Weapons (2025), written and directed by Zach Cregger, crafts an unsettling, multi-layered narrative that grips audiences from its very first line: “This is a true story.” Through the eerie disappearance of seventeen children from a single classroom and the obsessive unraveling that follows, the script transforms suburban normalcy into a psychological labyrinth of guilt, repression, and supernatural dread. What makes the screenplay truly memorable is how it blends true-crime realism with creeping metaphysical horror—each line balancing empathy and unease, intimacy and menace. Cregger’s dialogue pulses with paranoia and suppressed emotion, portraying ordinary people trapped between denial and the unexplainable. Beneath its mystery, Weapons dissects the fragility of authority, the danger of obsession, and the haunting persistence of trauma—making it one of the most chillingly human horror scripts in recent memory.

Quotes from the movie Weapons by Zach Cregger (2025) with Scarlett Sher, Julia Garner, and Cary Christopher.

This is a true story.
It happened right here in my town two years ago.
A lot of people die in a lot of really weird ways in this story, but you’re not gonna find it in the news or anywhere like that because the police and the top people in this town were, like, so embarrassed that they weren’t able to solve it that they covered everything all up.

This story starts in my school. Maybrook Elementary is kindergarten through fifth grade.
So this one Wednesday is like a normal day for the whole school.
And they had this teacher who was new.
Her name was Justine Gandy.
And on this day, she was going to her classroom just like every morning.
But today was different.
Today, none of her kids were there.

Every other class at that school had all their kids.
Even the other third grade Mrs. Belt taught was full.
But Mrs. Gandy’s room was totally empty.
Well, not totally. There was one boy there.
And his name was Alex Lilly.
And he was the only kid in the class of 18 that came to school that day.
And do you know why?
He was the only one there because the night before at 2:17 in the morning, every other kid woke up, got out of bed, walked downstairs, opened the front door, walked across the front yard and into the dark.
And they never came back.

The police talked to Alex a lot.
They asked him why his classmates did what they did, but he told them he didn’t know.
They asked him if there was a plan, but he said if there was, he never heard it.
They asked him if there was a TV show where someone ran away like that, but he said if there was, he never saw it.

For almost a whole month, they kept the school closed for their big investigation.
But after a while, they had to open everything back up, so that the kids that didn’t disappear could learn again.

One night before they did, they had a big meeting at the school.
There was a bunch of counselors and people like that to help everybody figure out how to feel and be sad together, I guess.

I’ll tell you right now that you may call what happened “abandonment,” but I don’t. I don’t see it like that.
I see something that doesn’t make any sense at all.
We’re talking about 17 kids in one classroom.
What happened in that classroom?
Why just her classroom? Why only hers?

I just wanna say how very sorry I am for… all of what’s happened.
I know there’s nothing I can say to make this better.
The truth is, is that I want an answer just as bad as all of you.

– She should be locked up until she tells us what happened!
– Okay, now that kind of thing is really not called for.

Justine, the scene last night was just proof that we have a lot of emotional parents here. For now, I think it’s best if you keep some distance from this place until folks find time to sort themselves out.

– How’s Alex? Is he…
– Alex is doing well. He’s in Mrs. Belt’s class, and we’ve been advised that the best thing that we can do for him is keep him on a routine.

– I would like to speak with him.
– We’ve had this conversation before. That’s out of the question.
– Well, I would… I would feel so much better if I could just speak with him.
– Right there.
– What?
– That’s the problem. You’d feel so much better. He’s been scrutinized by the press. He’s had investigators ransack his house. He’s been traumatized. Let’s try and put Alex first, yes?

The issue isn’t you caring or not caring. The issue here is, you have a pattern in which you overstep professional lines.

– You know it’s not appropriate to hug students.
– Oh, I hugged a crying little boy. Lock me up.
– You know driving students home is not professional.
– What? She missed the bus. She lived close to me.
– It’s not appropriate.

I know all of this comes from the fact that you care.
I know that you aren’t a threat to these kids, but you have to realize, you aren’t a parent, you’re a teacher.
There’s a difference. And for that reason, no, you cannot talk to Alex Lilly.

It’s just… We’re the only ones left.

Whoever it was, the best we can do is file a report.
Probably kids did this, if you ask me.
I mean hell, I used to do stuff like this when I was in school.
You know, TP houses, ding-dong ditch.
I never wrote “witch” on a car before, but a buddy of mine smeared some of his own…

– I’m glad you texted. I… You know, I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and, uh… I wanted to call, but I didn’t know if that would make things worse or… I don’t know what’s…
– Yeah, well, I’m not some little delicate flower that would wilt if I saw your name pop up on my phone.

– Try to get out of your own head. People are not all thinking about you right now, okay? The whole town isn’t aimed at you.
– Hmm. I think you might actually be wrong about that.

– A lonely drinking pity party.
– I’m not lonely. You’re here.

There’s 17 missing children out there, and I like to think the people in charge of finding them aren’t like, “Oh, whatever,” about their jobs.

– I explicitly told you not to interact with Alex.
– Well, technically, I didn’t interact with him.
– You followed him home. You rang his doorbell repeatedly, then spied through a window.
– Well, can… can we just focus on the fact that that house is bizarre?

– Okay, why were his windows taped up? Doesn’t that seem strange to you?
– Probably because nosy people take it upon themselves to walk up and peek through them.

– What’s happening with the K-9 units? I haven’t heard about any K-9 reports in a long time.
– That’s because they don’t report to you.

What is it you think that she knows?
What do you think it is that she’s not telling us?
Because those kids walked out of those homes.
No one pulled them out.
No one forced them.

We’re talking about 17 kids in one classroom.
And none of them talked about it?
And we got how many parents in here, and none of us saw it coming?
I want to know what happened in that classroom.
Why just her classroom? Why only hers?
Where are our children?

– Believe me, the message is loud and clear. I’m the problem. Got it.
– You know what? I think that’s the first honest thing I’ve heard you say.

– Anything in your pockets gonna stick me when I put my hands in there, James?
– No, sir. I do not.

The way I see it, I did you wrong, you did me wrong.
Let’s just call it a day.
But if I see you out here again, it’s gonna be a different story. Yes?

– Can we hug?
– Yeah, of course we can hug. Jesus.

This is a good thing. I got… I got a job, and I’m-I’m-I’m freaking… I’m doing the thing. So, you know, we can start chilling again.
Of course I’m gonna pay Mom back,
but I can’t do that until I get the, you know, money to get the clothes, so that I can do the job, so that I can pay Mom back.

I’m calling about the $50,000 reward for information about the missing kids ’cause I know where they are.
I’m pretty sure all of ’em. Looked like a bunch of ’em.
They’re all standing in the basement of this house, just, like, standing there. And, um… I don’t know. They’re in the basement standing all still and shit.
And there’s, like, fucking two wackos over there.
And it’s just, like, fucked-up.

I really don’t like police stations, you know? They just kind of freak me out. I’m, uh… I’m phobic.

– As the parasitic Cordyceps continue to feed off its body.
– That’s disgusting.
– Fungal fruiting occurs next. Large blooms that serve to spread more spores…
– Who could that be?
– …that will find more ants.

– Marcus, get her a glass.
– A bowl, please.
– A bowl?
– Yes, a bowl. It’s a peculiarity of mine. I don’t even try to rationalize it anymore.
– A bowl of water. Okay.

The way he was running, I’ve seen that before.
Can I show you something?
Their little girl ran the same way Matthew did.
Same posture, same exact way.
Just like Marcus ran after you today.
He was weaponized.
Like a heat-seeking missile just locked onto you.

Who else can think of an example of a parasite?

– Why do we have to have her live at our house?
– ‘Cause it’s like we talked about. She’s sick, and she doesn’t have anywhere else to go.
– But I don’t even know her, though.
– Pfft. I hear you, bud. I don’t know her either. To be honest, I’m not sure your mom knows her that well. But she’s family. Family’s important. We gotta help each other out.

– What’s wrong with my parents?
– Oh, nothing, sweetheart. They’re just fine.

Now, before you go to school today, I want you to promise that you will not tell a living soul that I am here or that your parents are resting like they are.

Now, when I tell you that you are not to speak about me or your parents to anyone… you understand what can happen if you break your promise.
I can make your parents hurt themselves.
I can make them hurt each other.
I can make them eat each other if I want to.

You’ll need to feed your parents.
There’s soup in the cabinet.

– Bring an object from each of your classmates home to me. That might work.
– How will that make you better?
– It might be just what I need.

Pack your things, Alex, we’re leaving tomorrow.
Don’t step over the salt.

Alex’s parents are still
being fed soup somewhere.
But not by him.

He moved to another town and lives with a different aunt.
I heard that one is a nice lady.
All of the kids from his class got reunited with their parents.
Some of them even started talking again this year.