Weapons (2025) Is the Horror Thriller With a Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score — Here’s Why It’s Already a Must-See

It’s rare for a horror film to debut with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score — but that’s exactly what’s happening with Zach Cregger’s upcoming thriller Weapons.

The movie marks Cregger’s highly anticipated follow-up to Barbarian, one of 2022’s breakout horror hits. Early reviews are calling it tighter, stranger, and even more unsettling than his debut. And with a star-studded cast led by Julia Garner and Josh Brolin, it’s shaping up to be one of the most talked-about films of the summer.

What’s the Premise?

The plot kicks off with a chilling mystery: seventeen children from the same elementary school class vanish overnight at 2:17 a.m. The only one left is young Thomas Graff (Cary Christopher) — and his teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) quickly becomes entangled in the investigation.

As the search unfolds, we also follow Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), a grieving father desperate to find his missing son, and Detective Hartley (Alden Ehrenreich), a local cop piecing together the increasingly bizarre clues. Adding to the chaos, Benedict Wong delivers a now-viral scene of “eye-bulging mania” that has already set horror Twitter ablaze (GamesRadar).

Who’s Behind It?

• Director/Writer: Zach Cregger (Barbarian, The Whitest Kids U’ Know)

• Cinematography: Larkin Seiple (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

• Cast: Julia Garner (Ozark), Josh Brolin (Dune), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams.

Cregger has cited influences from Prisoners to Rosemary’s Baby, promising a genre blend of mystery, grief drama, and psychological horror (CinemaBlend).

Why the Early Buzz Is So Strong

1. A Non-Linear Mystery That Keeps Audiences Guessing

Like Barbarian, Weapons unfolds in chapters, each shifting perspective and recontextualizing earlier events. This keeps viewers off-balance and fuels post-screening discussion — a formula that’s gold for horror marketing.

2. The Anti-Spoiler Campaign

In a bold move, Warner Bros. has avoided revealing major plot points in trailers. Instead, fans have been drip-fed cryptic teasers, along with a creepy viral website (Maybrook Missing) “run” by parents of the missing children.

3. Standout Performances

Garner has been praised for grounding the horror in emotional realism, while Brolin’s intensity and Wong’s chaotic energy provide tonal whiplash in the best way. Critics are already predicting awards buzz for Garner (Forbes).

Early Reviews Are Calling It “A Twisted Fairytale”

GamesRadar labeled Weapons “a twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian”, praising its willingness to blend surreal imagery with grounded character drama. CinemaBlend went further, calling it “the best horror film of 2025 so far”.

The praise isn’t just for scares — reviewers highlight the emotional weight, noting that the central mystery doubles as a story about grief, guilt, and the lengths we go to protect our own.

Release Date & Where to Watch

Weapons opens exclusively in theaters on August 8, 2025. Given Cregger’s past track record, expect a later streaming release on Max after its theatrical run, as Warner Bros. owns the film (People).

Final Take: Can It Live Up to the Hype?

Right now, Weapons feels like the rare horror event that’s both critic-proof and spoiler-proof. The 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is bound to change once more reviews roll in, but the combination of Cregger’s unpredictability, a stacked cast, and mystery-heavy marketing makes it one to watch on opening weekend.

If Barbarian showed Cregger could surprise audiences, Weapons is his shot at proving he can dominate them. And with this much early buzz, August 8 can’t come soon enough.

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