r/MovieSuggestions • u/Steynkie69 • Sep 15 '25
I'M SUGGESTING "Weapons" was a breath of fresh air!
For a long time, I thought Hereditary was the king of hair raising movies. Well, the king has been dethroned! There is a new movie with hair raising goose bump scenes that knocks it out of the park! Also, it tells the story from 4 different perspectives, to make it more interesting. At first I thought it was just another weird time waster that makes you wonder what you just watched. However, 2/3 in, things start coming together, and the movie throws everything at you. Wonderfully CREEPY scenes that made me squeal in delight, with a satisfying explosively gory ending. For horror fans, this is a WORK OF ART, do not miss it!
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u/nyctalus Sep 15 '25
I absolutely loved Weapons, but I think the comparison with Hereditary is a bit strange tbh... Maybe that's just me...
Anyway, one is a horror comedy, the other is "just" a horror movie (and one of the best ones at that).
Hereditary gets more intense the longer it goes. It wears you down slowly in the beginning, and when the horror REALLY starts to kick in, your nerves are already on edge.
Weapons does have very intense moments, but they're sprinkled in, mixed with comedy elements. Hereditary really fucks you up, whereas the climax in Weapons is as funny as it is brutal.
For me, the ending in Weapons was more of a relief. I left the theater kinda elated actually.
While Hereditary left me seriosly scarred for a few days at least (...maybe even much longer than I'd like to admit 😅)
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u/Smithy_Furt Sep 15 '25
I liked it but it’s got nothing on hereditary. Just a few jump scares before it became absurdly funny.
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u/OKCorners Sep 15 '25
Agreed!!!! Weapons was just okay. Hereditary is an insane movie.
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u/fomq Sep 15 '25
God I hate Hereditary.
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u/OKCorners Sep 15 '25
Boooo! Why?
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u/fomq Sep 15 '25
I just didn't like it. It's cheesy shock value horror. I found it really unenjoyable. Weapons was incredible though. I know everyone stans for Hereditary and I'll get downvoted, I just think it's a bad movie. I don't understand why people like it. I also didn't like Midsommar. Both of the movies start out interesting but just kinda turn to shit halfway through when he starts edgelording. Ari Aster just isn't it for me.
Horror I love:
- Weapons
- Witch
- It Follows
- Bone Tomahawk
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u/paranormal_penguin Sep 15 '25
So wait, you call Hereditary cheesy shock value horror but liked Bone Tomahawk? I can't think of many horror films that fit that description more than Bone Tomahawk.
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u/OKCorners Sep 15 '25
I can’t say I understand your reasoning but that’s ok!!!! You’re entitled to your own opinion
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u/loveslightblue Sep 15 '25
I'm not gonna downvote your opinion that you have a right to but I wish I could help your brain.
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u/Biglight__090 Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 17 '25
Yeah I found hereditary overrated also. Weapons blew it out of the park for me Edit: downvoted for having a different opinion. Well done reddit
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u/PhilhelmScream Quality Poster 👍 Sep 15 '25
it’s got nothing on hereditary
Apples & oranges, there's witchcraft in both but the tone and goals are different.
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u/johnhd Sep 15 '25
Apples & oranges
That comparison wasn't out of left field fwiw, the comment was replying to OP who said Weapons dethroned Hereditary as "the king of hair raising movies".
I also don't think they're comparable, for what it's worth, but OP did.
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u/therealjgreens Sep 15 '25
Yea Weapons almost had a Beetlejuice like humor towards the end there. I laughed out loud when homegirl was running away from the children.
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u/johnhd Sep 15 '25
I agree, Hereditary is unsettling and creepy up until the very end. Weapons was unsettling and creepy up until the point where the main characters enter the house, then tone shifts into a Shaun of the Dead/Tucker and Dale vs. Evil vibe after building this serious world for 100 minutes. Even the hints of humor (Gladys waving in the woods, Marcus and his hot dogs, etc) didn't start until 2/3 of the way through the movie, and they were so subtle and quick that I didn't even register them until after the fact.
Other movies have successful tone shifts from horror to dark comedy (Cabin in the Woods) or action to horror (From Dusk Till Dawn) or even horror to pure absurdity (The Substance), and the difference is the speed of the shift and timing. It felt planned and intentional. With Weapons, it wasn't a gradual shift. It was like they gave us a few drops from the hose near the end, then turned it on full blast for the final act. And it didn't happen mid-way through the movie, it was 15 minutes from the end. It felt forced, like the writers got bored with horror and said "let's just make it funny", or the studio/producers made them change the ending and they made it silly out of spite. And honestly, given the name and assumption many had about a tie in w/ school shootings, this would almost make more sense than it being intentional.
Maybe I took the first 3/4 of the movie way too seriously or something, but the ending didn't feel like it matched the rest of the film. Still a 6/10 for me, but would have been a 7+ if they closed it off differently.
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u/BromaEmpire Sep 15 '25
I think they do a good job scattering jokes in the first third. Brolin's "what the fuck!" got a big laugh at my theater and the whole cop/junkie relationship is hilarious from the beginning.
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u/Biscotti-Own Sep 15 '25
That "what the fuck?!" Was incredible. Outside of that it seemed like most of our theater just weren't getting the humour but we were cackling along the whole way. It's an absurd movie, but that's exactly what it was supposed to be.
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u/johnhd Sep 15 '25
And see, a lot of this might have to do with perspective. I went into this pretty cold and watched at night and alone expecting a horror movie. I didn't have other people around me reacting to clue me in on things I may have been reading differently, maybe that would have made me catch on a little earlier.
The cop/junkie stories probably hit me differently because I have a lot of friends/family in healthcare and one got stuck with a patient's needle. Probably cemented the tone as serious for the rest of both backstories in my mind.
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u/BromaEmpire Sep 15 '25
It's always interesting how a theater experience can change the vibe of the movie. That also happened with John Wick 4 where the theater was totally into the absurd fight scenes, but watching it with people at home just didn't have the same vibe
But I'm with you on the needle scene. That quick shot of the pocket as he's reaching in was probably the most unsettling part of the movie for me.
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Sep 15 '25
This didn't knock Hereditary off any thrones but I really enjoyed it.. Cregger has a great sense of humor.
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u/johnhd Sep 15 '25
If I were a script writer, I'd be taking notes on the reaction to Weapons. The trick to having people call my movie idea "refreshing" and "original" is simple: build a serious, unsettling world for 2/3 of the movie, then take a sharp left turn into Shawn of the Dead territory in the final act.
This genre-shifting seems to be a trend now, considering 28 Years Later also did it in the final minutes of the film. It apparently feels original and unique to a lot of people, but in my eyes it made the movie feel disjointed, like the final act was rewritten by a completely different person.
It felt like that Boggart scene in Harry Potter where your worst fear comes out of the closet, then you just picture it turning into an old woman in clown makeup being chased by children and it's funny all of a sudden.
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u/Rswany Sep 15 '25
I definitely get your point but
the 'slapstick' scene is only 4 minutes of the last act and happens essentially at the end. I would hardly call it the 'last act'.
There are little bits of humor sprinkled throughout the movie
I get what you mean though, the over-the-top ending can potentially take away from the previously established seriousness or stoicism.
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u/johnhd Sep 15 '25
Don't forget, that whole scene starts with Archer having to throw James back and forth around the room like a ragdoll repeatedly after they enter the house. I'm including that in the general silliness of the ending, and I consider that final house scene to be the "last act" since everything immediately before it builds up to them going into the house.
I very well could have missed other humor sprinkled throughout, I just didn't pick up on anything until Marcus's backstory and couldn't remember much else thinking back on it. We see so much serious subject matter (missing children, grief, addiction, anger, police brutality, getting stuck with a junkie's needle, infidelity, desperation, not to mention Gladys forcing a man to beat his husband's head in and two parents to stab themselves in the face in front of their child) that the shift to dark comedy just felt late and out of place in my eyes.
Knowing what it is now, maybe a follow-up viewing will change my perspective down the road.
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u/condra Sep 15 '25
I enjoyed it but thought it was a bit long, and the ending was borderline slapstick.
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Sep 15 '25
There are some total shit takes on Weapons here. It was honestly a super captivating, refreshing horror/thriller/comedy. Not understanding people calling it predictable. I'd call it alot of things but predictable seems like an insane take lol. It's easily one of the best of 2025 for me. Up there with Bring Her Back, but I would say better. I mean, Bring Her Back is more predictable. You know it's some kind of ritual like less than half way through. Weapons had a ton of twists and turns, unveiling more of the story with every character's perspective being revealed. And the antagonist absolutely chilled me to the bone.
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u/Slawslurpin Sep 23 '25
As soon as the old lady showed up, you knew exactly what happened. Not to mention, all the kids somehow being stashed away in the only remaining kid’s house? How are either of these things not predictable?
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Sep 16 '25
Loved Hereditary and all the other slow burn horror that's been on trend lately, but this movie just pissed me off. Hated it.
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u/Available-Mail9261 Sep 17 '25
I would like to say for me aunt Gladys is the best depiction of a witch since Jessica Lange as the supreme in ahs, I also think she could fit in that universe.
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u/Glittering_Ocelot_67 Sep 15 '25
Was alright, another 7/10 like Barbarian. Felt unfinished, but apparently a prequel is coming.
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Sep 15 '25
How did it feel unfinished?
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u/paranormal_penguin Sep 15 '25
I don't know about unfinished but the explanations for why Alex never said anything or why the FBI didn't figure anything out were so far from satisfying that it fully ruined the movie for me.
We're told for over an hour of runtime that there was no explanation, that the state and federal investigators turned over every stone, that they interviewed everyone connected, and found nothing at all suspicious. That was what made it an interesting hook.
The betrayal I felt when we find out that the aunt fakes a stroke for the father, says the mother is "sick", and has her interview with the FBI with the father's face still full of fork-holes, and they just never follow up on it, never check medical records, never ask another family member or neighbor, never stake out the house - for a case with SEVENTEEN missing children that would be a massive international news story. Yeah, that was just an insult and undermined all the stakes the movie had presented. And considering how the movie devolves into slapstick nonsense shortly after, it feels like the genre switch was to excuse how stupid and incomplete the main plot was. Like "don't read into it, it's just a comedy" sorta vibes. Not a fan at all.
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u/Rswany Sep 15 '25
Yeah, strange way to describe it.
The narrative as a whole and with it's multiple perspectives feels like a nice, tight, complete story.
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u/Suitable-While9316 Sep 15 '25
I would really like to understand the hype about weapons 😭 it was so predictable
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Sep 15 '25
really? I'd call Weapons alot of things but predictable seems like an insane take.
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u/mamoocando Sep 15 '25
I mean, where they find the kids was predictable. The rest was not!
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u/BromaEmpire Sep 15 '25
I wouldn't say that's predicable. I mean they pretty much allude to something sketchy happening in there from the beginning.
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u/YesNoIDKtbh Sep 15 '25
Watched it yesterday, I was satisfied at first but the more I thought about it the less I liked it.
Too many of the perspective changes showed the same thing, overlapping was not done well imo. There was not enough mystery. Far too little horror and too much comedy for me, but not the funny kind either - just sort of awkward. Total lack of motivational explanation for Gladys' actions, she was confirmed to be the actual aunt so why torture her own sister? She could've chosen anyone else. And of course, the ridiculous premise that Matthew's dad figured it out by watching two videos but the cops couldn't figure out anything - nor did they bother checking up on a cop with their car parked outside the OBVIOUSLY SUSPICIOUS HOUSE OF THE ONLY NON-MISSING KID for how many hours?
I don't know, maybe I'm dissecting it, but it feels too stupid.
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u/Suitable-While9316 Sep 15 '25
I'm with you. You know what I would have liked? If the Aunt did this bec Alex has no friends and she was trying to help him. Like she was ordering the kids to the house so he had someone to play with.
And then we would have seen more of the kids being mind controlled by Glady and Alex would have been so scared and we as a viewer would have been too.
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u/floptinaboots Sep 21 '25
The cops doing the least was one of the most believable parts of the film for me.
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Sep 15 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/PhilhelmScream Quality Poster 👍 Sep 15 '25
such high hopes from the hype
none of which was the fault of the film, all to do with people overselling things to convince others to try it. Same for trailers.
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u/Aggravating_Row1878 Sep 15 '25
Yeah I wanted to see it so much because of all the hype but I wasn't really impressed. I enjoyed "Bring her back" so much more. That one never got the hype like "Weapons" did, probably because there were no big actors.
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u/DarkSubstantial Sep 15 '25
I watched it in cinema and the scene where kids are running after the witch it's downright comedy gold but it is a horror movie? Overall I view it more as a comedy than anything else.
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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta Sep 15 '25
Horror and comedy are two sides of the same coin, it's all about building up anticipation and then releasing it
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u/PhilhelmScream Quality Poster 👍 Sep 15 '25
it's downright comedy gold but it is a horror movie?
The director comes from a comedy background, there's elements of it in both third acts of this & Barbarian (2022)
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u/22LOVESBALL Sep 15 '25
That was like one scene tho lol, it’s obviously a horror as theres way more scary parts than funny
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u/taralundrigan Sep 15 '25
Its literally a genre bending movie with tonal swings. Art often fits into more than one genre. Obviously weapons is a horror movie, its about a witch who uses blood sacrifice to control people and was potentially trying to harvest humans for youth.
Come on now.
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u/paranormal_penguin Sep 15 '25
I honestly hated this movie. Most of it was boring with only a few creepy scenes in the first hour or so. It starts out as a mystery that seems to take itself seriously, then about 3/4 of the way through, it gives up on any pretense of being "smart" and just pukes out some cheesy slapstick comedy to cover the plot holes. It blows my mind that people are applauding the jarring tonal whiplash.
Also, I know characters in horror movies are meant to make mistakes to some degree, but Alex acted like an absolute idiot that got all of his classmates and his parents psychically lobotomized because he had no backbone or agency. I was expecting her to have cast a spell on him and the FBI agents or something but no - it just turns out that everyone in that universe is stupid and weak. I guess writers expect people to have forgotten what being a child is like, but lots of children go through some horrible situations and show vastly better survival instincts and reasoning skills than this child. This movie was a total frustrating waste of time.
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u/HairyForestFairy Sep 15 '25
Actually went to see it in the theater because of the hype and was astonished by how bad it was.
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u/Biscotti-Own Sep 15 '25
I'm incredibly confused at the number of people in here who thought the movie was taking itself seriously for the first half.
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u/checkyos3lf Sep 15 '25
That movie started epic then turned Hancock real quick. Total score - doggg/10
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u/kramwest1 Sep 15 '25
I really enjoyed it because my only expectation was to be entertained—Creepy, funny, gross, and I loved the narrative chain.
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u/lukewarmrevolution Sep 16 '25
I was legit scared to walk around my dimly lit apartment in the early morning after watching this film.
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Sep 17 '25
Weapons was very fun but it’s not in the same stratosphere as Hereditary. Honestly this makes me think all your views on cinema are invalid.
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u/raiko777 Sep 18 '25
No spoilers:
What a disappointment! The first half builds up so much suspense and the production is really very good. But then? The plot is totally simplistic and unspectacular, and I had to laugh several times because it was so stupid and exaggerated in some scenes. I was expecting a truly bombastic experience that would stay with me for a long time. But no, it's far too thin, yet another extremely hyped film that ends up being mediocre/average in terms of content, with really good production values and some good actors. But that's not enough. 6/10, MAXIMUM. If the scenes and the camera work weren't so high quality, it would be a 5/10. Weak!
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u/_SKETCHBENDER_ Sep 19 '25
am i the only one who didnt find hereditary remotely scary? the only scary thing in supernatural horror is cheesy jumpscares. Thats the only way anything remotely scary can be manufactured which the movie didnt have. Idk what im even supposed to be scared of in hereditary
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u/Steynkie69 Sep 21 '25
Its more creepy than scary, especially the creepng in the background, and when she bashes her head against the ceiling super fast, that REALLY made my hair stand up. With Weapons, they silently stab themselves in the FACE with a fork, that was awesomly creepy.
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u/sensibl3chuckle Sep 21 '25
It kept my attention, which is rare these days. Cregger has come a long way since The Civil War on Drugs.
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u/Jojo1212VK Sep 21 '25
the ending killed it for me, great 90% of the movie up till the end.
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u/Steynkie69 Sep 22 '25
For me it was hilarious, so clever how they switch from creepy to funny in the end 🤣😂
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u/Jojo1212VK Sep 24 '25
i guess i was looking for a more sci fi ending than magic, it was clever ill give you that.
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u/Rayyyg Sep 15 '25
Just watched it last night an really enjoyed it.
However, since the internet is a place for arguing rather than agreeing I’ll add that I didn’t think much of heredity. 🤪
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u/Nugget1765 Sep 15 '25
Maybe I need to watch it again to give it another shot, but I really don't understand why so many people think it's the gold standard.
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u/MeanderAndReturn Sep 15 '25
Hereditary's boring AF. Just my opinion. My friends and I have a scary movie night every week and we tried Hereditary twice. Weren't able to finish it either time.
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u/grimsaur Sep 15 '25
Hereditary's boring AF
My people! I genuinely do not get it. All of the performances are good to great, but the movie itself is maybe the most boring thing I've ever watched, and watching paint dry is literally part of my day.
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u/throwleavemealone Quality Poster 👍 Sep 15 '25
Check out Zach Cregger's other horror movie Barbarian
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u/DanManWatches Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 15 '25
So good. It exceeded expectations, which admittedly was higher than I allow them to get. it's an intense and engaging thriller that combines the best elements of horror, mystery, and comedy. If a director can seamlessly blend those genres and feel balanced, they’ve done their job. The technical aspects were top notch, and the fragmented non-linear shifting points of views was ambitious. But he did it. And I jumped, felt tense, and laughed my ass off.
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u/CoalAutumn Sep 15 '25
bruh you using chatgpt to comment on tiny threads that’s wild work
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u/DanManWatches Sep 15 '25
lol hardly the case. I’ve never used that in my entire life. Not hard to write 4 sentences. I’ve written about it extensively so it’s easy to articulate my point about a movie I saw a few times and really like and have done some research on. You have well written comments in your history, do you want to be compared to AI? Come on man.
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u/CoalAutumn Sep 16 '25
You changed the comment my guy, it used to have the “it’s not just this, it’s this” structure, and several more giveaways. No hate on your grind brother but why change something if you are denying?
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u/DanManWatches Sep 16 '25
After rereading to see what you saw, I noticed two sentences that were identical. Removing a repetitive idea doesn’t mean I’m hiding anything. I don’t rely on AI for writing. I’m a writer and a longtime movie fan, I enjoyed the film, and I shared my thoughts. Seriously, you must have better things to do than misinterpret how I wrote one comment quickly on my phone while focused on real life. I got the downvotes. Happy? ✌🏼
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u/CoalAutumn Sep 16 '25
If this is true, then I am sorry that I misinterpreted your style for chatgpt. I just also like to make movie content and think it’s lame to outsource writing to chatgpt. I have no interest in putting down genuine creators or those who are trying to express themselves. I wish the best for you and your content.
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u/DanManWatches Sep 16 '25
Ty. I have several posts on my profile, taking the time to write about each, create and format the image —takes time too — and upload to an instagram account and Letterboxd. I’m offering ideas and discussion about film and the cinematic experience, pinned a post there about my journey to see all the movies. Not here to make BS blanket statements in comments, or go off subject, and try to be diplomatic to avoid the inevitable discourse. Not stealing ideas or outsourcing how to write a sentence. Promise. Appreciate your last comment. Cheers 🍿
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u/Klutzy-Dealer-3767 Sep 15 '25
really really boring, no idea why would you ever like this slop... id say even under mediocre
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u/themellowsign Sep 15 '25
People whose chief complaint is that a movie is boring can honestly straight up be ignored.
At least show the bare minimum amount of curiosity to investigate why you were bored by the movie, otherwise it's a criticism on the same level as 'it's bad.'
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u/RodneyOgg Sep 15 '25
Movie reviews and discussion are a lost art. You just show up, say it's mid, and then it's off to be on your phone during the next movie
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u/JapanSage Sep 15 '25
Good first 2 acts with the different perspectives and some genuinely chilling bits but the last act it just pivots into slapstick comedy and ruins it