By John Corrado
Director Zach Cregger’s Weapons became one of the biggest breakout hits of the year when it was released over the summer, and the film is now available on physical media including 4K Ultra HD.
The film centres around a young teacher (played by Julia Garner) who has all but one of the kids from her class go missing one night. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Josh Brolin as one of the dads, Alden Ehrenreich as a local cop, Benedict Wong as the principal, and, of course, Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys.
I was a big fan of this one when I saw it in theatres (you can read my full review right here), and it’s still one of the best movies of the year. Cregger has crafted a wildly entertaining horror film mixed with missing kid thriller and multi-character drama, that is both consistently engaging and surprising to watch. The 4K Ultra HD disc does justice to the film’s moody visual palette, especially in nighttime scenes. The images can be quite dark at times which lends itself well to HDR, making this a treat to watch at home.
Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)
Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):
The 4K disc includes three “behind the scenes” featurettes. A code for a digital copy is also included in the package, which ships with a matte slipcover.
• Director Zach Cregger: Making Horror Personal (6 minutes, 15 seconds): Cregger opens up about how personal the film is for him, writing it from a place of grief over the death of his close friend and drawing on his own childhood experiences growing up around substance abuse. It’s an interesting glimpse into what the film might “mean” which was hotly debated when it came out.
• Weaponized: The Cast of Weapons (8 minutes, 53 seconds): Cregger and his cast members talk about their individual characters, culminating in a deeper look at Amy Madigan’s already iconic Aunt Gladys, and the makeup and costume choices that bring her to life.
• Weapons: Texture of Terror (6 minutes, 49 seconds): Looks at the film’s mix of tones, as well as the makeup and gore effects.
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