Zach Cregger’s Weapons is now out in theaters, and the Rotten Tomatoes Score is in, and it’s nearly perfect. Actually, it was at 100% for quite a while, but it’s now at 96%, as there are only five reviews on the negative side.
Update: Audience Score is at 90%. The box office is also off to a killer start.
I just got out of the theater and loved it. Watch my reaction on TikTok.
Check out what the positive and negative reviews say below. Read my review here.
What do the reviews say?
The reviews for Weapons are overwhelmingly positive, praising Zach Cregger’s ambitious, genre-blending horror film as a bold follow-up to Barbarian. Critics highlight the movie’s unique mix of terror, dark humor, emotional weight, and narrative experimentation. Many compare Cregger’s style to Jordan Peele or John Carpenter, commending his command of tone, subversive storytelling, and ability to shift between scares and laughs. The cast—especially Amy Madigan and Julia Garner—receives strong praise, and the film’s disturbing mystery and twisted fairy tale structure are repeatedly noted as highlights. While a few critics cite issues with the film’s pacing, tonal imbalance, or emotional depth, most agree that Weapons is a clever, unsettling, and exciting horror experience that confirms Cregger as a rising voice in the genre.
The positive
The positive reviews for Weapons praise Zach Cregger’s direction as confident, inventive, and expertly balanced, blending intense horror with sharp humor and emotional depth. Critics highlight the film’s ambitious structure, engaging mystery, and ability to keep viewers off-balance with unpredictable twists. Many compare Cregger to modern horror auteurs like Jordan Peele and John Carpenter, noting his skill in crafting a disturbing yet entertaining experience that lingers. The ensemble cast, particularly Amy Madigan and Julia Garner, is frequently commended, and the film’s mix of surreal imagery, social commentary, and genre subversion is seen as both fresh and effective. Overall, reviewers applaud Weapons as a smart, daring, and wickedly fun horror film.
“With ‘Weapons,’ Cregger establishes himself as the foremost purveyor of wicked and witchy contemporary fables that play like demonic urban legends.” – Tribune News Service
“Mass child disappearance probably sounds like an off-puttingly bleak premise. But Cregger’s diorama of these townsfolk…is also addictive and wittily sketched, packing in heaps of petty rage.” – Daily Telegraph
“Cregger understands how close screaming is to laughter, and he pitches his movie into the uncanny valley between, where the two fuse into the heightened state reserved for the best roller-coaster rides and scariest ghost stories.” – Washington Post
“Weapons is such a deliriously twisted blast that, as soon as it’s complete, you’ll want to shake up the box and do it all again.” – Austin Chronicle
“It’s a creepy, nasty good time, with scares that will make audiences jump in their seats and a few that will leave them profoundly unsettled.” – Slate
The negative
The negative reviews mainly criticize Weapons for its uneven pacing, overambitious structure, lack of emotional depth, and tonal imbalance. While they acknowledge the film’s bold ideas and strong performances, especially from Amy Madigan, they argue the execution doesn’t always land and that the film feels either too disjointed or tonally confused.
“Its propulsive momentum is often at odds with the more patient story Cregger seems to want to tell, resulting in a film that feels less than the sum of its many exciting parts.” – MovieWeb
“While the premise is strong and performances are solid, the execution of the story with all it’s comedic underpinning leaves you feeling let down and wanting more.” – Big Gold Belt Media (Lucas Moore)
“What [Cregger]’s getting at seems a lot less frightening, and a lot more contrived, than it would have had he not invited us to ponder more powerful possibilities for over an hour before tipping his hand.” – TheWrap
“Ultimately, what should have been an examination of primal fear and the abuse of innocence turns into something more resembling an exercise in genre exploitation.” – The Establishing Shot (Jeff York)
“The narrative structure affects the pacing, and the third act is messy, but the performances are undeniable particularly Amy Madigan. Seriously, give the woman an award.” – The Film Maven (Kristen Lopez)
