An Ode to The Opening Sequence of Weapons
- Abby Brenker
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Beware of Darkness. Watch out now. Take care, beware the thoughts that linger. This post is simply an ode to the opening sequence of Weapons (one of my favorite films of 2025.)
I have an affinity for the use of popular music in film. (The Donnie Darko soundtrack, Dirty Dancing.)But the opening sequence of Weapons is masterful. The filmmakers pair George Harrison’s song Beware of Darkness from 1970, with footage of children running away from their homes in the middle of the night with their arms outstretched. One of the ways that weapons excelled offscreen was its marketing campaign (Similar to Longlegs.) The trailer for Weapons is scary. I remember watching it at the theater between my fingers. The trailer makes you fear the children going into the movie. And even if you didn’t see it, generally horror movies with kids use them in unnerving ways.
The softness of the opening sequence, set to Beware of Darkness, really surprised me. It softened me. It made me think, “huh, this movie isn’t going to be that scary after all.” And then it totally screws you over later on. The movie is truly a horror film. It’s clever and anxiety inducing. Also, Alan and I watched this movie on an Amtrack train. He’s figured out a way for us both to watch the same movie with our own headphones, so we like to do that a lot on planes and trains. But it wasn’t a super chill movie for those walking by us along the aisle. Sorry for that, everyone.
I think this is so impactful for a few reasons. First, it pairs something so surreal and bizarre, children leaving the safety of their homes at night, with a song that feels so nostalgic and safe. It’s a gentle song, a beautiful song, paired with something dangerous and unnerving.
There are actually a ton of instances of film and tv shows using Beatles songs as needle-drops. And of course, not every production can justify the hefty price usually associated with using popular songs.
In some ways, this choice mimics human behavior. When times are uncertain, or stressful or horrible, how do we self soothe? There is something about popular music, especially music that we grew up with our parents listening to, that really hits home. The filmmakers were incredibly successful at setting a tone early on, and then ripping your sense of safety away.
If you haven’t watched this movie, please do.
