The horror genre has been thriving for years now, to the delight of fans like myself. Some of the best horror movies in recent memory came from wholly original concepts, and Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger has once again hit it out of the park with Weapons. There's rumors Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys might get a spinoff, and I'm a little nervous about that concept. Allow me to explain.
Critics praised Weapons upon its release, and its currently sitting at a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Rumors about an upcoming horror movie revealing Gladys' backstory are swirling online, but I'm worried that this will actually make her a less terrifying villain. Sometimes knowing less making an entity even more scary.
Knowing Aunt Gladys' Backstory Might Make Her Less Scary
The story of Weapons is told methodically, in a non-linear fashion. Gladys gives us a few jump scares before we finally get Amy Madigan's character in a full scene. And even then, it takes more time to figure out her insidious plans for Alex and the entire town of Maybrook.
Even after Weapons' killer ending, not much is known about Gladys' life and intentions. It seems like she was draining the life force of those under her spell, but she never gives an exposition dump monologue revealing how she ended up like this.
A prequel would answer these questions, give fans the opportunity to return to the Weapons universe. It's unclear if this will actually happen, but it could make her a less scary villain. Sometimes not understanding a horror antagonist makes them even more scary. Just looked at how the villain of X was humanized in Pearl.
If The Spinoff Isn't As Good As Weapons It Might Ruin Its Legacy
The other reason why a possible Weapons spinoff makes me nervous is because of just how good Zach Cregger's latest horror movie is. It's my favorite movie of the year, thanks to its scares, character-driven plot, and wildly satisfying ending. This means that expectations are going to be sky-high for a follow-up movie. What if it simply doesn't reach the same level?
Obviously Cregger is an unbelievable talent, and I found Barbarian to be a pretty incredible moviegoing experience. But we haven't gotten a sequel from him, and they're inherently an uphill battle. Maybe we should just let Weapons stand on its own?
Who am I kidding. I'll be in theater if a Gladys movie actually becomes a reality. I just loved Weapons so much and want to make sure it's given the flowers it deserves in perpetuity.
Weapons is still in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see if/when official word about the Aunt Gladys prequel arrives for fans.
