August 9, 2025 • 7 mins
The new 2025 mystery horror film Weapons is out in theatres, meaning film fans will finally get a chance to unravel what was happening in the trailers.
The film's premise involves seventeen children from the same classroom mysteriously running away on the same night.
Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains further - without getting into the film's biggest spoilers.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's time to talk entertainment and I'm joined by Steve Neil,
editor at flicks dot co dot Nz, who has had
an absolutely fantastic week of watching movies.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Good morning, Good morning, your crime a River. I've been
having such a good time at the movies this week
and some Doma Glashan there because last night, well, let's
let's kind of start with last night. Last night was
the world premiere of Anchor Me, The Domo Glashan Story.
This is a documentary on one of New Zealand's most
revered and influential modern musicians, from from Blam Blam Blam
(00:47):
to the Front Lawn to the muttin Birds and his
own soul and material. Shirley Horrocks has managed to capture
a very colorful crowd of life in the runtime of
a docco and it was great to watch with a
very very full civic theater last night. I mean, there
are so many interesting beats and Don's story and it's
such an interesting creative soul that there's lots to enjoy here.
(01:10):
And I think many New Zealand or most New Zealanders
have a sort of entry point into his material one
way or the other, whether it's there is no depression
in New Zealand or a comp right, there's some really
universal songs, crazy body of work and already creative genius.
So that was That was last night. But the week
started off for me with another New zealand And inter
(01:31):
National Film Festival screening Lurker again in the Civic Theater.
This is a really interesting psychological thriller about a young
man who kind of works his way into the circle
of a pop star, like a kind of the analogy
I guess would be the sort of story of from
from bygone centuries of people working their way into the
(01:52):
royal court, like kind of charming their way into the
attention of royals. And then, you know, as the film
goes on, you start to become aware that there are
other people in this pop stars orbit that are kind
of doing the same thing, and what could have been
a really interesting character study finds really interesting places to
go in the runtime of this film. What I also
liked about it was the pop stars music was a
(02:13):
bit crap, and I thought that was kind of captured
something like, there is a lot of blowing smoke up
up the proverbial of artists, and it kind of sometimes
doesn't matter if they're good artists or not, the same
behavior has happened. So that was kind of that was kind.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Of making money.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Absolutely. The following night, I got to see Weapons. This
is not a film festival release, but it is still
one of the high watermarks of my movie watching this year.
This is the new film from Zach Kreger, director of
Barbarian from a few years back, which was a horror
smash that kind of built a lot on word of mouth,
had some surprises in it, some twists and turns, but
(02:51):
I think the success of that film was based on
people talking about how great it was. How you follow
that up once you're sort of already starting to be
known as a director is an interesting challenge. And Weapons.
I've kept a very tight lid on the spoilers for
this film, which I'll respect today as well.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
And actually lets because I was sitting in front of
you at the screening, which is slightly embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Why do you hear me make weird? No? I was thinking, Oh,
it's embarrassing, it's a horror It's also a horror with
a lot of comedy elements, yes, scattered through it. It's
not a it's not a comedy horror, it's just a
it's a it's a horror that will make you make
weird noises but also laugh in different.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Pay Yeah, especially the final act where it really goes
black comedy, which is lots of fun and you need
that relief. But my advice to people is, do not
read anything about this film. Do not ask if for
insis here I saw this film weapons because it's out
in cinemas now, just stop them right there and go
I don't want to know one single thing about this film.
Just stop, because that's the joy how it all unfolds.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Just to give you the setup, there's a two seventeen
am like this is all set up in the first
one minute of the films. This is very low level spoilers.
At two seventeen am, an American town, all the children
of one class walked out the front door and ran
away appeared. No one really knows what happened, and the
film sort of is unpecking what has happened in the aftermath.
(04:11):
And there are strong horror elements in this film, and
fantastically before this not to make another Dommoglasson pun but
you know nothing, and I benefited because I went straight
from that film to another what will be inevitably another
highlight of my movie watching year at the International Film
Festival a Serrat. This is a very tense drama set
(04:34):
in Morocco and the Moroccan desert. It starts at a
rave and it goes on an increasingly kind of tense journey.
I was warned before this one as well, like just
going cold, and I think, I think, like when is
that never bad advice? I think that there's a real
tendency to maybe over explain films before we see them.
There are a couple of intros actually at the film
(04:55):
festival have have done that this year, like possibly given
a bit too much away from the film.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Festival is all about that's the one time where you
actually you kind of have a read and often the
guides don't really tell you.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Trying to preserve that ambiguity. And I think that's a
really good.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
A good approach, just pick something in it. It could
be hit or miss, but that's the joy of going
to films.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, I mean, I don't want to be told how
to feel a minute before watching a movie, and I
certainly don't want to be told what things are about
to happen. So there's been there that apparently there's been
a bit of that taking place. I've encountered that slightly
as well. But Sarah was a very nerve jangler, So
Weapons and Sarah were both of extremely tense films. Great
night at the Movies. And then the only other thing
that I mentioned is equally kind of troubling in many
(05:38):
ways and has played at the New Zealand International Film
Festival and we'll be coming back on general release is
ari Asta's Eddington starring Joaquin Phoenix. This is Boy, Oh Boy.
Whatever opinions you've got on the pandemic, you will find
these in this film. Everyone's on the Internet too much,
everyone's having all of their own viewpoints confirmed, and all
(05:59):
of these different outlooks on the world of colliding against
each other. Sounds like the grimmest reality that we've all
lived through. But what's interesting to me about this film
is it literalizes the beliefs that the characters have. So,
for instance, if you think Antifa is a real global
fighting force with machine guns, in this movie, Antifa is
(06:19):
a real global fighting force with machine guns, and there's
something really interesting about seeing the kind of ideas that
people are carrying around. A little thought Bubble portrayed it
as real life watching.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
It can be slightly awkward at times and quite frustrating,
and I think some people might think that they're going
to be triggered, but in fact I found myself kind
of almost amused about what we've been through and how
we'd dealt with it and how I'd reacted to certain things.
At certain times. It was almost I feel like enough
time has passed for us to be able to watch
the satire and kind of go, yeah, we did that,
(06:53):
Yeah that happened.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And I totally agree. This is a film that probably
isn't absent its own viewpoint, but one's no one's safe
from the ridicule and examination here. This is not a
this is not a police charged film. This is a
film about the effects of being siloed largely by social
media and what that's done to fragment society.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yet it is also quite fun funny, So it's really
been a Yeah, it's a lot of a lot a
lot of films with massive contrasts this week, and if
you're lucky enough to have the New Zealand International Film
Festival continuing or yet to come to your town or city.
There's so much to dig into. Their given US strong
recommendation today lurker, SARAHT and anchor me all excellent in
(07:37):
the program.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And eating okay, So the International Film Festival. It's continuing
on around the country until September the tenth, if you
are keen to check it out. And also Weapons is
in cinemas now.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
So good, so so good.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's time to talk entertainment and I'm joined by Steve Neil,
editor at flicks dot co dot Nz, who has had
an absolutely fantastic week of watching movies.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Good morning, Good morning, your crime a River. I've been
having such a good time at the movies this week
and some Doma Glashan there because last night, well, let's
let's kind of start with last night. Last night was
the world premiere of Anchor Me, The Domo Glashan Story.
This is a documentary on one of New Zealand's most
revered and influential modern musicians, from from Blam Blam Blam
(00:47):
to the Front Lawn to the muttin Birds and his
own soul and material. Shirley Horrocks has managed to capture
a very colorful crowd of life in the runtime of
a docco and it was great to watch with a
very very full civic theater last night. I mean, there
are so many interesting beats and Don's story and it's
such an interesting creative soul that there's lots to enjoy here.
(01:10):
And I think many New Zealand or most New Zealanders
have a sort of entry point into his material one
way or the other, whether it's there is no depression
in New Zealand or a comp right, there's some really
universal songs, crazy body of work and already creative genius.
So that was That was last night. But the week
started off for me with another New zealand And inter
(01:31):
National Film Festival screening Lurker again in the Civic Theater.
This is a really interesting psychological thriller about a young
man who kind of works his way into the circle
of a pop star, like a kind of the analogy
I guess would be the sort of story of from
from bygone centuries of people working their way into the
(01:52):
royal court, like kind of charming their way into the
attention of royals. And then, you know, as the film
goes on, you start to become aware that there are
other people in this pop stars orbit that are kind
of doing the same thing, and what could have been
a really interesting character study finds really interesting places to
go in the runtime of this film. What I also
liked about it was the pop stars music was a
(02:13):
bit crap, and I thought that was kind of captured
something like, there is a lot of blowing smoke up
up the proverbial of artists, and it kind of sometimes
doesn't matter if they're good artists or not, the same
behavior has happened. So that was kind of that was kind.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Of making money.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Absolutely. The following night, I got to see Weapons. This
is not a film festival release, but it is still
one of the high watermarks of my movie watching this year.
This is the new film from Zach Kreger, director of
Barbarian from a few years back, which was a horror
smash that kind of built a lot on word of mouth,
had some surprises in it, some twists and turns, but
(02:51):
I think the success of that film was based on
people talking about how great it was. How you follow
that up once you're sort of already starting to be
known as a director is an interesting challenge. And Weapons.
I've kept a very tight lid on the spoilers for
this film, which I'll respect today as well.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
And actually lets because I was sitting in front of
you at the screening, which is slightly embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Why do you hear me make weird? No? I was thinking, Oh,
it's embarrassing, it's a horror It's also a horror with
a lot of comedy elements, yes, scattered through it. It's
not a it's not a comedy horror, it's just a
it's a it's a horror that will make you make
weird noises but also laugh in different.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Pay Yeah, especially the final act where it really goes
black comedy, which is lots of fun and you need
that relief. But my advice to people is, do not
read anything about this film. Do not ask if for
insis here I saw this film weapons because it's out
in cinemas now, just stop them right there and go
I don't want to know one single thing about this film.
Just stop, because that's the joy how it all unfolds.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Just to give you the setup, there's a two seventeen
am like this is all set up in the first
one minute of the films. This is very low level spoilers.
At two seventeen am, an American town, all the children
of one class walked out the front door and ran
away appeared. No one really knows what happened, and the
film sort of is unpecking what has happened in the aftermath.
(04:11):
And there are strong horror elements in this film, and
fantastically before this not to make another Dommoglasson pun but
you know nothing, and I benefited because I went straight
from that film to another what will be inevitably another
highlight of my movie watching year at the International Film
Festival a Serrat. This is a very tense drama set
(04:34):
in Morocco and the Moroccan desert. It starts at a
rave and it goes on an increasingly kind of tense journey.
I was warned before this one as well, like just
going cold, and I think, I think, like when is
that never bad advice? I think that there's a real
tendency to maybe over explain films before we see them.
There are a couple of intros actually at the film
(04:55):
festival have have done that this year, like possibly given
a bit too much away from the film.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Festival is all about that's the one time where you
actually you kind of have a read and often the
guides don't really tell you.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Trying to preserve that ambiguity. And I think that's a
really good.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
A good approach, just pick something in it. It could
be hit or miss, but that's the joy of going
to films.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, I mean, I don't want to be told how
to feel a minute before watching a movie, and I
certainly don't want to be told what things are about
to happen. So there's been there that apparently there's been
a bit of that taking place. I've encountered that slightly
as well. But Sarah was a very nerve jangler, So
Weapons and Sarah were both of extremely tense films. Great
night at the Movies. And then the only other thing
that I mentioned is equally kind of troubling in many
(05:38):
ways and has played at the New Zealand International Film
Festival and we'll be coming back on general release is
ari Asta's Eddington starring Joaquin Phoenix. This is Boy, Oh Boy.
Whatever opinions you've got on the pandemic, you will find
these in this film. Everyone's on the Internet too much,
everyone's having all of their own viewpoints confirmed, and all
(05:59):
of these different outlooks on the world of colliding against
each other. Sounds like the grimmest reality that we've all
lived through. But what's interesting to me about this film
is it literalizes the beliefs that the characters have. So,
for instance, if you think Antifa is a real global
fighting force with machine guns, in this movie, Antifa is
(06:19):
a real global fighting force with machine guns, and there's
something really interesting about seeing the kind of ideas that
people are carrying around. A little thought Bubble portrayed it
as real life watching.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
It can be slightly awkward at times and quite frustrating,
and I think some people might think that they're going
to be triggered, but in fact I found myself kind
of almost amused about what we've been through and how
we'd dealt with it and how I'd reacted to certain things.
At certain times. It was almost I feel like enough
time has passed for us to be able to watch
the satire and kind of go, yeah, we did that,
(06:53):
Yeah that happened.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
And I totally agree. This is a film that probably
isn't absent its own viewpoint, but one's no one's safe
from the ridicule and examination here. This is not a
this is not a police charged film. This is a
film about the effects of being siloed largely by social
media and what that's done to fragment society.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yet it is also quite fun funny, So it's really
been a Yeah, it's a lot of a lot a
lot of films with massive contrasts this week, and if
you're lucky enough to have the New Zealand International Film
Festival continuing or yet to come to your town or city.
There's so much to dig into. Their given US strong
recommendation today lurker, SARAHT and anchor me all excellent in
(07:37):
the program.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
And eating okay, So the International Film Festival. It's continuing
on around the country until September the tenth, if you
are keen to check it out. And also Weapons is
in cinemas now.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
So good, so so good.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!