Parents' Guide to Weapons

Movie R 2025 128 minutes
Weapons movie poster: Images of a child with arms out, a bell marked with a 6, a can of chicken soup, and a bonsai

Common Sense Media Review

Tara McNamara By Tara McNamara , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 17+

Violent child-focused horror has gore, sex, drug abuse.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 17+?

Any Positive Content?

  • it's the middle of the night and there's 4 kids running with their arms spread out like a plane
    1:12
  • Weapons Trailer
  • Weapons movie: At night, children run down the street with arms pointed out
  • Weapons movie: A boy sits at his school desk with creepy makeup, while classmates have their heads down on desks
  • Weapons movie: Julia Garner rides in the passenger seat of a car, while Josh Brolin drives at night

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 21 parent reviews

Parents say this film showcases intense violence and disturbing themes, making it unsuitable for younger audiences, particularly those under 16. While some viewers found it to be a well-made horror movie with impressive performances and suspense, many others criticized its content as traumatizing, poorly executed, or morally objectionable, particularly regarding its portrayal of children in violent contexts.

  •  
  • intense violence
  • unsuitable for children
  • great performances
  • mixed reviews
  • moral concerns
Summarized with AI
 

 

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age 14+

Based on 28 kid reviews

Kids say the movie is a mixed bag, being praised for its thrilling storytelling and strong performances while simultaneously criticized for its lack of genuine scares and reliance on gore. Many viewers suggest it's best suited for mature teens due to its violence, language, and brief suggestive scenes, though some found it more of a mystery thriller than an outright horror film.

  • engaging plot
  • strong performances
  • excessive gore
  • not genuinely scary
  • mature content
  • mixed genre
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 28 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In WEAPONS, 17 children from the same class run out of their houses at the same time on the same day—and all mysteriously vanish. While their community grapples for answers, fingers are pointed at their teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), who starts her own investigation to find the missing students.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 21 ):
Kids say ( 28 ):

Completely engrossing—emphasis on the "gross"—director Zach Cregger's follow-up to 2022's Barbarian will keep viewers guessing until the end. Expect to laugh much more than you expected to while sitting on the edge of your seat (except when you're actually sinking into it to create as much space as possible between yourself and the gruesome character deaths). A clever approach to a whodunit, Weapons' story is reframed through the perspective of six characters affected by the disappearances. By walking, by turns, in the shoes of a teacher, a parent, a cop, a principal, a drifter, and a student, viewers will see how the puzzle pieces slowly fit together, eventually revealing the whole picture.

The storytelling is sharp (if gory), but while the movie's final twist isn't rooted in anything that might particularly spark adult anxieties, the same can't be said for kids. In Weapons, the very people whom children typically believe they can trust become threatening, while the adults who should intervene are powerless. And everyday items found in the classroom or house are weaponized (the film's tagline is actually "the most harmless things can hurt you"), so nothing is safe—which, for kids, could create some lasting worries. Good thing it's too mature for most of them to watch any of, then, because it's really not one to have on when a kiddo might walk into the room.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Weapons. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? Disgusting? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • What makes Weapons scary? Do you think it's more likely to frighten adults or younger viewers? Why?

  • Many mystery writers say they start with the ending of their story, and then write the rest of it to arrive there. Writer-director Zach Cregger says that when he writes his thrillers, he doesn't know where the story is going and just writes. How does that approach play out in Weapons? Compare this to other thrillers you've seen. Can you see a difference?

  • The movie's opening line says the story viewers are about to see is true, but it's not. Do you think it matters if entertainment claims that fictional shows are based on fact? Why, or why not?

  • Potential spoiler alert: Part of the plot involves a family member forcing a child to keep an awful secret under the threat of harming his parents. Discuss what you would want your kids to do if an adult tells them to hide something they know is wrong.

Movie Details

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Weapons movie poster: Images of a child with arms out, a bell marked with a 6, a can of chicken soup, and a bonsai

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