Weapons: Zach Cregger’s 2025 Mystery Horror
Introduction
Weapons, a 2025 American mystery horror film from writer‑director Zach Cregger, has attracted attention for its high‑profile cast and the director’s return after the financial and critical success of Barbarian (2022). The film’s premise — the unexplained disappearance of nearly an entire school class — taps into contemporary interest in communal trauma, small‑town mysteries and psychological horror, making it a relevant release for audiences and awards bodies alike.
Main body
Production, cast and creative team
Cregger wrote, directed, produced and co‑scored Weapons. The ensemble cast includes Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan. Producers named on the project include Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, with Michelle Morrissey and Josh Brolin credited as executive producers. The film is presented by New Line Cinema in association with Subconscious, Vertigo Entertainment and Boulderlight Pictures.
Behind the camera, the creative team features director of photography Larkin Seiple, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Joe Murphy and costume designer Trish Sommerville. Music credits include Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay and Zach Cregger himself, signalling a close authorial imprint on both picture and sound.
Premise, release and promotion
Promotional materials describe Weapons as set in the town of Maybrook, where “all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time,” leaving the community to question who or what is responsible. Warner Bros. distributed trailers on the studio’s YouTube channel in April and June 2025. The film was scheduled for a nationwide theatrical and IMAX release in the United States on 8 August 2025, with an international rollout beginning in early August 2025 (some materials list 6 August for certain territories).
Awards attention
Following its release, Weapons received recognition from several critics’ organisations. Late‑December nominations in 2025 included Best Picture nods from the Austin, Georgia and Seattle film critics associations and a Best Film nomination from the St. Louis Film Critics Association. Amy Madigan received Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Chicago and Washington D.C. area critics’ groups.
Conclusion
Weapons consolidates Cregger’s profile as a contemporary horror filmmaker working at scale, combining a notable cast with an experienced technical team. Its festival and critics’ nominations suggest the film resonated beyond simple box‑office spectacle, and its August 2025 release placed it squarely in awards season contention. For readers, Weapons represents both a mainstream studio horror entry and a director‑led vision likely to shape 2025’s genre conversation.
