First Reactions Call Zach Cregger’s New Movie “A Masterpiece”

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“Zach Cregger has crafted a horror masterpiece and the best film of the year with,” wrote The Playlist‘s Griffin Schiller on X. Schiller compared the movie to Prisoners and Magnolia, and warned that it is a very clear social commentary. The movie reportedly interrogates the sensationalist mob mentality that can make a traumatic situation even worse. Schiller called it “A chilling masterclass in suspense and POV storytelling that exposes a society with dwindling empathy that tolerates dehumanizing acts.”

Other critics also highlighted the suspenseful drama of the story, saying that it builds on Cregger’s strengths from his last movie, Barbarian. Collider‘s Perri Nemiroff wrote that only Cregger could “land such an ambitious concept” with this style. “Every actor is delivering big,” Nemiroff added, hinting that a full-length review might go into each performance more deeply. Weapons has an all-star cast including Julia Garner, Austin Abrams, and Amy Madigan. Nemiroff felt that the in-depth character writing helped in this department as well.

As for the fear factor, it sounds like Weapons is not for the faint of heart. Horreur Québec‘s Matthieu Côté called it “downright terrifying,” adding, “I cant recall the last time a movie gave me chills like this one did.”

One area where critics seem to be split is the ending. Next Best Picture‘s Matt Neglia wrote that “the final act brought it down a few notches, and I’m sure I won’t be alone in feeling that.” However, Slash Film‘s Chris Evangelista had the opposite take, writing, “The grand finale had me cackling with twisted glee.”

Of course, fans will have to decide for themselves when the movie comes out, and more details reviews may give us a clearer perspective. Whether these early reviews hold up or not, the comments make it clear that horror fans are very eager to get out and watch this one as soon as they can. Weapons hits theaters on August 8th.