Abigail, 2024
✫ 7.5/10
Favorite Character: Joey
“What can I say? I like playing with my food.”
Bring back fun little movies! Abigail delivers an entertaining plot with compelling performances and jaw-dropping one-liners. After being hired to kidnap ballet dancer Abigail, the group of six criminals quickly learn their mark is the daughter of a feared crime lord. The film follows the “Rat Pack” as they must now survive the night in a secluded mansion against the vampire child.
I loved how this movie was able to seamlessly turn a whole group of strangers into a believable friend group. As the film starts off, you would never know these people had just only met for the first time. The Rat Pack has all the stereotypical members you would see in a friend group.
We meet Lambert, who arranges the mission and informs the group that they will be awarded their share of the money so long as they, and Abigail, survive the night safely. Then, we have the empath of the group, Joey; a former Army medic and recovering drug addict who is entrusted to look after Abigail at the mansion. We also learn Joey is the only member with a child, setting her up as the hero who must survive.
Ex-NYPD detective Frank wants to be the leader, but can also be difficult to trust. The team’s hacker, Sammy, does her best to keep the Rat Pack together until she has an unfortunate encounter with Abigail. The stoner of the group, Dean, is easy to love and cracks some of the first jokes in the film. Former Marine Rickles is quite introverted but stays determined to finish the mission. Canadian mobster Peter acts as the muscles of the team and his commentary made me giggle throughout the whole film.
After Dean's dead body is discovered in the basement, Frank visits Abigail in her room, against Joey’s wishes. He learns Abigail’s father is Kristof Lazar, an underworld crime lord. Confused about their next move, the team is forced to stay in the house as a security system is activated after Rickles tries to escape. Being triggered by the altercation, Abigail transforms into a vampire and escapes her restraints. Each team member runs into a different part of the house and begins going missing one by one.
With only Frank and Joey surviving, Lambert comes back to the house and is revealed to also be a vampire who works for Abigail and her father. This entire mission has been orchestrated by Abigail as a way for her to gain approval from her father. Lambert attempts to turn Frank in hopes they can kill Abigail together, but Frank kills Lambert instead. Frank heads for Joey next but is swiftly stopped by Abigail, who has a soft spot for Joey. Thinking she is finally free, Joey tries to leave the mansion but is met by Lazar. After a few moments of pleading, Lazar finally releases Joey as Abigail explains Joey saved her life.
I absolutely loved how fast this movie was able to give us just enough of each character. The description’s Joey gives of each member only scratch the surface of their past lives. The most interesting thing to watch was how they all approached the issue differently by using their own personal troubles. This also created a unique dynamic between the characters. Initially, they are abrasive but still willing to be cordial coworkers for 24 hours. By the end, desperation caused new bonds to form. The scenes where the team fights Abigail together make the audience hope for unity, while their individual storylines leave you wondering who can be trusted.
I was surprised by how many themes the writers were able to fit into one film, each having to revolve around a different character. There's the obvious fear and suspense, but also times when betrayal, redemption, cowardness, and self-discovery overshine. All these themes can become too much at times, but I think each theme dies with the character. Plot points come in short bursts that leave you invested just enough to make it to the end.
Drawing inspiration from classics like Dracula and Nosferatu, Abigail is essentially the vampire version of Ready or Not (same directors lol). The film offers the perfect amount of comedic relief to balance out the gallons of blood. I think it leans more toward thriller than horror. The jumpscares are pretty predictable, and I was more scared by a 14-year-old’s acting than I was by the plot. Speaking of!! Alisha Weir delivers an astounding performance. Probably one of the best I've seen from a child actor in horror. I was genuinely impressed at how well she portrayed the personality of a 300-year-old in a 12-year-old’s body.
Abigail brings together elements from horror, comedy, and even drama making it an enjoyable watch for fans of any genre. It’s not exactly Twilight, and it’s not exactly Scream, it’s several very specific things crafted together to give you a pleasant movie night.
