Imagine, at 75 years old, being chased by a swarm of possessed children determined to rip you apart! That's exactly what Amy Madigan, the star of Zach Cregger's horror film "Weapons," insisted on doing herself. Yes, you read that right – she performed her own stunts in the movie's absolutely bonkers climax.
If you've seen "Weapons," you'll remember the ending: a ridiculously over-the-top chase scene where Gladys, played by Madigan, is hunted down and, shall we say, dismantled by 17 schoolchildren she had been holding captive to steal their energy. (More on that bizarre plot point shortly!) Madigan's performance as Gladys has garnered serious Oscar buzz, and for good reason. But here's where it gets controversial... her dedication to the role went far beyond just acting.
Madigan revealed to Entertainment Weekly's "The Awardist" podcast that she extensively prepared for the scene. "Being told you're gonna be ripped apart is one thing. Actually framing it and shooting it and doing it..." she said, emphasizing the physicality of the role. She even made a point of befriending the young actors to ensure they felt comfortable during the intense scene. "But it really started with that whole running sequence, which I really had a blast doing," she added.
Now, you might think the director would be hesitant to let a 75-year-old actress sprint across lawns while being pursued by a horde of children. And you'd be right! Cregger initially tried to dissuade her. But Madigan was adamant. "'Oh, no, I'm running,'" she reportedly told Cregger. "'I'm definitely running. I'm doing it.' So all of that, just revving it up that the payoff, I thought. was great. It's like, yeah, just rip her apart."
Cregger confirmed this account in a separate interview. He emphasized the challenges of filming the chase sequence, which took three days and didn't allow for as many takes as he would have liked. He specifically highlighted the shots of Madigan's Gladys running through strangers' houses, followed by the swarm of children, which they filmed from multiple angles. "That was really Amy [Madigan] for all of that," Cregger stated. "That was really Amy running that."
And this is the part most people miss... Cregger, like any responsible director, did hire a stuntwoman. But Madigan wasn't having it. "We had a stuntwoman there, and when Amy saw the stuntwoman in her outfit, she was like, 'What is she doing here?'" Cregger explained that he was concerned for her safety: "And I was like, 'Amy, if you fall down, we're going to have a real problem. I need you for the rest of the movie, so I'm going to have her run.' And she was like, 'No, you're not having her run.'"
Ultimately, Madigan prevailed. "Amy ran that whole thing," Cregger conceded. There's only one shot where the stuntwoman appears: during a "Texas switch," where Madigan runs into a doorway, and as the camera follows the action outside, the stuntwoman takes over, getting tackled by the children.
So, how did Gladys even end up in this predicament? Let's rewind a bit. At the beginning of "Weapons," the narrator explains that one night, at 2:17 AM, 17 children mysteriously flee their homes and run towards a single, unknown location before vanishing. Gladys, it turns out, had cast a spell using a bizarre tree branch. She combined the branch with personal items belonging to her targets, sacrificed her own blood, and then broke the branch, transforming the children into weaponized beings. These children were then kept in the basement of Alex, a boy whose family Gladys had invaded. Alex eventually figures out Gladys's spell and uses it against her, turning the children against her and filling them with a thirst for vengeance.
In that IndieWire interview, Cregger also revealed that the gruesome finale was achieved using practical effects, which the child actors thoroughly enjoyed. "Even Gladys getting shredded. I think her eye blinks while her face is getting pulled apart, and that's VFX, but everything else is like... we had a dummy with hoses inside, and the kids pulled the dummy apart and got sprayed with fake blood. They were having the time of their little lives." Talk about a memorable on-set experience!
The ending is undeniably shocking, but Madigan believes it's a fitting conclusion. "I think some people find it funny," she said. "Some people are like, 'I don't know about that ending.' Some people find it justice has prevailed, so that's good." What do you think? Is the ending a darkly comedic moment of karmic justice, or does it go too far? Did Amy Madigan's dedication to performing her own stunts enhance the scene, or was it too risky? Share your thoughts in the comments below! "Weapons" is currently streaming on HBO Max, so you can judge for yourself.
