Why "Weapons" with 100% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes is Already Being Called 2025's Best Horror Film

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No spoilers here—just the facts: Zack Cregger's new film became a hit even before its worldwide premiere.

On Rotten Tomatoes — a perfect 100% "fresh" rating, critics are raving, and test screening audiences are literally recoiling from the screen. No wonder the film's already being called the year's ultimate horror — and it has everything it takes to live up to that title.

Plot

An American small town. Suddenly, all the children from one class disappear without a trace — except for one child. Parents, neighbors, police — nobody understands what happened.

What hooked early viewers so hard

The main thing critics are noting from test screenings — balance. Weapons doesn't just scare you. The film makes you laugh, tense up, cry, and laugh again — this time from pure terror. Zach Cregger, who previously made Barbarian, clearly analyzed his strengths and weaknesses and packed all the best elements into his new film.
Actress Julia Garner in a blue sweater lies on a bed, frightened by something
Still from the film "Weapons"
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Inverse writes that the film is "simultaneously hypnotically dark and almost cartoonishly funny," creating an emotional cocktail that disorients and enchants.

Exclaim! notes that beneath all the violence and disturbing aesthetics lies a profound statement about the power of groupthink and teenage vulnerability.

CinemaBlend praises the film for its "intimate scale with epic scope," while Slashfilm calls it "the year's best horror."

On IMDb, Weapons is being compared to early works by Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi, while some see echoes of The Ring and Sleepy Hollow. But the film still feels contemporary, full of dark humor and unexpected plot twists.

Why everyone should see it

First, this is a rare example of horror that doesn't dumb down its material for mass audiences but still works as a powerful thrill ride.

It's scary, stylish, and sharp. Second, the cast. Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong — everyone delivers precise, lived-in performances.
Weapons trailer
Third — the visuals and editing. Some scenes, according to early viewers, "will live in your head for a very long time."

Film critic Josh Korngut from Dread Central wrote in his review: "Weapons shocks, delights and is sure to surprise even the most jaded horror fans."

It's not every day a horror film comes out that people are calling "the horror of the year." On August 8th, Weapons hits wide release. And it might just be that story you'll retell to friends with the words: "You absolutely have to see this." Earlier, we at zoomboola.com covered reasons to anticipate the series "IT: Welcome to Derry" — a prequel that's scarier than the original.