By George & Josh Bate
Weapons has taken the world by storm, certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 95% and earning a whopping $43 million domestic opening weekend. The sophomore solo writing and directing effort from Zach Cregger draws inspiration from a variety of other films, while still retaining a sense of ambition and originality. For those who enjoyed Weapons and are seeking other, similar movies to enjoy, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s 10 movies you should watch if you enjoyed Weapons….
Prisoners
The influence of Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners can be seen all over Weapons. Both films share a basic premise of children mysteriously going missing and follow distraught parents desperate to get them back. Although Prisoners isn’t a horror film like Weapons nor does it delve into the supernatural, Villeneuve’s film has many of the same sensibilities as Cregger’s. They’re both dark, brooding mystery movies shot beautifully by their cinematographers and are the products of filmmakers working at the top of their craft.
Pulp Fiction
Cregger himself has stated that Pulp Fiction had an immense influence on him as a person and a filmmaker, and that influence can be felt while watching Weapons. Like Pulp Fiction, Weapons employs a non-linear chapter or vignette-based narrative structure that switches focus from one character to another. Although their stories couldn’t be more dissimilar, their fascinating narrative structures are undoubtedly alike.
Magnolia
When Weapons was introduced to the trades, Zach Cregger billed it as “Magnolia meets Hereditary.” Like Pulp Fiction, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia also includes an intricate narrative composed of segments focused on specific characters. More specifically, Cregger has even said that Alden Ehrenreich’s Paul character in Weapons was directly inspired by John C. Reilly’s character in Magnolia (moustache and all). The cold open of Weapons is also taken straight from Magnolia.
Hereditary
Per Cregger himself, Weapons certainly draws on Hereditary too. The beloved A24 horror film from Ari Aster is a masterful exercise in dread with imagery as striking and haunting as its themes. Even if you’ve seen it before, Hereditary may be worth a revisit after Weapons to see some of their tonal similarities.
The Empty Man
The Empty Man is probably the least well-known film to feature on this list. Marking the directorial debut of David Prior, this 20th Century Fox release was lost in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, after the studio got cold feet about the film following poor test screenings. Since its release though, The Empty Man has gained quite the cult following. The film stars James Badge Dale as an ex-cop looking into the disappearance of a missing girl. His investigation eventually seems his stumble upon a secret cult and the Empty Man, a local legend that may have some truth to it. Both Weapons and The Empty Man are darker horror films unafraid to explore disturbing subject matter. They both take their time with an unfolding narrative, although The Empty Man is more abstract come its conclusion.
Barbarian
This one is a no brainer. Barbarian put Zach Cregger on the map as a promising voice in the horror genre and is among our favorite movies of the 2020s. Weapons has a far grander, sprawling story, but Barbarian shares Cregger’s penchant for horror/humor fusion and an unpredictable story that reinvents itself along the way. If you enjoyed Weapons, you’ll likely have a great time with Barbarian.
Picnic At Hanging Rock
Cregger named Picnic At Hanging Rock as a major influence of Weapons, and it’s easy to see how. The tagline of the 1975 Australian mystery film is as follows: “On St. Valentine’s Day in 1900, a party of schoolgirls set out to picnic at Hanging Rock… Some were never to return.” Just like Weapons, director Peter Weir’s film not only follows the mysterious disappearance of children but also the effects this has on the local community. Picnic At Hanging Rock is artistic, visually striking, haunting, and unconventional, although it may divide viewers with its ending.
Rosemary’s Mary
Strands of Rosemary’s Mary can be felt throughout Weapons, in particular the build-up to its true horror. Uniquely, Weapons star Julia Garner actually starred in Apartment 7A, the Rosemary’s Baby prequel movie released last year.
The Witches
Maybe this list’s most unusual inclusion is The Witches, the 1990 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book. For a children’s film, The Witches is genuinely terrifying at times, with a scary portrayal of witches that rivals any portrayal of witches across cinema. Of course, Weapons and The Witches can both be labeled as witch horror movies and yet their differences are stark. The similarities though prove more fascinating, in particular their handling of witches, witch lore, and the terror they evoke in children.
Wolf Man
Both Wolf Man and Weapons are horror films released in 2025 starring the excellent Julia Garner. They both feature disturbing imagery, but prove scariest with their themes and slow suspense.