REVIEW — “Abigail”

Sucked from the veins of classic trapped-with-monsters movies like From Dusk Till Dawn and Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight comes Abigail, an enjoyably gory horror flick featuring a likable cast of unsavory characters, including one psychotic child vampire.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (the directing team behind Scream 5 & 6 known as Radio Silence), Abigail follows a group of anonymous would-be criminals who are assigned to kidnap a powerful crime boss’ 12-year-old ballerina daughter. To collect a $50 million ransom, all they have to do is watch the girl overnight in an isolated mansion. Assigned Rat Pack-monikers, the group of strangers begin to realize something is off about their surroundings. However, by the time Frank, Dean, Sammy, Joey, Peter, and Rickles realize they have been unwittingly locked in a mansion with a blood-sucking killer, it’s too late. All this pack of rats can do is try to stay alive until sunrise.

As their insane reality sets in, they humorously brainstorm ways to kill a vampire by recalling the undead lore in popular media, such as using holy water, crucifixes, garlic, stakes through the heart, and exposure to sunlight. With their options limited, the unlikely allies must band together and do what they can to survive the night and avoid being picked off one-by-one.

While the film’s direction and dialogue feel fresh, Abigail often falls into the trappings of several horror movie clichés, such as having the characters constantly split up to venture alone through separate darkened passageways. There are also many jump scares; however, most of them pay off with grizzly practical effects and buckets of blood.

I really appreciate how the characters react accordingly to their supernatural surroundings with well-timed and delivered expletives, particularly fan-favorite Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Freaky) as the sarcastic-but-scared Sammy. Other notable performances include Dan Stevens playing against type as crew leader Frank, a despicable former cop turned mob enforcer. There’s also likable Kevin Durand’s muscley doofus Peter and stoner wheelman Dean, played pitch-perfectly by the late Angus Cloud (Euphoria) in one of his final film roles.

After her breakout performance in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Alisha Weir is both graceful and grimacing as the unsettlingly poised titular vampire. However, it is Melissa Barrera (Scream franchise) that holds the beating heart of the film as heroine Joey, an empathetic but shrewd former junkie/medic. By forming a motherly bond with Abigail and connecting with each of the other characters, particularly Rickles and Sammy, Barrera raises the emotional stakes and keeps the film’s pace moving.

While the film’s last act goes a bit off-the-rails with its over-the-top action, character turns, and explosive gore, Abigail is ultimately a biting horror-comedy and a lot of bloody fun at the theater. The climactic twists may feel rushed and a bit jarring; however, the finale is satisfying and opens up the world of Abigail and her master to potential sequels should this fanged franchise sprout wings. 3.5/5

Abigail is rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use. With a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, Abigail opens in theaters on April 19, 2024.