Horror fans and critics have grown tired of movies relying on clear-cut metaphors to convey scares. Writer-director Zach Cregger’s latest film, Weapons, has sparked debate about its lack of obvious allegory. The movie follows a chilling premise: 17 children from the same third-grade class vanish one night, leaving their parents distraught and searching for a culprit.
Parents point fingers at the teacher, Justine, played by Julia Garner, but Cregger claims not to have intended a metaphor about school shootings or social panics. Instead, he writes out of grief and left room for interpretation. The film’s ending features brainwashed children turning against their captor in a violent, fantastical sequence that some find reductive.
However, the issue lies not with Cregger’s approach but with the expectation that horror movies must convey a specific message or theme. Classics like Get Out demonstrate that metaphor is not exclusive to hacky movies. Jordan Peele’s Us and Nope also blend visceral experience with subtle allusions, rather than spelling out clear meanings.
The essence of horror lies in its ability to blur reality and fantasy, making it a genre well-suited for ambiguous storytelling. By embracing the slippery nature of horror, filmmakers like Cregger can create movies that engage on multiple levels, without relying on explicit metaphors.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/aug/14/hit-horror-weapons-doesnt-have-a-deeper-meaning-but-thats-okay