Weapons: The movie's title meaning and significance, explained

Weapons is the latest horror movie that has taken the world by storm. It’s smashed expectations. It has even overtaken some bigger and well-known franchises at the box office. Its success does not just come from its story and execution but also comes from how it has kept people talking about it long after they've watched the movie. There’s someone discussing the deeper meaning of the movie or whether there even is one, everywhere you look.

Director Zach Cregger has mentioned in interviews that there’s no set hidden message saying it’s open for viewers to interpret however they like. That hasn’t stopped fans from coming up with their own theories. Some believe the movie means absolutely nothing and others think the opposite. They think that it’s full of meaning cleverly tucked away. After all, every movie has a reason for being made and Weapons is full of symbolism and foreshadowing that feels way too intentional to ignore.

The movie boasts a cast that breathes life into its eerie and unsettling world. It makes you second guess what’s really happening at every turn. With the cast and crew's talent, storytelling, and hidden details, it’s no surprise this movie is dominating conversations even right now.

Weapons: What is the meaning behind the title?

Director Zach Cregger has mentioned in interviews that Weapons was born out of a deeply personal time in his life when he was processing the loss of his best friend. The movie's title might appear straightforward at first. But its meaning works on multiple levels.

The most obvious interpretation comes from the way Gladys, the witch at the center of the story, uses people as tools of destruction. Those she enchants are stripped of their will and turned into extensions of her power. They are not hunting with guns or blades; their bodies become the weapons. We see this when Andrew, under her spell, murders his own partner with his bare hands before pursuing schoolteacher Justine. Even Alex’s parents, in their self inflicted harm, embody the idea of humans being their own instruments of destruction.

But that’s just one layer. On a deeper level, Weapons is a character driven story laced with moments where audiences can’t help but burst into laughter. The movie refuses to be pinned down to a single message. There are no right or wrong interpretations. Cregger himself has been vocal about leaving meaning open to the audience, even stating to The Hollywood Reporter,

"It’s not really my business what people make of the movie. I have nothing to say about it, because the movies should speak for itself, and if I have to comment on what people should get from it, then I’ve failed as a filmmaker."

Some viewers have read it as commentary on gun violence or school shootings, but Cregger has dismissed the idea of making it political. Others see it as playing into a universal parental fear, that something outside their control could steal their children away.

So, it doesn't really matter if you interpret Gladys’s witchcraft as a metaphor for societal ills or simply as a wicked force in a darkly funny horror tale. Weapons is just designed to spark conversation.