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

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A spiritualist medium holds a seance for a writer suffering from writer’s block but accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife, which leads to an increasingly complex love triangle with his current wife of five years.

Regarded as one of the most flamboyant and wittiest writers of all time, Noël Coward was a writer who always guaranteed delivery of original content, and his ghoulish comedy, Blithe Spirit, is continuously marked out as one of his most original works ever produced. Now the aforementioned play makes its way to the big screen for a second outing and director Edward Hall has plenty of fun with its satirical comedy of an aloof writer and the women, both real and passed over, who occupy his life. From start to finish. Blithe Spirit is nothing short of fun, and for those who are unfamiliar with the story, this one delivers plenty of surprises and some very unexpected turns that keep you engaged the whole way through.

Starring at the centre of Blithe Spirit is renowned British actor Dan Stevens as the film’s protagonist Charles Condomine, a thoroughly neurotic, hack writer who is desperately looking for a hit and who just can’t move on from the passing of his first wife Elvira. But when her spirit returns, things soon get interesting for Charles, and Stevens runs away with his performance on this one. As with all the performers in this film, Stevens has a ball with the part, and he really lets himself go as this extremely uptight character who has a rendevous with the spirit world. It’s a great part for him to play and there’s plenty to enjoy from his performance.

Cast in the role of Charles’ formally deceased wife Elvira is Leslie Mann, and Mann lets herself go with this performance. Frequently cast as a ‘know it all’ wife or mother, Elvira is as far removed these types of characters as possible in Blithe Spirit. It also helps the narrative, and Mann’s performance, that Elvira has a bit of an axe to grind with Charles and their relationship is ‘complicated’ to say the least. Mann has nothing but fun with the part and as an audience member, it’s very fun to watch her cut loose as this bad girl who is out for a good time.

Standing next to Stevens’ Charles, and incomplete opposite to Mann’s Elvira is Isla Fisher as Charles new wife Ruth. And this is something completely different from Fisher. Normally known for portraying loud and sassy characters, Ruth is a completely pretentious and proper character who is none too pleased with her husband’s lack of interest and effort. And she’s even less pleased with the return of Elvira’s crazed spirit. But while you think she might be one type of person, she’s actually a completely sincere and affectionate character and Fisher’s performance endears her even more to audiences because of this. The character of Ruth is a great point of difference for Fisher and she really is something special in Blithe Spirit.

Visually, Blithe Spirit is an incredible feast to look upon thanks to its beautiful Art Nouveau/Art Deco setting, and the film’s lusciously grand setting, stage direction, costuming and hair and make-up pulls you in deeper to its narrative. Productions set during the Roaring Twenties are always fun to look upon, and Blithe Spirit definitely falls into this category with its lavish visuals which add to the glamour and decadence of the narrative.

Audiences seeking a bit of haughty fun will fall in love with Blithe Spirit for its originality, characters and production. It’s a film that does the great Noël Coward proud and I can guarantee that this is a great night out in cinemas!

Image: MadMan Films

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