Warner Bros.Horror thrives on what lurks beneath the surface, and Weapons is no different. Zach Cregger’s latest movie is more than just a small-town mystery, with a hidden detail in its opening moments reframing the true meaning behind Gladys (Amy Madigan).
On the surface, its plot is simple: one night, at 2:17am, a classroom of children wake up, run out into the darkness, and never come back. Only one child remains: Alex (Cary Christopher).
Through its non-linear approach, Weapons slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together through the town’s characters and their intersecting journeys. That includes the missing children’s teacher, Justine (Julia Garner) and father Archer (Josh Brolin).
Although it’s not based on any specific true story, Cregger has since confirmed a tragedy did inspire his creation of the new movie. But there’s another real-life influence you may have missed. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Hidden detail makes Weapons even more devastating
AAIn the Weapons title card, you’ll notice a triangle emerges inside the ‘O’ – and this is the official symbol of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s also the first of many AA references throughout the film, all of which support the theory: is aunt Gladys a representation of addiction?
Think about it: when she comes to stay at Alex’s home, his parents are placed under her spell and become barely responsive. Alex is forced to feed and look after them – if you’ve grown up living with an alcoholic parent, this will be all too familiar.
Then you’ve got the widespread impact of Gladys. When the children go missing, Justine slips back into alcoholism, as does her ex Paul (Alden Ehrenreich).
In one scene, his girlfriend recommends he goes to an AA meeting after work, to which he replies, “I’m not going to drink darling. I feel fine. If I don’t feel fine then I’ll hit a meeting.”
Warner Bros.Again, anyone who’s experienced addiction will know that the minute you start skipping meetings you’re entering a danger zone – it’s only a matter of time before relapse, which he does soon after that conversation.
If Gladys represents addiction, her influence isn’t limited to the missing children – it spreads, triggering relapse and pulling others back into destructive patterns, much like the ripple effect one person’s substance abuse can have on everyone around them.
Even the parasitic references throughout Weapons could be linked to this – addiction is like a parasite, feeding off of its host until it dies.
As the film progresses, we learn that Gladys placed the children under her spell in a bid to recover and replenish. Even though it’s worked for her in the past, Alex’s parents aren’t enough to sustain her, mirroring how tolerance to drugs and alcohol builds over time.
And then there’s the fact that Alex’s turmoil goes unnoticed. His parents are clearly unwell, but Justine is the only person who pays any attention.
The references go on and on. Although Cregger hasn’t said that this is the true meaning behind Weapons, he has confirmed that he was at least inspired by his own father’s alcoholism, as well as his own.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker said, “The final chapter of this movie with Alex and the parents, that’s autobiographical. I’m an alcoholic. I’m sober 10 years; my father died of cirrhosis.
“Living in a house with an alcoholic parent, the inversion of the family dynamic that happens. The idea that this foreign entity comes into your home, and it changes your parent, and you have to deal with this new behavioral pattern that you don’t understand and don’t have the equipment to deal with.”
All that being said, Cregger doesn’t care if this message comes through or not. “The alcoholic metaphor is not important to me. I hope people have fun, honestly,” he continued.
“It’s not really my business what people make of the movie. I have nothing to say about it, because the movie should speak for itself, and if I have to comment on what people should get from it, then I’ve failed as a filmmaker.”
Weapons is in cinemas now. You can also check out our breakdown of the ending, whether it’s demonic, and the heartbreaking hot dog theory.