Synopsis:
After a group of criminals kidnap Abigail, the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Written by: Stephen Shields, Guy Busick
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir
Edition:
Streamed on Peacock
My Thoughts:
I have long-term Hot Vampire Fatigue. There are a few I love – The Lost Boys, Fright Night, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, etc. But there are a ton I can’t stand. There’s too many. I hate it. I want less Twilight or True Blood, and more…literally anything else. Give me your Nosferatus, your Renfields, even 30 Days of Night. I just want more vampirical variety, I guess. What I didn’t know I also needed was a modern take on Interview’s Claudia. But it turns out I’m really into the entire idea of a bloodthirsty, tiny killing machine. Abigail was such a breath of fresh (or fetid, idk) air. It turns out that ‘tween dancing vampire’ is 100% my jam.
“What are we talking about, like an Anne Rice or a True Blood? You know Twilight? Very different kind of vampires.”
See, Abigail knows what’s up.
I thought Abigail was incredibly fun, more than a little silly, and suitably violent. It is actually loosely based on the film Dracula’s Daughter. I laughed out loud more than once, but I was also genuinely invested in the story. I really, really wanted to see where the whole thing was going. And I was by no means disappointed. It was a genuinely entertaining movie, and I thought all the actors played their parts marvelously. If we’re talking standouts, I have to hand it to Alisha Weir as the titular Abigail, and Kevin Durand for being delightfully doofy as always.
And I have been seriously jonesing for a vampy story that wasn’t stuck entirely up its own ass. I miss What We Do in the Shadows…show or movie. Take your pick.
I dunno, I feel like I lost the thread here a little, but I’ll say this: Abigail was shot on location at Guinness Manor in Dublin, Ireland, and that authenticity shows. The sets are gorgeous. The house is amazing. It was a super cool place to set this wacky story. It is also, again, a genuinely enjoyable movie. And it goes pretty hard. Maybe harder than one might expect a tween-vampire movie to go, and that is a really good thing.
Rating:
Abigail isn’t going to change your life, but you’ll have a good time!
Abigail
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
US Release Date: April 19, 2024
Universal Studios
Rated R
109 Minutes
https://www.uphe.com/movies/abigail-2024
