In just five days of release, directorZach Cregger’s tremendously well-reviewed new horror film,Weapons, has grossed over $70 million globally. The movie has almostdoubled its reported budget of around $40 million, and is poised to become one of the biggest horror hits of the year. The genre has had an uneven run in the past few months, withRyan Coogler’sSinnersand the legacy sequelFinal Destination Bloodlinescompensating for studio-produced underperformers such asWolf ManandI Know What You Did Last Summer. The marketplace certainly knows what was happening last summer: the body horror movieThe Substancewas exceeding expectations at the box office. The film, which shares one key similarity withWeapons, has now fallen behind it at the global box office.
Directed byCoralie Fargeat,The SubstancestarredDemi Moorein an Oscar-nominated role as a washed-up movie star who injects herself with a mysterious liquid. She ‘gives birth’ to a younger version of herself, played byMargaret Qualley, but soon begins to resent her.The Substanceearned praise for its feminist themes, andwent on to gross $77 million at the global box office, against a reported budget of $18 million. The movie holds a “certified fresh” 89% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, “Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore’s finest hour,The Substanceis a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.”
Weapons, on the other hand, opened to an even higher RT score. It’s currently sitting at 94% on the aggregator website, where the critics' consensus reads, “Zach Cregger spins an expertly crafted yarn of terrifying mystery and thrilling intrigue inWeapons, a sophomore triumph that solidifies his status as a master of horror.” Those who’ve seen the movie would know that it featuresAmy Madiganas a particularly creepy old lady, who may or may not have something to do with the disappearance of 17 kids from the local grade school. There has recently been word ofa prequel centered around this character, Aunt Gladys.
‘Longlegs’ Better Watch Its Back
The film begins with their sudden disappearance, and presents the subsequent grief that the community is caught in through various perspectives. Up next onWeapons' radar would probably beOsgood Perkins’Longlegs, another movie in which a character that looks like an elderly woman plays a pivotal role. You can watchWeaponsin theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
