Weapons

What’s it about?

When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

The facts

• Directed by Zach Cregger
• Starring Julia Garner, Josh Brolin
• English language
• Runtime: 128 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Horror

This film uses classic techniques from the horror genre such as jump scares, tense music, and other soundtrack effects, to build tension. There is supernatural horror, body horror, and gore. A character performs a ritual that possesses people. Once possessed, they are mostly unresponsive, talk in an unnatural monotone, and can be controlled to be extremely violent. A possessed man vomits a large amount of a black tar-like substance.

Graphic violence and gore

The film features a lot of violence that is supernatural in nature, either done to, or by, possessed people. The strongest examples include:

• A possessed person repeatedly headbutts another person until his head caves in. We see the graphic damage to the head and blood is splattered all over the attacker’s face.
• A character uses a vegetable peeler to peel skin off another character’s face.
• A group of children pile onto a woman and rip her to pieces. They are shown digging their thumbs into her eyes, pulling her upper head off, which is shown detaching from her jaw, and biting into her skin. The scene is bloody and shocking.
• A character shoots a possessed person in the chest while he is attacking her. Blood gushes out the wound but he does not stop attacking. She then shoots him in the head, killing him. We later see the bullet hole in his head.
• A man is hit by a car and we see his head explode. We see brain matter on the road and the stump of his headless body.

Examples of the more realistic violence include:

• A police officer punches a man and knocks him to the ground after he pricks himself with a used needle in the user’s pocket.
• A drug addict attacks a man with three used needles, which pierce his face.

Self harm

Characters are shown harming themselves, but in a supernatural context. In a ritual, a woman cuts her hand open with a sharp stick and she rubs the bloody wound with the thorned stick .

Two possessed characters repeatedly stab themselves in the face with a fork, causing small wounds all over their cheeks. They have a blank expression as they do it.

Cruelty and crime

Characters are harassed by the community, including a teacher blamed for the disappearance of children, a boy bullied at school, and a child coerced into helping with the violent kidnapping under threat of harm to his parents.

Drug use

A homeless man is shown smoking from a glass pipe. He is also shown stealing and selling things to get money for more drugs and this behaviour is presented as harmful and in a negative light.

Offensive language

Strong language is used for emphasis. Examples include: ‘f**k’, ‘sh*t’, ‘goddammit’, ‘asshole’ ‘suck my dick’ (non -sexual), and ‘bitch’.

When content stays with you:

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Are scary films good for anything? (blog)