Zach Cregger
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Filmography
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Magnolia (1999)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
influenced Weapons (2025)
Visuals Themes Characters Plot
The homages are obvious, especially regarding What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Magnolia, and The Shining.
Cregger has cited Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia as an influence…
Inspired by John C. Reilly’s character in the similar ensemble epic Magnolia, Paul (Alden Ehrenreich) hides his demons in the most literal way…
…influenced by Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia (1999)…
Cregger has stated that the work of Paul Thomas Anderson, especially Magnolia, was a huge influence on the film, and this is clear both in the multi-stranded narrative and some of the characterisation (Ehrenreich’s cop is very similar to John C Reilly’s character in the earlier film) and some kinetic camerawork that recalls the big dramatic moments in Anderson’s film.
The film follows a non-linear structure and has already drawn comparisons to Pulp Fiction or Magnolia, mostly because of the ensemble cast, and dark comedy, but that's where the similarities end.
…the character design calls to mind both The Witches (2020) and Longlegs (2024) in that it’s a bastardization of standard beauty practices that’s immediately jarring to witness even from far away.
Weapons feels very much like this year’s Longlegs, an age-old story which feels familiar but told in an innovative new way…
…clear sympathy between Cregger’s two horror films and the grotesque and blackly comic sensibility of Longlegs’ Osgood Perkins.
There's a Longlegs vibe as horror influences crank louder, ditching real-world answers in favor of darkness from beyond.
“Weapons” (2025) is my “Longlegs” (2024).
Akin to the mysteriousness of Nicolas Cage’s character in last year’s Longlegs, the marketing for Weapons left out one of the most talked-about elements: Gladys.
Cregger dispenses with a 3-act format and chooses instead to tell the story non-linearly from the perspectives of 6 different characters, Rashomon style.
Cregger applies a Rashomon-esque story structure to this suburban sprawl of WiFi doorbells and lite beer.
The art of perspective propels the story as it's framed in a Rashomon-style fashion.
Their points of view don't always line up, and while those Rashomon-like deviations hint at a possibly more interesting film…
The point isn’t a Rashomon-esque rumination on truth…
…but also in the multiple vantage point style established by the seminal 1950 film Rashomon for which the titular psychological effect was named…
The live-action Resident Evil movies are widely considered bad adaptations of the game, prioritising generic action spectacle and doing away with the nerve-shredding survival-horror atmosphere of the video games.
With a clear appreciation for odds stacked against the protagonist and all manner of freaky foes to stand against them, Cregger ably adapts the spirit, if not the letter, of the Resident Evil games into a jet-fueled horror experience…
Gamers of Resident Evil have been like redheaded stepchildren when it comes to adaptations on the big screen. 99% of the time, when Hollywood comes calling, they want to make a movie that resembles the game, for obvious reasons. But nah, that wasn’t the case for Capcom’s iconic horror, which got a franchise that only resembled it on a surface level, and less so as time went on.
Regardless of whether you’ve seen them all, most people are at least familiar with the six live-action Resident Evil features from creator Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich which ran from 2002 to 2017.
Admittedly, the competition is nothing close to formidable: Mortal Kombat, Sonic the Hedgehog, Minecraft, Super Mario Bros., Uncharted, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, the previous six Resident Evil movies.
As the eighth installment in the Resident Evil film franchise and the second attempt at a reboot following producer Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2002-2017 series and Johannes Roberts’ 2021 reboot…
Weapons suffers from the same issues as many mysteries of the same ilk (thinking of Prisoners) where it teeters the longer it progresses.
Like one of its inspirations, Prisoners, this film is a deep, dark rabbit hole you’ll want to keep tumbling down.
…the glum dad (Josh Brolin in this case) from "missing children" thrillers like Prisoners…
Tonally, the film resembles Denis Villeneuve’s dark 2013 missing child drama Prisoners…
Archer might envision himself as the vengeful dad from Prisoners (2013), but he’s closer to the woodcutter in a fairy tale – and not one of the more effective woodcutters, either.
It reminded me of Denis Villeneuve’s lurid missing children thriller Prisoners…
The Shining (1980)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
influenced Weapons (2025), Resident Evil (2026)
Themes Visuals
There are nods to They Came Back by Robin Campillo, Barbarian, The Shining and a host of classic ‘kid-centred‘ horrors.
…and even some parental rage straight out of The Shining.
The homages are obvious, especially regarding What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Magnolia, and The Shining.
It draws inspiration from classics like The Shining, Hereditary, Day of the Dead, and a kind of reverse Village of the Damned.
…the film’s hellzapoppin’ final act, which draws inspiration from sources as far-ranging as The Shining and Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly, Last Summer…
Blood floods Resident Evil like the wave of red that pours out of The Shining elevators.
…the jump-cut, kinetic energy of a Pulp Fiction-style narrative…
It’s no Pulp Fiction…
The film follows a non-linear structure and has already drawn comparisons to Pulp Fiction or Magnolia, mostly because of the ensemble cast, and dark comedy, but that's where the similarities end.
Much like Go or certain portions of Pulp Fiction, we see the same period of time repeatedly from different characters’ points of view…
Its structure is immaculately constructed by Cregger with a series of vignettes for multiple characters that echoes Pulp Fiction in the way that intersect and connect the fuller story…
Cregger crafts a film that owes a considerable debt to ensemble tales like Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" and Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."
También hay ecos de The Thing y Alien en su manera de aislar al protagonista y convertir el entorno en una amenaza constante.
The visuals feel inspired by John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing with a healthy dose of H.P. Lovecraft fare like Color Out of Space, seamlessly blending the two with such realism that it’s hard to say what’s practical and what’s CGI.
It’s not just your Zombieland or World War Z kind of undead, it’s a The Thing (1982) kind of terror.
If anything, the filmmaker’s wild, gory redo owes as much to John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing as it does to the namesake series.
Cregger’s infected are gooier and tentacled like something out of John Carpenter’s The Thing.
Obsession (2026)
Directed by Curry Barker
influenced by Weapons (2025), Barbarian (2022)
Themes Visuals
…in the same vein as Zach Cregger’s Barbarian and Weapons in how it combines humour, shocking violence, and a stylised retro aesthetic.
Obsession updates your classic monkey’s paw fable for the age of Zach Cregger’s riotously funny and unpredictably gross masterpieces Barbarian…
You may recall that just earlier this year, we saw Amy Madigan win an Oscar for her chilling turn in "Weapons," marking a rare instance where the Academy acknowledged a horror performance.
Obsession updates your classic monkey’s paw fable for the age of Zach Cregger’s riotously funny and unpredictably gross masterpieces Barbarian and the now Oscar-anointed Weapons.
…ranks up there with Zach Cregger’s Weapons as one of the best horror films of the decade so far…
The magic in “Obsession” feels related or adjacent to the magic in “Weapons” (2025).
When something like Hereditary or Prometheus comes along and insists on explaining every little thing, the main criticism is that exposition dilutes the horror…
It has a bit of Hereditary's familial trauma beats…
Seven years ago, it reached a peak with Ari Aster’s Hereditary—a film that explored generational trauma, the stress of parenting, and the hollow reality of death.
I’ve seen a lot of comparisons between Weapons and Hereditary and I get why. Both are disturbing horror films that revel in human depravity. However, there’s a glaring difference. Hereditary director Ari Aster makes horror films that come across like he’s intent on punishing the audience.
There’s a hint of Hereditary in Weapons.
Cregger has said that the inspiration for Keith was Anthony Perkins's portrayal of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “Psycho.”
Audiences may be expecting something supernatural, but here too, “Psycho” seems to be the reference point, as “Barbarian” builds shock upon shock, giving viewers another mother they won’t soon forget.
But like horror classics of the past, namely Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho , you never know what awaits you when you spend the night somewhere unfamiliar.
Others of this ilk include Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), the snowbound Frozen (2009), and last year’s Wrong Turn—shockers that anticipate our assumptions and defy them.
His ability to navigate abrupt tonal and narrative shifts without sacrificing thematic cohesion positioned him alongside contemporary horror auteurs, including Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Robert Eggers (Nosferatu).
…hence why it functions more as wildly entertaining popcorn horror than it does as razor-sharp social critique in the vein of fellow sketch-comic-turned-horror-director Jordan Peele…
Not since his own debut Get Out has a horror movie packed this much playfulness and invention…
The social horror of Jordan Peele is felt as an influence — Peele is thanked in the film's credits — but "Barbarian's" thrills are more of the throwaway B-movie variety than those of "Get Out" or "Us," and its attempts to elevate itself have the opposite effect and knock it down a notch.
“Barbarian” is not quite on par with Jordan Peele’s acerbic social redirect “Get Out” (2017), but it’s in the ballpark’s parking lot.
His forte up until now has been almost exclusively comedy; however, as Jordan Peele has recently demonstrated with Get Out (2017), Us (2019), and Nope (2022), the line between comedy and horror is a very thin one, indeed, and it only takes a small step to go from one to the other.
Cregger has openly cited Evil Dead II as an influence, and that influence is clear in the mix of bodily horror, slapstick, and escalating misfortune.
The character and performance are reminiscent of Bruce Campbell's slapstick Ash in Evil Dead II, mixing out-of-his-depth everyman with a Wile E. Coyote-style streak of bad luck…
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Directed by Johannes Roberts
influenced Resident Evil (2026)
Plot
Fewer will remember the failed attempt to reboot the series in 2021.
As the eighth installment in the Resident Evil film franchise and the second attempt at a reboot following producer Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2002-2017 series and Johannes Roberts’ 2021 reboot…
…even the 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which was written and directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down)…
Then came Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. While the Anderson films weren’t masterpieces, this one made them feel like bona fide works of art.
In another odd choice, while Salisbury and McGregor discuss the Anderson films, the reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and the live-action Netflix show, they completely ignore the four animated films and the miniseries Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness.
…the series was recently rebooted in 2021 with Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City…
…it’s the kind of deft and empathetic storyline that completely eluded the makers of Evil Dead Burn, 28 Years Later and almost every other plague-related film…
Every bit as graphic as the most recent Evil Dead Burn, RE 2026 is infused with humor that forgoes sacrificing the stakes; you laugh because you really need to.
…a woman (Adrea Milnerová) points at him and walks into the road in front of his car (very “Evil Dead Burn”).
From the first, overdetermined shot of Tess’s temporary sanctuary and potential prison, shot so it appears to be the only structure on a residential street, to the reveal of the rental’s carefully delineated interior (larger on the inside than it is outside), and on through claustrophobic shots of the hidden rooms and tunnels under the rental (an homage, in part, to Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs).
It draws inspiration from classics like The Shining, Hereditary, Day of the Dead, and a kind of reverse Village of the Damned.
For every gross-out Day Of The Dead moment or freaky-faced jumpscare…
…en el universo repleto de vísceras y humor negro de ‘Braindead. Tu madre se ha comido a mi perro’ y ‘Mal gusto’.
…and, of course, in Peter Jackson’s 1992 genre classic Braindead…
The security camera footage, in particular, is an excellent way of showing this. Much like the news scene in Signs, it allows us to see supernatural events occur through something very grounded.
…and the heart-racing terror of 28 Days Later…
Think of the eerily deserted London streets in 28 Days Later (2002), an underdressed girl running panicked through the suburban dawn in It Follows (2014), or a grinning clown lurking in a storm drain in It (2017).