The clock reads 2:17 a.m. Now, this would normally be a random time of night, but not for the people of Maybrook, PA, where 17 kids mysteriously disappeared into darkness, never to return. This is the plot of “Barbarian” writer-director Zach Cregger’s latest horror movie, “Weapons”, which has stunned viewers with its unexpected twists and compelling turns. It had moviegoers on the edge of their seats this summer, and now it’s doing the same at home, as the film has recently become available via video-on-demand.
Distributed by Warner Bros., “Weapons” managed to gross $43 million on its opening weekend and has since generated $265 million globally, surpassing the studio’s $25 million prediction. Additionally, it secured first place at the box office, surpassing both long-awaited legacy sequel “Freakier Friday” and Marvel Cinematic Universe powerhouse “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” domestically and worldwide.
Cregger said to Rolling Stone that he wanted to dive into the real-life effects of missing kids and some personal aspects of his life, which he wanted to convey through the horror genre. Furthermore, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he admitted that a very close friend of his passed, which in turn caused him to just write. Although mainly based on fictional characters and ideas, the autobiographical aspect of the movie helped people connect with the film on a more personal level.
“This movie captivated me because there is so much that’s unknown and left for us to interpret as viewers,” Rosa Palchizaca Guman (11) said.
The movie opens with a little kid whose identity isn’t quite known, narrating events that occurred the night before. The unknown narrator introduces Miss Gandy (Julia Garner of “Ozark”), one of the teachers at the town’s elementary school, explaining how out of all the classrooms, hers is missing the exact 17 students who have gone missing, going on to say that the night before, at 2:17 a.m., all of these 17 kids walked downstairs from their bedrooms, opened their doors and ran into the darkness, never to be seen again. That is, all besides one by the name of Alex, who was the only one to show up to Gandy’s class the next day. This results in a mass panic amongst the community, with parents pointing fingers at Gandy, accusing her of being the mastermind behind their disappearance. As the film jumps between multiple points of view, it depicts how everyone only gets snippets of the truth and no one realizes the truth until it’s too late.
Some hidden symbols are revealed one by one to the viewer throughout the course of the film, but only some are expanded upon in the film. An example of this is when we dive into the perspective of one of the parents in the movie, Archer (Josh Brolin of “No Country for Old Men”), who has a nightmare that leads him outside to see a massive floating assault rifle with the number 2:17 etched onto it, hovering in the sky. These numbers play a huge part in the story, and some say it’s a biblical reference to Matthew 2:17, which discusses the massacre of innocent children. Many think that it’s up to the interpretation of the viewer.
“What I enjoyed the most was the whole mystery and ambiguity of it while [also] bringing a true sense of horror and fear,” Hanan Mohamed (11) said. “It had lots of twists and ominous moments as I watched it, which made me super engaged but scared the entire time.”
With the curious symbolism comes many theories that might seem outrageous or even impossible to consider about the film, but that’s what makes it all the more intriguing. One extremely fascinating theory is the Pied Piper Theory. This theory, according to ScreenRant, indicates that the children running into an abyss is a reference to the infamous folktale where a flute player uses his magical instrument to lure children to him, away from their families.
A delightful depiction of an otherwise serious subject nestled somewhere between the horror, suspense and comedy genres, Cregger’s masterful storytelling and direction tap into a communal unease and fear of the unknown that entertains and captivates. With the continued praise and success that the movie continues to receive, Variety reports that fans can already anticipate a sequel (or, rather, a prequel) that will hopefully be just as alluring and hypnotizing as “Weapons”.
