Welcome to Maybrook: A Town With a Vanishing Secret

Something’s wrong in Maybrook. On one fateful night, seventeen children from the same elementary class vanish—except one. In Weapons, writer-director Zach Cregger spins a sinister tale of loss, fear, and fractured truth. This cinematic mystery opens in cinemas and IMAX on August 6 and promises to twist expectations at every turn.

Fresh off the success of 2022’s cult favorite Barbarian, Cregger returns with a genre-defying thriller critics are calling “a horror masterpiece” and “an instant classic.”

A Perspective-Driven Nightmare

Cregger’s storytelling ambition shines through in his decision to film Weapons through hyper-subjective perspectives. Every chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, down to camera height and focus. This technique is especially haunting in scenes seen through the eyes of Alex, the lone student who didn’t disappear.

“This is a movie that starts weird and I think it ends way weirder, but it also stays both feet on the ground as much as it can,” says Cregger. “It’s a movie that obeys the rules of its own universe so it’s not going to spiral into some bizarre, hallucinogenic nightmare or anything like that. But it is a twisty, turn-y movie. I mean, it’s a movie that reinvents itself about every 20 minutes while still staying true to the central engine. But it’s also a fun movie. It’s funny, it’s scary, it’s inviting. It’s not a big, grim, morose slog, and yet, the story it tells is really f***ed up.”

The Characters You’ll Meet in Weapons

Archer (Josh Brolin)

Archer is a father grappling with the disappearance of his son. Unwilling to wait for answers, he launches his own investigation.

Says Brolin of the good year the horror genre is having, and of working with Cregger: “This is the horror cycle, and I like it. I love being involved with somebody who I think is really good.”

Justine Gandy (Julia Garner)

Justine is an elementary school teacher who discovers her class empty—except for one student. As rumors swirl and accusations mount, she takes matters into her own hands. Garner sees the film as more than horror: “And what I mean by love story,” she says, “is that it’s about people having the desire to connect but not knowing how.”

Paul (Alden Ehrenreich)

Paul is a police officer with personal demons, reluctantly swept into the investigation. Ehrenreich was drawn to the project by Cregger’s storytelling. “It’s such a full meal,” says Ehrenreich of the stories of “Weapons.” “You get so many different characters, different dynamics and different stories. And the structure of the story is just so wonderfully done. So, I’ve been very genuinely excited to be a part of it.”

Alex (Cary Christopher)

Alex is the only student who didn’t vanish. His scenes are uniquely shot from his third-grade perspective. Young actor Cary Christopher found filming more fun than scary. “It’s different, because if you’re just watching a movie, it can be really scary because you don’t know what’s going on. But when you’re filming that same movie and you see it, it’s not scary to you. In fact, it’s funny. But since I know that it’s fake and it’s not real, we’re just all actors, it just gets pretty funny.”ares.

Marcus (Benedict Wong)

Marcus is the principal of Maybrook Elementary, stuck between supporting Justine and addressing community fears. Benedict Wong was immediately intrigued by the script’s originality. “It was original, unpredictable, and I could immediately tell it had the potential to be genuinely terrifying,” he says.

A Story That Demands to Be Seen on the Big Screen

With a compelling ensemble cast that includes Amy Madigan and Austin Abrams, Weapons is more than a horror film—it’s a narrative puzzle that reshapes itself with each chapter. It’s bold, unsettling, and unexpectedly humorous.

Weapons is distributed by Warner Bros. Philippines, opens exclusively in cinemas and IMAX on August 6. Follow the mystery. Share your theories using the hashtag #WeaponsMovie and visit MaybrookMissing.com for more chilling updates.

_{Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”}