In the build-up to its release, Zach Cregger’s Weapons generated a substantial amount of intrigue thanks to the captivating mystery at the heart of the movie’s story. A very secretive marketing campaign sold audiences on the premise of 17 children suddenly vanishing from their homes, raising many questions people wanted answered. Once audiences got a chance to see Weapons, they learned that the character of Aunt Gladys was the driving force behind the children’s disappearance. A new horror icon was quickly born, as Amy Madigan’s truly unsettling turn as the villain left a memorable impression on viewers. Madigan steals every scene she’s in by leaving audiences on the edge of their seats, so it’s no surprise she took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year.
By the end of Weapons, the mystery of Alex Lilly’s missing classmates had been solved, but there were still plenty of unsolved mysteries about Aunt Gladys herself. The character became the subject of much discussion as fans formulated theories about her backstory and true nature. Weapons intentionally leaves a lot open to interpretation, but when it comes to Gladys, there’s enough there that people can come up with educated opinions about the character. Here’s all we know about Aunt Gladys.
Everything We Know About Weapons‘ Aunt Gladys
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.
The one thing we know for sure about Aunt Gladys is that she is a witch capable of possessing people so she can command them to do her bidding. What’s unknown is how she learned these techniques. During the development of Weapons, Cregger had Madigan choose between two different backstories. In one, Gladys is a regular person who becomes increasingly desperate and turns to witchcraft to stave off a terminal illness. In the other, Gladys is a supernatural entity. Cregger doesn’t know which option Madigan selected, but regardless, Gladys arrives to the town of Maybrook, PA hoping to absorb people’s lifeforce to regain her strength. First, she targets Alex’s parents, then she turns her attention to Alex’s classmates.
There’s dialogue in Weapons that lends credence to the “regular person” backstory. In the “Alex” chapter, Alex’s father tells the young boy that “your mom’s aunt Gladys” is coming to stay with them because she is very sick. It’s later revealed that Alex’s mother and father haven’t seen Gladys in 15 years, and Gladys did not attend their wedding. This makes it seem like Gladys is a blood relative of Alex’s on his mother’s side. However, there are some inconsistencies. When Gladys visits Principal Marcus Miller at Alex’s school, she introduces herself as “Alex’s aunt” and says Alex’s mom is “my baby sister.” Assuming Gladys is actually part of the family, it’s unknown if she’s Alex’s great aunt or aunt. It’s possible Alex’s dad misspoke because he doesn’t know much about Gladys, or Gladys could have lied to Marcus in the interest of keeping her ruse intact.
At one point in the film, Gladys remarks to Alex that she hasn’t seen him “since you were a little teeny baby,” which doesn’t add up with the other information we learn. Alex is in elementary school, so if his parents haven’t seen Gladys in 15 years, then Gladys could not have been there to see Alex as a baby. This means she’s either lying to Alex in an attempt to build a bond with the boy (who’s an integral part of her plan) or she saw baby pictures. While these details continue to fuel debates about Gladys’ true nature, it’s safe to assume she is indeed one of Alex’s relatives. Alex’s parents clearly have some kind of history with Gladys, as vague as it is, and Alex’s mother feels a familial obligation to care for her. Gladys was clearly in communication with the Lilly family prior to the events of Weapons, meaning she specifically targeted them — most likely because they’re her family and an easy way in.
Audiences would have learned the truth behind Gladys if a different version of Weapons was made. Cregger cut out a “Gladys” chapter, feeling the movie worked better if the villain was left somewhat ambiguous. This segment would have shed light on what Gladys was up to leading up to her arrival at the Lilly household. Cregger hasn’t gone into too much detail about the specifics of what the “Gladys” chapter entailed, probably because this will serve as the basis for the Aunt Gladys prequel film that’s reportedly on the table. In the meantime, don’t expect Madigan to reveal anything. Speaking with W Magazine, she said she’s more interested in hearing viewers’ interpretations of Weapons, so she isn’t going to share Gladys’ origins herself.
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