Weapons is a disturbing and haunting story of childhood innocence twisted by supernatural evil, all against the background of a small town that has been thrown created disorder by some mysterious disappearance. The suspense and fear in the atmosphere of the film are skillfully created with a slowly burning storyline bringing out the mediaeval evil forces at work. The very essence of the story, the disappearance of children in one movement and only one of them is left, creates a feeling of intense loss and vulnerability, which appeals to the emotional layer to the very core. The way the movie portrayed a community struggling with an unexplainable trauma is what brings a powerful tension that can be felt even after the credits have been rolled.
Aesthetically, the film “Weapons” has a dim, dark style to express its dark topics, and the presence of creepy lighting and other frightening images add to the feeling of a supernatural danger. The unsettling mood of the film is contributed to by the characterization of the mysterious old woman, with the makeup of a clown, and the ritualistic nature of the situation and lore of witchcraft brings out the mythic undertones. The acts are understated but effective, especially the acting of Justine, who goes down into her despair and then rebels against the evil power adds emotional value to the narration. The screen play has the right aspects of supernatural horror mixed with the psychological nuances, but has a tendency to be slow paced as it delves into the ritualistic backgrounds and background stories which can be frustrating to those who want a more direct approach to the terror.
The issue that really appealed to me was that the film talked about innocence, evil, and the corrupting power of darkness that was hiding behind the normal life. The haunting ritual scenes and the visual metaphoricity of hair and objects have strong metaphors concerning the loss, remembrance, the invisible forces that thrive on fear and sadness. The emotion that I was left with after reading Weapons was a state of uneasiness that did not leave and the thought of how secrets and the darkness within our souls can be so dangerous to end up in, particularly when mixed with the innocence of children. It is a spooky experience of the thin line between the ordinary and the evil because it is thought-provoking and chilling.
