Half the fun in making an entertaining Horror film is in the creative process. Although, having a good ‘out of the box’ concept is not necessarily the core of what makes the end result a success. Looking at new and improved genre films, Abigail hit its audience on the head with some clever tricks and visual effects that work quite well in a more modern Horror movie setting.
Arriving in theaters on April 19, 2024, through Universal Pictures, Abigail, based on a reimagining of the 1936 Universal Classic Monsters film Dracula’s Daughter, is one of those films that does not just fade out of your head after watching it. The main character of this film, Dublin-born Alisha Weir (known for her role in Matilda: The Musical), absolutely masters her complex character as the young ballerina turned vampire. Upon first glance, this factor seems rather simple, but while this plot point has some bearing on the film as a whole, it certainly is not the cheese-fest that you might expect. There is a great balance of humor, gore, dialogue, and visual aspects which also stand out here too.
Complimented by a very charming cast, you are put on a wild roller coaster in the film where you either view the young Abigail as a dangerous enemy or feel sympathetic to the point of cheering her on. Most of the story takes place in an old mansion where a troop of curious criminals embody it for twenty-four hours in hopes of a prize ending. With this, all six team members realize their characters in a fun yet intentionally predictable way. Peter (Kevin Durand: Legion 2010, The Strain series), Frank (Dan Stevens: Downtown Abbey series, The Guest 2014), Rickles (William Catlett: True Story series, Constellation series), Dean (Angus Cloud: Euphoria series, Your Lucky Day 2023), Sammy (Kathryn Newton: Freaky 2020, Lisa Frankenstein 2024), and Joey (Melissa Barrera: Scream 2022, Scream VI 2023) collectively are full of energy; plus the screams and laughs all chimed in unison appropriately.
Furthermore, the fact that this vampire girl is indeed a ballerina helps to fully embrace the suspension of disbelief in some quality fight scenes. In terms of the gore, the visual special, the creative character-enhancing costumes, and the spot-on scenery/props design of Abigail are worth checking out alone. Then add in the actors’ comedic flights, and it is clear that everyone involved in the making of the film had a blast.
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin – who had made an impact on Horror with 2012’s V/H/S, 2022’s Scream, and 2023’s Scream VI – few may not realize he also was one the Guitarist/Vocalist for a Punk/Ska band called Link 80. Interesting tidbits of information, of all Bettinelli-Olpin’s accomplishments, Abigail is definitely at the top of the list, if not above and beyond the best. Its quirkiness combined with bits of realism, plus lots of gore, aid in making this film stand out.
In terms of a modern vampire film that demands to be seen, Abigail is absolutely a must-watch. Impressed with Alisha Weir’s outstanding performance, and finding this to be a super fun Horror flick, Cryptic Rock gives Abigail 5 out of 5 stars.
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