by Josh Sewell
Weapons
(Rated R for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use. Opens in theaters on August 8.)
The premise: When all children from the same classroom – except one – mysteriously vanish on the same night at the exact same time, a town is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
The verdict: 2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for horror films. Sinners, 28 Years Later, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Companion, Together (more on that one in a moment…) and several others are all unsettling, smart, entertaining and contain some darkly funny moments. Now we can include writer-director Zach Cregger’s Weapons as well: turns out it’s one of the year’s best films, period.
While scary and violent in places (especially the final third, which I mostly watched through my fingers), Weapons is a mystery/thriller for most of its running time. Viewers are introduced to various characters in the community (played by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan, all outstanding) and get different parts of the story from most of their perspectives.
By the time all the puzzle pieces click into place, the mystery is solved and we understand the dangers inherent in isolationism and failing to communicate. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I would laugh along the way. It makes sense, considering Cregger’s previous work – 2022’s underrated Barbarian – was equally scary and hilarious.
Weapons is far from a full-blown comedy, but I appreciated the tension-breaking humor scattered throughout. Now that I know the mechanics of the story, I can’t wait to see it again to spot clues I probably missed the first time around.
Grade: A
Together
(Rated R for violent/disturbing content, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and brief drug content. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads in their relationship when they move to an isolated country home. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love and their flesh.
The verdict: While not as strong as the aforementioned Weapons, writer-director Michael Shanks’ feature debut Together is still engaging horror/ultra-dark comedy with plenty to say about the state of modern romantic relationships. Franco and Brie (married in real life) are both excellent in what is essentially a two-person show, aside from the opening scene and a couple of standout moments from the terrific Damon Herriman, who plays Millie’s work colleague.
For most of the running time, the actors go to some raw and vulnerable places as a couple gradually understanding the physical and psychological damage that a codependent relationship can cause. Granted, because this is a horror flick rather than a domestic drama, those aspects frequently manifest as nauseating moments of body horror.
Tim and Millie’s bodies start to literally fuse together, forcing them to resort to increasingly dreadful methods to stay separated. The metaphor doesn’t always work, but it leads to a morbidly hilarious conclusion that had me laughing and wincing in equal measure. (Let’s just say I’ll never listen to the Spice Girls in quite the same way again.)
Credit also goes to the behind-the-scenes magicians who utilized a combination of CGI and gnarly practical effects to create some truly disgusting images. Together probably won’t be a fun trip to the multiplex for those who are squeamish or going through their own relationship troubles; however, those looking for a twisted love story should give it a shot.
Grade: B
KPop Demon Hunters
(Rated PG for action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material and brief language. Now available on Netflix.)
The premise: When they aren’t selling out stadiums, K-pop superstars Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) use their secret identities as demon hunters to protect humanity from a deadly supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy so far: a group of demons disguised as a rival boy band.
The verdict: This animated hybrid of musical and action flick hit Netflix in late June without a lot of marketing or advanced buzz. However, strong word-of-mouth and a passionate fanbase quickly made KPop Demon Hunters the most-watched animated flick in the streamer’s history. It took me several weeks to see what all the hype was about (as a 43-year-old man, I’m probably not the target demo for K-pop or anime), but I’m glad I finally did.
What a pleasant surprise! The film turned out to be one of the most engaging viewing experiences I had all year. I even convinced my 14-year-old daughter to watch with me, despite her being at the age where it’s not cool to hang out with dad. It’s a shame that Netflix doesn’t care about people seeing their stuff on the big screen. This could’ve had a long, healthy theatrical life.
Nevertheless, the company is clearly happy with the results so far. Reportedly, they’re already planning two sequels and (ugh) a live-action remake. The latter decision is a shame considering the Spider-Verse animation style and visual gags are a big part of what makes the movie special. The other big ingredient? Genuinely phenomenal pop songs. Most of the soundtrack is currently dominating Spotify and even getting traditional radio airplay in some markets. I know they’ve been stuck in my head for the past week. Not too shabby for a movie most people didn’t know existed a month ago.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use. Opens in theaters on August 8.)
The premise: When all children from the same classroom – except one – mysteriously vanish on the same night at the exact same time, a town is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
The verdict: 2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for horror films. Sinners, 28 Years Later, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Companion, Together (more on that one in a moment…) and several others are all unsettling, smart, entertaining and contain some darkly funny moments. Now we can include writer-director Zach Cregger’s Weapons as well: turns out it’s one of the year’s best films, period.
While scary and violent in places (especially the final third, which I mostly watched through my fingers), Weapons is a mystery/thriller for most of its running time. Viewers are introduced to various characters in the community (played by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan, all outstanding) and get different parts of the story from most of their perspectives.
By the time all the puzzle pieces click into place, the mystery is solved and we understand the dangers inherent in isolationism and failing to communicate. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I would laugh along the way. It makes sense, considering Cregger’s previous work – 2022’s underrated Barbarian – was equally scary and hilarious.
Weapons is far from a full-blown comedy, but I appreciated the tension-breaking humor scattered throughout. Now that I know the mechanics of the story, I can’t wait to see it again to spot clues I probably missed the first time around.
Grade: A
(Rated R for violent/disturbing content, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and brief drug content. Now playing in theaters.)
The premise: Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads in their relationship when they move to an isolated country home. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love and their flesh.
The verdict: While not as strong as the aforementioned Weapons, writer-director Michael Shanks’ feature debut Together is still engaging horror/ultra-dark comedy with plenty to say about the state of modern romantic relationships. Franco and Brie (married in real life) are both excellent in what is essentially a two-person show, aside from the opening scene and a couple of standout moments from the terrific Damon Herriman, who plays Millie’s work colleague.
For most of the running time, the actors go to some raw and vulnerable places as a couple gradually understanding the physical and psychological damage that a codependent relationship can cause. Granted, because this is a horror flick rather than a domestic drama, those aspects frequently manifest as nauseating moments of body horror.
Tim and Millie’s bodies start to literally fuse together, forcing them to resort to increasingly dreadful methods to stay separated. The metaphor doesn’t always work, but it leads to a morbidly hilarious conclusion that had me laughing and wincing in equal measure. (Let’s just say I’ll never listen to the Spice Girls in quite the same way again.)
Credit also goes to the behind-the-scenes magicians who utilized a combination of CGI and gnarly practical effects to create some truly disgusting images. Together probably won’t be a fun trip to the multiplex for those who are squeamish or going through their own relationship troubles; however, those looking for a twisted love story should give it a shot.
Grade: B
(Rated PG for action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material and brief language. Now available on Netflix.)
The premise: When they aren’t selling out stadiums, K-pop superstars Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) use their secret identities as demon hunters to protect humanity from a deadly supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy so far: a group of demons disguised as a rival boy band.
The verdict: This animated hybrid of musical and action flick hit Netflix in late June without a lot of marketing or advanced buzz. However, strong word-of-mouth and a passionate fanbase quickly made KPop Demon Hunters the most-watched animated flick in the streamer’s history. It took me several weeks to see what all the hype was about (as a 43-year-old man, I’m probably not the target demo for K-pop or anime), but I’m glad I finally did.
What a pleasant surprise! The film turned out to be one of the most engaging viewing experiences I had all year. I even convinced my 14-year-old daughter to watch with me, despite her being at the age where it’s not cool to hang out with dad. It’s a shame that Netflix doesn’t care about people seeing their stuff on the big screen. This could’ve had a long, healthy theatrical life.
Nevertheless, the company is clearly happy with the results so far. Reportedly, they’re already planning two sequels and (ugh) a live-action remake. The latter decision is a shame considering the Spider-Verse animation style and visual gags are a big part of what makes the movie special. The other big ingredient? Genuinely phenomenal pop songs. Most of the soundtrack is currently dominating Spotify and even getting traditional radio airplay in some markets. I know they’ve been stuck in my head for the past week. Not too shabby for a movie most people didn’t know existed a month ago.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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