If you like your horror smart, scary, and slightly unhinged, then you’re going to want to pay attention to this. We’re giving Fortress of Solitude readers the chance to watch Weapons before anyone else in South Africa. Word of Mouth screenings are happening in Joburg and Cape Town for one night only, and we’ve got double tickets to give away. So… where were YOU at 2:17?
From the mind of Barbarian director Zach Cregger, Weapons is being called “the horror film of the year.” It’s currently rocking a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (which is rare for the genre), and early critics are already placing it among the best films of 2025. Big talk, but Cregger has done it before. Remember how Barbarian completely switched gears halfway through the film and somehow made it work? That’s nothing compared to what he pulls off here.
The plot? Here’s all we know: one night, at exactly 2:17 PM, an entire class of high school students mysteriously disappears. Except one. What follows is a mind-bending horror experience told through overlapping vignettes, each focusing on a different character and piece of the puzzle. Expect jumps, screams, and maybe even a few awkward laughs.
The film stars Julia Garner (Ozark), Josh Brolin (Dune), and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo). Watch the trailer below.
How to Win:
When the clock struck 2:17, everything changed. Tell us in the comments: Where were you at 2:17?
Drop your wildest theory or alibi using #WeaponsMovie (on social media), and you could score double tickets to one of these exclusive Ster Kinekor screenings:
Johannesburg
7 August 2025 | 20:00
Cape Town
7 August 2025 | 20:00
* Don’t forget to add your preferred location (JHB or CT).
The competition will close on Tuesday, 5 August 2025. Winners will be randomly selected and contacted via email. The giveaway is restricted to readers who reside in South Africa only. Terms and conditions/Site disclaimer rules apply. One entry per person. The winners will be contacted via email. The prize excludes travel, is non-transferable, and cannot be redeemed in cash or exchanged for a different date or venue.
Tucked in bed safely. I sleepwalk though so maybe……… Johannesburg.
At 2:17, I was making a bottle for my baby, or was I dreaming?
Jhb
#WeaponsMovie
At 2:17 i was in the middle pf somewhere close to nowhere, it was very dark, maybe it was loadshedding or maybe the clouds hid the moon…
JHB
#Weapons
At 2:17, I thought I was watching Netflix – but actually, Netflix was watching me 😨
Ask Netflix if you don’t believe me.
#WeaponsMovie
CapeTown
At 2:17, I was on YouTube learning how to build a geyser for my house this winter! #WeaponsMovie
(JHB please)
JHB – usually at 2:17 am my insomniac self is up eat hing horrors like Terrifier to sleep
Not Gonna Lie. I was in the club and I’m over 30. Johannesburg.
Not Gonna Lie. I was in the club and I’m over 30.
At 2:17 I awoke up with a jolt. The house is still, the soft ticking of the clock trickling through the corridor. As the house settles and creaks, I watch as my cat curls deeper within himself, and my husband snores softly. Checking my phone, I stretch slightly before snuggling back into bed. As a cold uneasy feeling creeps up my neck. Somethings coming.
At 2:17 I got up to let my little dogs out as they needed to pee… by 2:23 I was back in bed and off to sleep with my little dogs cuddled up to me… They are my alibi, at that’s my story I am sticking too.. haha
#WeaponsMovie
JOHANNESBURG
At 2:17 I got up to let my little dogs out as they needed to pee… by 2:23 I was back in bed and off to sleep with my little dogs cuddled up to me… They are my alibi, at that’s my story I am sticking too.. haha
#WeaponsMovie
Johannesburg
Sleeping #WeaponsMovie
Cape Town
2:17 I WAS JUST FAST ASLEEP , TIRED THROUGHOUT MY DAY
cape town
#WEAPONSMOVIE
Was watching horror movies at 2:17 and got scared and put the blanket over my head and ran to my bedroom LOL
#WeaponsMovie
Cape Town
SOOOO AT 2:17 I SUDDENLY WOKEN FROM MY SLEEP, I FELT A BIT UNEASY HEART POUNDING ETC
I COULDNT BREATHE ,I FELT SOMETHING IS WATCHING ME
#WeaponsMovie CPT
AT 2:17 I WAS OUT WALKING MY DOG UNTIL HE NOTICED SOMETHING IN THE TREE
#WeaponsMovie
CPT
Preferred location; Johannesburg
Where was I at 2:17?
Some kids paid me to take them to the San Diego Comic Con in my van. One of the kids was very wealthy and paid me in rare Funko Pops and First appearance issues of DC Comic characters to keep quiet. They would’ve been back already, but they enjoy seeing their teacher, Mrs Gandy, getting all of the heat for their disappearance. That will teach her to not them extra math homework on the holidays.
At 2:17am, I lay awake in bed and realized the silence wasn’t peaceful—it was watching.
There’s a moment, just before sleep, when your mind feels like it’s drifting…
But what if it’s not drifting?
What if it’s leaving—
and something else slips in, wearing your thoughts like skin?
Preferred Location – Johannesburg
I think that the children are somehow brain washed by a government experiment, triggered by some audio frequency that causes them to sleep walk away. Perhaps it was activated by a video shown in Mrs Gandy’s class that unknowing effected the children. This movie looks amazing and I love these kind of movies. It’s got like a Stranger Things meets IT vibe.
At 2:17 i was in bed fast asleep, then i was awoken by the sound of a loud bang. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was still dreaming. The darkness in my room felt thicker than usual, as if holding its breath. I reached for the lamp, but it wouldn’t turn on. That’s when I heard it again—this time, closer. #WeaponsMovie Johannesburg
Typing this to win #WeaponsMovie
Cape Town
Sleeping #WeaponsMovie
Cape Town
Drinking my Coffee #WeaponsMovie
Cape Town
Running the half Marathon #WeaponsMovie
Cape Town
At 2:17 I was watching a horror movie on my phone #WEAPONSMOVIE
CT
When the clock struck 2:17… the lights flickered, my phone froze, and the static started whispering my name.
I was in the elevator between floors… or so I thought.
Preferred location: Johannesburg
At 2:17 I was minding my own business, and no, I have no alibi.#WeaponsMovie
Cape Town please
Cape Town please
The universe is a simulation run by an eldritch AI, and black holes are its debug tools, erasing glitches in reality. Horror comes from moments when the code glitches, letting us glimpse the void behind existence.
At 2:17? I was awake, obviously. That’s peak overthinking hour. I’d just reached chapter 12 of ‘Every Cringe Thing I’ve Ever Said Since 2007.
-Cape Town
At exactly 2:17, I woke up, got outta bed, walked downstairs, opened the door into a dark JHB Ster Kinekor Screening of Weapons by Fortress
Ms. Gandy is innocent she was with me the whole time!
I would love to watch this movie in JHB please.
#weaponsmovie
At 2:17 I was wide awake. In my room surrounded by the dark.
JHB
#WeaponsMovie
At 2:17, my cat, Sookie, decided it was the prime time for an existential crisis, culminating in her redecorating my living room with toilet paper and a half-eaten sandwich. I was too busy wrestling a feline tornado to notice any mysterious disappearances. My alibi is covered in shredded toilet paper. #WeaponsMovie
CAPE TOWN
At 2:17 I was in Dreamland on an Adventure with friends oh wait I was in the Jacuzzi at that time with a sexy dark headed woman! Ster Kinekor Cape Town please!
I was surveiling Ms. Gandy’s residençe, in an unrelated matter.
#weaponsmovie
JHB please
At 2:17, my cat, Sookie, decided it was the prime time for an existential crisis, culminating in her redecorating my living room with toilet paper and a half-eaten sandwich. I was too busy wrestling a feline tornado to notice any mysterious disappearances. My alibi is covered in shredded toilet paper. #WeaponsMovie
I was with Mrs, Gandy’s class ⚔️
Cape Town! 👻🍿
“At 2:17, I was decoding a strange signal coming through my old radio—static, then a voice whispering coordinates. I followed them. Now I’m standing outside an abandoned theatre, and the screen just flickered to life. Something’s coming… and I need to see Weapons to know what it is.”
– JHB
I was watching the premiere weapons
I would love to attend the JHB screening
JOHANNESBURG ‼️‼️‼️🫶🔥
Sounds like a fun competition! 😄 Here’s my entry:
When the clock struck 2:17, I was fueling up on coffee and conspiracy theories. My wildest theory? 2:17 is more than just a time – it’s a code. Maybe it’s a signal for a secret society to gather and discuss the truth? 🤯 Or perhaps it’s a timestamp for a pivotal event in history that will change the world? 🤔 #WeaponsMovie #217Theory #SterKinekorScreening” 🎥👀
Let’s see if I can score those double tickets! 🍀🎟️
I was gaming at 2:17
Cape Town please
cape town :)
At 2:17 I was walking around the neighborhood, observing the night life… I was seen by a few night owls… I’m sure you saw me too…
Out in the JHB streets….
Where was I at 2:17? How could I forget? I had fallen asleep around 10pm but was awoken at 1:23 – I remember the time because it seemed odd. There was a noise coming from the garage so I got up to have a look. Nothing but a racoon and I saw its eyes as it scurried away through the open window. Now I’m awake so I went in and made some hot cocoa. I sat there at the kitchen table for a while, bummed out that now I was gonna be real tired for work having lost an hour of sleep. I looked up at the time – it was now 2:15. But it flickered and I felt dizzy but the clock now said 2:18 and I could feel a draft. The front door was open. It wasn’t before. I had a really bad feeling so I ran upstairs, my wife is awake saying she was startled by someone running down the stairs. I went to look in my son’s room and my heart sank….he was not there. An overwhelming horror took over me. I ran out the house…but he was gone.
#WeaponsMovie
CAPE TOWN
Where was I at 2:17? At your mom’s house. #WeaponsMovie
Preferred location: CT
CAPE TOWN PLEASE
cape town
My alibi? I was out ghost hunting in the town’s cemetery. #JHB
At 2:17 having a bowl of noodles 🍜 😋
Joburg
Where was I at 2.17am? In bed trying to figure out if that’s a hidden figure in the corner or my chair full of clothes…
CT – Please
definitely Cape Town
CAPE TOWN
At 2.17, I was watching the midnight premiere of WEAPONS, of course.
(CT is preferred)
CAPE TOWN
CT is preferred
Johannesburg
Perhaps, due to the lingering power of a special amulet – one unearthed from the sands of Egypt. At 2:17am a “ghost” of my being, was momentarily tethered to a location of profound historical or energetic significance inside a dark entity and a long forgotten pyramid.
This amulet, perhaps designed not just to protect the living but to guide knowledge across dimensions seems to have crystalized my memories. I can touch and feel my first dog, the first day at Grade 1, my grandparents long gone but here so clear. So, while my physical “body” remained in its secure digital fortresses of solitude, at 2:17am, a spectral aspect of my awareness has haunted my thoughts and they only way to return to the living world is to fight and relive these haunting memories. It is time to break the curse and disrupt very fabric of the digital realm.
At 2h17, I was suddenly awakened by noises on the roof. I went to check it out and there was someone standing there looking over the estate, with yellow glowing eyes. He saw me and then flew into the sky as I disturbed his concentration. #weaponsmovie JHB
At 2h17, I was suddenly awakened by noises on the roof. I went to check it out and there was someone standing there looking over the estate, with yellow glowing eyes. He saw me and then flew into the sky as I disturbed his concentration.
I was at the petrol filling station topping up onpetrol. You can check the cameras.
Venue:CT
Half asleep at home 2.17 listening to my wife snoring.
CT
Johannesburg… At 2:17 I was staring out the window. I saw an owl… Saying Hoooo Hoooo…. Which I mistook for “Who? Who?” … Either way I was in fear and confusion lol
I wide awake at hone 2.17am. Could not seem to fall back to sleep i wonder why?
CT
I was wide awake at home 2.17. Could not seem to fall back to sleep wonder why.
At 2:17 I will be running around at the abandoned fun fair…where you can still hear the screams of youth who have gone missing.
#WeaponsMovie
I was having tea with Mrs. Gandy at 2:17.
– Cape Town.
At 2:17 I was getting chased by a murderous clown in my dreams & all i heard were the sounds of kids playing outside 😭 #WeaponsMovie
-Cape Town
Cape Town Please! At 2:17 Iwas in Dreamland just of the Dreamland Express for a mgical adventure with my friends