Brilliant storytelling. OK story.
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Film and Television Discussion
Melton1 — 6 days ago(March 27, 2026 11:41 PM)
Wow. This was that very rare thing - a modern film that is actually good, and non-Woke.
Zack Cregger is one to watch. Kinda like Ari Aster before he made Beau Is Afraid. His non-linear storytelling is energetic and gripping, with great characters. Above all, the sense of mystery throughout most of the film is captivating, you’re constantly asking ‘WTF is going on?’ and ‘Oh **** what’s going to happen now?’
The film opens with a kid narrating the compelling backstory - one class of kids has mysteriously vanished, leaving only one kid behind, and his teacher. What’s great is the realism with which this awful event has impacted the town (Twin Peaks vibes). That lays a foundation, and then we’re teased with clues as to how, what and why.
Revealing the mystery through chapters that each focus on one major character, jumping back and forth in time, intersecting with the other characters, is the genius stroke here.
I’m still digesting the film but I have to say that the final revelation is a bit underwhelming given the build-up. The eeriness is caused by…
an evil witch, who uses hideous spells to turn people into zombies who can turn savagely violent at the snap of a twig.
While this is perfectly fine for a throwaway horror flick, and is rendered very well, it feels a bit generic when the story felt like it was leading up to something profound and universal, something true, hiding in a dark corner of the human condition. The Exorcist has interesting things to say about evil, good, the value of faith, and personal sacrifice. Weapons doesn’t have much under the bonnet.
Cregger is a first rate craftsman but a mediocre artist. Much like Mike Flanagan, his ‘elevated horror’ doesn’t lead up to much, but at least this was a 2 hour fun movie and not an 8 hour TV timewaster.
Despite this disappointment the film is
absolutely
worth watching. I’ll be checking out Barbarian ASAP. -
LadyGigi Savige — 6 days ago(March 28, 2026 02:28 AM)
Jfc .. it's just a movie about a witch preying on the town's kids. Gladys is the main character.
It's one of the best horror/drama about a witch. The lore is all there. It's just cleverly disguised otherwise we would have figured it out very early on. The writer decided to tell the story in a different way.
Brilliant story telling because it leads you in a few different directions.
although my son figured it out within 30 minutes because the part about the kids being lured away was something he saw in Hocus Pocus. And then when the red haired lady kept appearing in dreams and around town kind of randomly, he knew that she was the witch.
Whereas I thought the teacher was the witch. Until her hair was cut and then I was confused about who else was doing the witch craft.
’, then it finally clicked and I was like ‘No way!’