Weapons’ director Zach Cragger explained how the SAG-AFTRA strike contributed to Pedro Pascal dropping out of the film, eventually leading to an entire recast.

Director Zach Cregger has crafted another thriller with his new movie, “Weapons.” The film opens with a haunting scene of elementary students running out of their homes at 2:17 a.m.

The Polygon report added that though Weapons was not a direct metaphor for grief, its chaotic and mysterious tone emerged as a byproduct of emotional upheaval. He said he was exhausted of grief-as-metaphor horror movies, but the energy of the grief is in the film.