Warning: Mild spoilers for Weapons.Zach Cregger has addressed why there was a gun floating over a house in his latest horror movie,Weapons. Cregger’s film follows the investigation surroundinga mysterious incident in which the local children vanish from their homes at 2:17 a.m.Weaponscurrently has a 95%Rotten Tomatoesscore, earning praise for its eerie mood, ambitious structure, and unsettling imagery.
Now, in an interview withVariety,director Zach Cregger has broken down Archer Graff’s (Josh Brolin) surreal dream sequence in which an assault weapon floats above a house. He explains that “it’s a very important moment for me in this movie,” yet goes on to say, “what I love about it so much is that I don’t understand it.”
The director explains how he has “a few different ideas of what it might be there for,” but confirms that there’s no real answer. Furthermore, Cregger seems to be open to audience interpretations of theWeaponsscene, stating, “I like the idea that everyone is probably going to have their own kind of interaction” with it. Read Cregger’s quote below:
I don’t know. It’s a very important moment for me in this movie, and to be frank with you, I think what I love about it so much is thatIdon’t understand it. I have a few different ideas of what it might be there for, but I don’t have therightanswer.
I like the idea that everyone is probably going to have their own kind of interaction or their own relationship with that scene, whether they don’t give a s*** about it and it’s boring, or whether they think it’s some sort of political statement, or whether they think it’s just cool. I don’t really care. It’s not up to me. I just like that it’s there.
What Cregger’s Gun Explanation Means For Weapons
Zach Cregger’s explanation of the floating gun scene is very vague. In the interview,it seems as though the writer-director doesn’t understand why he placed the scene inWeapons, yet he seems glad that he did, stating “I just like that it’s there.” Furthermore, Cregger places particular emphasis onaudience reactions toWeapons, declaring that “It’s not up to me.”
Cregger did state he has “a few different ideas,” yet doesn’t divulge them, suggesting that he might be keeping the real explanation secret. Whether this is for personal reasons or because Cregger seems to value audience interpretations and wants them unbiased, remains to be seen. However, it’s interesting that even the writer doesn’t “understand"what’s really going on inWeapons.
Our Take On Weapons’ Gun Scene
Zach Cregger seems to be leaning into abstract imagery and open-ended explanations for his latest film. In fact,Cregger even addressed the kids’ running style inWeapons, stating that he didn’t really know where the origins of that idea came from either, although he suspects it might’ve been the famous “The Terror of War” photograph featuring Vietnamese children running.
I personally think the surreal image of the assault weapon defying physics only emphasizes Archer’s dream state, and provides an interesting metaphor for the real weapon towering over domestic life inWeapons. There’s speculation about what that real weapon is - the children, the aunt, or something more - however, Cregger doesn’t seem rushed to explain thisWeaponsmysteryany time soon.
