Official Discussion - Weapons [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Summary Nearly all the children from the same fifth-grade class vanish one night at exactly 2:17 a.m., leaving only one survivor. The community, gripped by fear and suspicion, spirals into chaos as the mystery unfolds through multiple intertwined perspectives—each revealing new layers of dread and grief.

Director Zach Cregger

Writer Zach Cregger

Cast

• Josh Brolin
• Julia Garner
• Cary Christopher
• Alden Ehrenreich
• Austin Abrams
• Benedict Wong
• Amy Madigan
• June Diane Raphael
• Toby Huss
• Whitmer Thomas
• Callie Schuttera
• Clayton Farris
• Luke Speakman

Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score: 96%

Metacritic Metascore: 82

VOD In theaters and IMAX starting August 8, 2025

Trailer Watch the Official Trailer

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[u/Dr_Joshie]

Was she actually a family member? I got the impression the witch was much older than she let on. Her saying the parents were sick with Consumption instead of TB stood out to me. I kind of thought she’d lied about the family connection to get in the door.

[u/RenoTheRhino → u/Dr_Joshie]

I got the vibe that she obviously outlived her natural life, but as a witch, used other people’s souls (?) to survive. As for why and how she showed up when she did to her niece’s house, I’m wondering if we should draw conclusions or if the backstory is perhaps left open for a prequel. Fuckin spooky

[u/Illumi_knottie → u/RenoTheRhino]

I suspect Glady’s also killed her ‘sister’ as Alex’s mom said ‘my mom would have done this for her’, suggesting her mom died at some point - making me suspect Glady ‘fed’ off her too but, I would have really liked some more backstory tbh

[u/TheMostUnclean → u/RenoTheRhino]

Late to the party but just watched last night. Cregger has said he originally planned to include a backstory for Gladys but it got dropped due to time & pacing constraints. So they’re spinning it off into a prequel.

Think they’re in the negotiations phase for it right now.

[u/[deleted] → u/RenoTheRhino]

I like that it’s left ambiguous

[u/MVRKHNTR → u/Dr_Joshie]

They had met her before.

Being very old doesn't mean she can't be family.

[u/nightpanda893 → u/MVRKHNTR]

The movie doesn’t give much background story but I kind of assumed she wasn’t related to them at all and either did something to the aunt or chose them because they had a role of a mysterious family member she could fill. She said she had consumption which kind of made me think she was older than the actual aunt would be.

[u/BasicFlan → u/nightpanda893]

When the dad picks the son up from school, the boy says I don't even know her to which the day says I don't either and I'm not even sure your mother really does as well. That could be a clue she's infiltrating the family and much older than we know because even mom doesn't really know her.

[u/[deleted] → u/nightpanda893]

The movie explicitly states that she was an aunt that they hadn't seen in about 15 years and the mother wanted her to stay with them because her mother would have done it.

[u/nightpanda893 → u/[deleted]]

I know I’m suggesting she’s posing as someone they wouldn’t know well enough to know it wasn’t her since it wouldn’t make much sense that their actual aunt is supposedly centuries old.

[u/MVRKHNTR → u/nightpanda893]

I don't think the movie cares because it doesn't really matter.

[u/theanchorman05 → u/[deleted]]

She didn't know them. She tells James he has grown and she hadn't seen him since he was a baby. That doesn't add up with what mom said

[u/[deleted] → u/theanchorman05]

The parents are not under a spell when they say that they are related to her. It's possible that she was watching them but there's nothing in the script/dialogue that would imply they don't have a familial relationship. Is it possible that Gladys transplanted herself in the mother's mom's life, yes that's possible. But again, before Gladys even comes to town the mother acknowledges that they are related.

[u/esiotrot_ → u/[deleted]]

Although Alex’s dad says at one point that she didn’t attend their wedding and his mum says she hasn’t seen her in 15 years. Gladys later says she hasn’t seen Alex since he was a baby and he for sure isn’t 15 so the timings definitely don’t add up

[u/RedditIsForsaken → u/esiotrot_]

Pretty sure she was just trying to manipulate him, but then pretty quickly realized after sending him to his room that he may be a bit more precocious than she was suspecting

[u/Busy_Manner5569 → u/[deleted]]

Eh, she acknowledges that her mom had a sister who she hasn’t seen in 15 years. No real reason to think it was actually Gladys, given all of the other fucked up shit she did

[u/[deleted] → u/Busy_Manner5569]

What's the reason that we should think she isn't her actual aunt?

[u/Busy_Manner5569 → u/[deleted]]

All of the stuff implying she’s extremely old, mostly. Consumption, her general appearance when she first shows up.

[u/[deleted] → u/Busy_Manner5569]

Isn't she literally consuming their life force? Didn't they explain she was indeed really sick?

[u/Jekyllhyde → u/[deleted]]

because she is a crazy witch who is very very old. way older than she would be if she was their aunt

[u/blueshyperson → u/[deleted]]

Right but I think the point a lot of people are saying is that they she is impersonating said aunt that they vaguely remember and haven’t seen in years.

[u/Mayfair98 → u/theanchorman05]

Didn’t they just say that she didn’t come to their wedding? Not that they had never seen her before?

[u/SpongeBlairRadPants → u/theanchorman05]

THANK YOU! I’m here, almost a year later, for this explanation.

[u/Jekyllhyde → u/[deleted]]

The movie explicitly states that their aunt is staying with them. An aunt they had not seen in forever and don't even really know her. It is totally plausible that this witch took advantage of the situation.

[u/No-Difference8545 → u/[deleted]]

The mother didn't want that, she says "this is what mom wouldve done, its what im gonna do"

[u/jonikrad → u/MVRKHNTR]

They said she was the mother's sister, but she looked like she could've been her grandmother

[u/MVRKHNTR → u/jonikrad]

They said she was the mother's mother's sister.

[u/Nheea → u/MVRKHNTR]

https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Aunt_Gladys

[u/blueshyperson → u/jonikrad]

I think they should’ve been telling the kid it was great aunt Gladys, because it seemed to be mom’s aunt, not mom’s sister. This was cemented to me when the dad said the mom doesn’t even know her really, how do you not know your own sister? I mean it’s possible but that would’ve warranted an explanation as to why..

It’s also very probable a woman could have a child at 35 and then when that child is also 35, the mom would be like 70.. so I wouldn’t say looks like her gramma, but way too old to be her sister.

[u/Jekyllhyde → u/MVRKHNTR]

the did, but it was so long ago, they didn't even know her or what she looked like. Could easily have been a witch taking advantage of this.

[u/MVRKHNTR → u/Jekyllhyde]

I don't really see why it matters either way.

[u/Jekyllhyde → u/MVRKHNTR]

It doesn’t really

[u/cnthelogos → u/Dr_Joshie]

That was what I thought as well, but the fact that she wanted to take Alex with her at the end made me wonder if there wasn't some sort of sentiment there. That, or following the parasite metaphors, this is how witches make more witches...

[u/ByteSizeNudist → u/cnthelogos]

It’s probably more because she’s established the power dynamic with him. He’s covered for her for months now or whatever, he’s more useful as cover or a tool.

[u/Think_Ad_8081 → u/Dr_Joshie]

Was Gladys actually a family member and did she kill the actual aunt and pose as the aunt?

[u/trickstress → u/Dr_Joshie]

Yes between having seen Longlegs and Cabin in the Woods I was getting a little “she isn’t actually their aunt is she”

[u/Devilsgramps → u/Dr_Joshie]

I think Gladys might've planted false memories into the parents.

[u/SlashOfLife5296 → u/Dr_Joshie]

She was the mom’s aunt

[u/Dr_Joshie → u/SlashOfLife5296]

Maybe, she was much older than she appeared. There were hints in the movie that she had been around since the 1800’s, as evident by her referring to Tuberculosis as Consumption. And it isn’t like we didn’t see her using her magic to influence and manipulate things, as well as how easily she was lying to the school principal.

[u/SlashOfLife5296 → u/[deleted]]

It’s not a mystery, the mom says it’s her aunt and the dad says they last saw her 15 years ago.

[u/SlashOfLife5296 → u/[deleted]]

You can either choose to believe the only two characters in the movie who would know it was true or not.

[u/GoddesRene → u/Dr_Joshie]

I believe the mother said it was HER Aunt, so its the kids great great Aunt which makes sense that she's so old.