Early reviews for the film have hailed it as a return to form for Bigelow, coming off the muted response to 2017's "Detroit." To her further credit, few filmmakers know how to make pulse-pounding, almost suffocatingly intense thrillers better than her. That, combined with the contemporary relevance of its nightmarish story, makes "A House of Dynamite" a must-watch this weekend.
A few months after it hit theaters (where it grossed over $267 million at the worldwide box office), writer-director Zach Cregger's "Weapons" is set to debut on HBO Max this Friday. Cregger's follow-up to 2022's "Barbarian," the film follows the residents of a small American town as they try to unearth the truth behind the overnight disappearance of 17 elementary schoolchildren. Playful and riveting in many of the same ways that "Barbarian" was, "Weapons" marks a step into bigger, bolder and more thought-provoking territory for Cregger.
There are startling, jump-scare moments of uncanny terror scattered throughout the film's 128 minutes, as well as some perfectly-pitched instances of comedic relief. Lingering beneath the surface of "Weapons," though, is a roiling pool of dread, trauma, confusion and senseless cruelty that unnerves and leaves a lasting mark. It is not only one of the best horror films of the year, but also a striking portrait of what American life so often feels like at this very moment. There could be no better, new-to-streaming film for you to watch this last weekend before Halloween.