‘Abigail’ – Review
2024 is turning out to be a stellar year for horror genre fans, and four months in, we’ve already been treated to some solid scares. Now, it’s time for some good’ ol vampire fun with the arrival of Abigail, which promises ballerinas, blood, and plenty of bite.
A group of would-be criminals kidnaps the 12-year-old daughter (Alisha Weir) of a powerful underworld figure. Holding her for ransom in an isolated mansion, their plan starts to unravel when they discover their young captive is actually a bloodthirsty vampire.
Filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are no strangers to the horror genre and have made a name for themselves with their ability to find new energy and avenues for expression in the genre, as seen in their work like Ready Or Not. Now They’ve got vampires on their mind, and looking for a new way into the Dracula mythos and taking inspiration from the Classic Monsters film, Dracula’s Daughter, they’ve brought us Abigail. This horror watch is a solid combination of screams, scares and suspense, with a dash of comedy thrown in for good measure. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have fun throwing six villains in a haunted house with a monster and watching it all go to hell. Plenty of unexpected twists and new vampire territory are explored in this dark, gothic delicacy of horror.
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett keep audiences on their toes with a picture that goes for the throat, and the casting is damn impressive. The pair’s frequent collaborator Melissa Barrera is the audience’s entry into this new horror take, and she’s not all she appears to be, hiding a secret that is very close to her heart and quickly deciphering that there’s much more going on with the film’s ‘tiny dancer’ than they first thought. Hollywood heavy-hitter Dan Stevens goes full-villain as the sly ring leader of the pack, Frank, and it’s a blast watching him get in touch with his dark side and watching him embrace all kinds of fun that only the bad guy can partake in. Then there’s the star of the show, Alisha Weir, as Abigail, a ballerina-obsessed 12-year-old with an insatiable thirst, and she’s flat-out terrifying as this psychotic and hungry vampire princess!
Abigail is a total blast from beginning to end, and it packs one massive serving of blood and guts. With a focus on practical effects and gallons and gallons of fake blood and torn-apart body parts, the carnage is absolute, and it grounds the audience in a far more visceral experience. But this lashing of gore is not just for mere shock value; this bloody, disgusting mess of devastation that Abigail leaves in her wake allows the filmmakers to explore new angles to the vampire mythos in a way to change up what audiences might think of vampires. Plus, it’s damn fun to watch. This pursuit of creative ways to reshape how vampires act on screen makes for something incredibly refreshing for audiences, and it’s a testament to how thinking outside of the box can elevate the horror experience.
Abigail is a horror event that will surprise you in every possible way, and is a scary watch that audiences can sink their teeth into.
Image: Universal Pictures
