Weapons

I didn’t watch weapons again, but I wanted two separate reviews to capture my full thoughts on this movie as well as my whole analysis on it. I first want to talk about the significance of the number 217 in the film. 2:17 is the time when Gladys does the ritual and has all the kids run into Max’s basement. However, 217 specifically can specify another number. In 2022, 217 people in the house voted for a ban on assault weapons against 213 people saying no. The bill would pass the house, but not the senate. This first off proves that this movie is a metaphor for gun violence, more specifically the critique of it. These kids, like Josh Brolin’s characters said, are being weaponized like a homing missle, running to the house to be used as a source of life for a bigger and dangerous individual, Gladys. The Weapons part comes in with how the community is reacting to the disappearance of these children. Mass hysteria, anger, very emotional times that are similar to how families react towards the event of a school shooting. There may be another thing that 217 represents. It could be Gladys’ age. While it sounds weird at first, when Max’s parents become catatonic, Gladys says that they got “a touch of consumption” which is what tuberculosis was referred to before it had a proper name. If we look at red dead redemption, tuberculosis was recently named in that game which takes place in the 1800s. Gladys could very well be 217 years old.  I also want to praise the practical effects as the final scene is incredible. The beautiful one take of the girl springing after Gladys and everybody collectively ripping her apart was just such poetic justice as Gladys had tore the town apart kidnapping the kids.