Abigail (2024) Universal/Horror RT: 109 minutes Rated R (strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language, brief drug use) Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett Screenplay: Stephen Shields and Guy Busick Music: Brian Tyler Cinematography: Aaron Morton Release date: April 19, 2024 (US) Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito, Matthew Goode.
Rating: *** ½
Abigail is the best ballerina vampire movie ever made. It’s also the only ballerina vampire movie ever made. If it hits, we might see more ballerina vampire movies in the near future. Considering what gets released these days, is that such a bad thing?
Directed by Radio Silence guys Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not, Scream 5 & 6), Abigail is good, not-clean B-movie fun. It concerns a group of low-level criminals who get more than they bargained for after they kidnap the preteen daughter of a vicious crime boss. We first meet Abigail (Weir, Matilda: The Musical) dancing “Swan Lake” to an audience of none. When she gets home (to an empty house), her abductors-to-be are waiting for her. They drug her and take to a mansion where their handler Lambert (Esposito, Do the Right Thing) orders them to hand over their phones and not disclose any personal information to the girl or each other, dubbing them with aliases derived from the Rat Pack. Their job is to look after her for 24 hours while her father comes up with the $50M ransom. It sounds like a walk in the park except it’s NOT.
The group consists of “Joey” (Barrera, Scream 5 & 6), a former Army medic and recovering addict with a young son; “Frank” (Stevens, Beauty and the Beast), an ex-cop who acts as group leader; hacker “Sammy” (Newton, Lisa Frankenstein); sociopathic driver “Dean” (Cloud, Euphoria); dimwitted muscle guy “Peter” (Durand, Legion) and shooter “Rickles” (Catlett, A Thousand and One).
Joey makes a connection with Abigail, promising to make sure no harm comes to her during her stay with the group. HA! Joey has no idea who’s she dealing with. It turns out Abigail is more than capable of taking care of herself. You see, she’s a vampire. Once she frees herself from her restraints, it’s open season on her abductors.
Although revealed on Wikipedia, I wouldn’t dream of giving away the big surprise plot twist in Abigail. I’ll only say it has to do with the girl’s father. I already knew it going in, but it didn’t actually affect my enjoyment of the film which successfully unites dark comedy with bloody horror. I can safely say it contains the movie quote of the year: “We kidnapped a f***ing vampire. A ballerina vampire!” How can you not love that line? It perfectly and succinctly expresses the fun, untethered spirit of the film. Along those same lines, Olpin and Gillett wisely refrain from attempting to make some grand statement about one or more of society’s ills. Good on them!
The actors likewise never try and pretend they’re making some kind of cinematic masterpiece. Abigail certainly isn’t one of those no matter how you slice it. They treat the gig like the gory romp that it is and do a good job of it. Irish actress Weir, so amazing as Matilda Wormwood in the musical remake, is equally awesome as the title character, a limber girl with an unquenchable thirst for blood and bloody mayhem. The scene where she dances with a headless corpse is really something to see. She’s coming from a sad place with the revelation that her crime boss dad doesn’t care about her and isn’t likely to meet the kidnappers’ monetary demands. In short, this little girl is a star about to happen.
The makers chose well when casting Abigail. Instead of going down the list and talking about each individual performance, I’d like to say the actors work well with each other. This is a team effort and they score a victory.
For years, I’ve railed against CGI and how it’s ruining effects-driven movies, horror in particular. I’m happy to say Abigail utilizes practical effects. The gore and body effects look startlingly real, all beautifully captured in shades of blood red. The production design is also top-notch. The mansion itself, reminiscent of Clue and Rady or Not, is a virtual funhouse from which there is no escape. Did I neglect to mention the characters are literally trapped inside with Abigail? They are. What’s interesting is that there is a logical solution to this predicament, but it takes them almost the whole movie to think of it. Well, nobody ever said they were rocket scientists.
Abigail is wonderfully insane! It isn’t afraid to lean into the horror aspect and go crazy with it. It earns its R rating and then a little more. At the same time, it lovingly mocks the genre by goofing on some of the tropes- e.g. what happens after a character gets bitten by Abigail. I had a blast watching it. I wouldn’t even mind seeing a sequel to it at some point. There’s more to be done with the idea of a ballerina vampire.
