By Jason Osiason

Weapons is a kooky, ballsy swing of a movie, a Magnolia-inspired kind of ensemble that frays into something darkly twisted and unforgettable. It begins with seventeen kids vanishing at exactly 2:17 in the morning. From there we move through intersecting stories, following Clifford the grieving father, Mr Dixon the suspicious teacher, Officer Kincaid the broken cop, and James the addict. Each thread adds more unease until the film tips fully into dread.

At the center of it all is Aunt Gladys, a witch played with ferocity by Amy Madigan, who manipulates and drains the town’s energy for her own ends. Madigan delivers a performance that is terrifying and tragic in equal measure, stealing every scene she touches.

Austin Abrams as James gives one of the most authentic portrayals of teenage addiction I have seen, raw and painful and impossible to look away from. Julia Garner as Justine and Alden Ehrenreich as Officer Paul bring strong presence, but their storyline about alcoholism and a fractured past romance feels underdeveloped and too lightly sketched compared to the rest.

The first half can feel unfocused, leaning too hard on Magnolia’s sprawl without fully finding its own rhythm. But the second half cuts loose, building to a deranged and hilarious third act that unleashes the film’s horror and makes the whole experience worth it. The way the characters are connected by trauma becomes the real through line, showing that pain is not something you erase but something you circle forever.

Weapons does not always land cleanly, but its ambition, its cathartic swings, and especially its performances make it unforgettable. It comes very close to greatness.