Even before I went in, I knew this would be a tough one.

Whether he’s writing, producing, or directing (all three this time), Zach Cregger delivers films that are borderline impossible to discuss without spoilers. He’s got an uncanny knack for making films that need to be experienced firsthand, such that no description or advertisement could do sufficient justice. Unfortunately, this “mystery box” approach carries no small amount of risk: There’s always the possibility that the big reveal could be hollow or disappointing. Even if the end result is presented with spectacular flair, all the razzle-dazzle can only do so much to distract from shortcomings that may become more obvious upon rewatch.

Of course M. Night Shyamalan and Damon Lindelof are especially noteworthy examples. I could also point to The Menu, a film that I massively overhyped because the diabolical reveals and wicked sense of humor distracted from what was otherwise a pretentious and cynical joke propped up by a gossamer plot.

And now we have Weapons.

The basic premise is as simple as it is shocking. Miss Justine Gandy (Wow, Julia Garner’s having one hell of a year.) goes to her third-grade classroom in some rural elementary school to find only one student in attendance (Alex, played by Cary Christopher). All the other kids in her class simply woke up at 2:17 AM that morning and ran off to places unknown. A month later, and nobody knows what happened, where the kids are, why they ran off, or why none of the other kids in any other classroom ran off.

The parents (most notably Archer Graff, played by exec producer Josh Brolin) are understandably pissed off. Unfortunately, they’re taking out their mortified frustration on Miss Gandy, even though the poor woman is just as heartbroken, confused, and clueless as anyone else. But then the town gets hit by an escalating series of paranormal occurrences and let’s just say everyone has bigger problems to worry about in short order.

First and foremost, the presentation is fantastic. The atmosphere is remarkable, the jump scares and fake-outs are expertly handled, and the reveals are superbly paced. Granted, most of the dream sequences and visions don’t make any sense in context of the big explanation, but the paranormal angle gives the filmmakers a bit of leeway there. Also, while the film is relatively lean on gore, I’d be remiss not to mention the big climactic kill, one of the funniest, most creative, most spectacularly terrifying and gruesome kills I’ve ever seen.

Many of the film’s positives stem from its non-chronological presentation. The film is cut into multiple chapters, each one told from the POV of a different character, and all unfolding more or less at the same time. On the one hand, this is a fantastic device for pacing the clues and reveals, and it helps to give each individual actor in this stellar cast enough room to shine. The unfortunate downside is that it makes for a thematically unfocused movie.

In terms of theme, this picture could’ve gone in so many different directions. Given the premise — and the title — this could’ve easily been an allegory for school shootings. More broadly, it could’ve been a film about collective trauma, about guilt and coping and scapegoating as a community after some horrible tragedy. And yeah, that’s a huge part of Archer’s chapter. It’s also a huge part of Justine’s chapter, which brings up the further issue of how and whether it’s appropriate for a teacher to intervene in the life of a student. Justine is also a notorious alcoholic, so throw that onto the pile. We’ve got Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich), a local cop, elegantly demonstrating how a well-meaning guy in law enforcement can unwittingly contribute to police corruption. And of course there’s Alex, a tragic victim of domestic abuse that nobody else can ever see.

It’s frustrating how the film keeps hinting at so many big ideas and relevant themes, right up until we start a new chapter, switch to a new character, and move on to a different theme before we’ve finished sufficiently developing the previous one. The film starts out as something that could carry a potent sociopolitical charge, but the third act makes it clear the filmmakers were far more interested in telling a horrific fairy tale like something out of the Brothers Grimm. I know the film was built to subvert audience expectations — and it does so beautifully — but this particular swerve was especially jarring.

I’ve seen a lot of critics elevate Cregger to the likes of Jordan Peele, but I’m not seeing it. While there are some similarities in the creepiness and overall intrigue, Peele is much more focused and overtly political in his works. I might further add that Peele’s comic relief is more consistently funny. In this picture, the best we get is James (Austin Abrams), a vagrant junkie so pathetic and two-dimensional, it almost felt mean-spirited to laugh at him.

Weapons is certainly not a bad movie, provided you know what you’re in for. I was rather disappointed to find that this film is not the latest in the ongoing trend of socially conscious horror films, given the premise and the caliber of talent involved. Then again, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that there might be some deeply profound statement going right over my head — I’ll be interested to see how time treats this one and how well it’ll hold up to repeat viewings.

The bottom line is that this is a modern gothic fairy tale. It sucks that the film couldn’t be adequately promoted as such, but Cregger makes his films to be borderline unpromoteable and we wouldn’t want it any other way. If you’re into a trippy and spooky good time — with that exquisite climactic kill as the cherry on top — give it a look.