The horror genre received one of its most significant contributions of 2025 with “Weapons,” and now this Zach Cregger-directed masterwork is available for Indian audiences to stream on JioHotstar. Led by Julia Garner and Josh Brolin in performances that elevate the material, the film achieved remarkable commercial success with over $269 million in worldwide grosses while earning recognition as one of the year’s most skillfully crafted genre entries.
Indian viewers now have access to the film that dominated horror discussions throughout its theatrical release. JioHotstar announced the streaming debut through Instagram, sharing atmospheric footage accompanied by the cryptic message: “Everyone’s looking for answers while evil lurks in the town of Maybrook.” This digital release ensures that the film’s impact extends beyond its theatrical run and reaches audiences who prefer streaming platforms or were unable to catch the movie during its limited theatrical window.
The brilliance of “Weapons” lies in its ability to extract maximum horror from a simple but terrifying scenario. Seventeen children in Maybrook disappear simultaneously during the night, abandoning their beds to run into darkness without explanation. This mass vanishing—occurring on what should have been an unremarkable Wednesday—becomes the catalyst for a community’s dissolution as grief transforms into suspicion and the search for answers becomes a witch hunt. Cregger’s direction maintains relentless tension while using the premise to examine how fear can poison even the strongest community bonds.
Julia Garner anchors the film with a performance that showcases her extraordinary range as an actress. Playing the school teacher who becomes the focal point of the town’s anger and accusations, she conveys the psychological torture of being blamed for an incomprehensible tragedy while also mourning the lost children herself. The ensemble surrounding her—Josh Brolin, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan—matches her intensity, creating believable characters whose reactions to trauma feel grounded even as supernatural elements emerge.
The path to the screen for “Weapons” involved substantial financial drama that presaged its eventual success. In January 2023, the project sparked a bidding war that came down to New Line Cinema and Universal, with Jordan Peele attempting to secure it for the latter. New Line’s winning offer of $38 million exceeded Universal’s by $7 million, representing a major gamble on Cregger’s vision and the film’s commercial potential. That bet paid off spectacularly when “Weapons” earned $269 million globally, making it 2025’s second-most-successful horror release behind Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” at $366.7 million. The film’s performance has established it as a benchmark for original horror storytelling in the modern era.
