Josh Brolin's Record-Smashing Horror-Thriller Is On A Streaming Tear At The Perfect Time

Published Oct 27, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Josh Brolin's record-breaking horror thriller movie is on a roll, the film now tearing up streaming at just the right time. Brolin's best movies have seen him portray determined characters from all walks of life. He starred as the outlaw Tom Chaney in 2010's True Grit remake, doctor and mountain climber Beck Weathers in 2015's biopic Everest, and has taken on the role of Gurney Halleck in the Dune movies. Brolin's diverse presence onscreen almost always comes with a commanding presence that steals the show.

Such is the case with his horror thriller film Weapons. Released in 2025, the movie follows an ensemble cast of characters in the small town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania after a whole classroom of children disappears into the night. Brolin portrays Archer Graff, the father of missing boy Matthew, who blames his teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) for the children vanishing. He plots his own investigation into what really happened to the kids, his story intersecting with Justine's and with that of many other characters as events slowly unravel to reveal the shocking truth.

Brolin's Weapons Roars Back To Life On Netflix At The Perfect Time

Now, a little over a year after the movie was released in theaters, Weapons has roared back to life on Netflix. According to data from October 27, 2026, the horror movie is the Number 5 movie in the world on Netflix, following its international release on the platform. The movie has managed to climb its way to the Number 1 spot in nine different countries around the world: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Romania, and Spain. As for the US, Weapons is streaming on HBO Max.

The movie's resurgence on global streaming charts comes right around the Halloween season, making it the perfect time of year to watch a movie brimming with thriller-style terror. But its arrival also comes one month after the release of director Zach Cregger's latest movie, Resident Evil. The video game adaptation has earned $384.4 million worldwide, showcasing a deep investment in his work. Weapons making it to the top of streaming at the same time proves there's a strong love for his work the world over.

Brolin Nearly Didn't Lead The Horror-Thriller

Brolin's performance in Weapons has helped the movie become a modern classic in the horror genre. However, he almost wasn't chosen as the lead for the film. When development first began, Pedro Pascal was supposed to be in the leading role, starring opposite Renate Reinsve. However, due to production delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood writers and actors strikes, the roles had to be recast. This is how Brolin and Garner wound up in the movie, and how it became the film it's known as today.

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The film's production shake-ups ultimately led it to success, including multiple Oscar nominations and greater recognition for Cregger as a horror filmmaker. Brolin's role in the movie was a major part of that success, as he manages to portray Archer with an emotional gravity befitting the character's grief, anger, and quest for answers. It's what makes Weapons' success so vital, and what makes the movie attract such a large crowd after so much time.