Warning: This post contains spoilers for Weapons!Weaponsis one of the darkest horror movies of 2025, but the original ending of the Zach Cregger flick was almost even darker. The runaway box office hit covers the mysterious disappearance of seventeen children in a small, unassuming town. Through several twists and turns, the film manages to mix horror and comedy in a masterful way, andits current ending is an interesting mesh of these tones.
According to Cregger, theoriginal version ofWeaponshad a slight difference. The final film ends with the return of the voiceover from the beginning of the movie, with the child explaining the aftermath of Gladys' death. It’s said that those who were under Gladys' spell still can’t speak, although they are slowly improving.
However, Cregger’s original ending didn’t have this voiceover. Instead,the scenes shown in the final film played out with no explanation, ending with the ominous shot of Matthew staring into the camera. The director explained:
Originally, that voiceover that comes in at the end wasn’t even in there. I was not really into that idea. I wanted to just end it on [Matthew’s] look. But people were not stoked on that.
There was no voiceover, and we just ended on the kid’s face. The lights went out and ‘Written and directed by Zach Cregger’ came up, and a woman in the theater goes, ‘What the f*ck?’
Weapons Was Better Off Not Using The Alternate Ending
While Cregger may have liked this more ominousending forWeapons, the film was better off sticking with the current one.Not having the voice-over makes for a much bleaker ending, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad choice, it doesn’t fit the rest of the final act.
Weaponshas a shockingly comedic ending that involves a horde of children running wild through town and tearing Gladys limb from limb. Most theaters have been filled with disbelieving laughter during this scene, where the film truly switches from a dark tone to a comedic one.
The current ending is definitely darker than those previous scenes, but it isn’t quite as grim, ending on a bit of an optimistic note. Leaving the fate of the children unresolved would be far more disturbing, risking a tonal whiplash right before the credits roll. While the differing tones are part of the fun,going from dark to lighthearted to dark again so quickly would have been a mistake.
On top of the tonal issues, not having the narration would also have been a bad choice. Much ofWeapons' story is left vague, withthe character of Gladysespecially still largely shrouded in mystery. Not revealing what happens after Gladys' death could have been too vague, creating an unsatisfying ending.
Having Cregger’s original ending would have worked for some, and it definitely would have created a more unique, intense conclusion to the story. However, for a movie that is trying to have broad appeal, the current ending ofWeaponsis a much better choice.
