Good news for the freaks! The horror genre’s newest “it girl” has successfully landed not only into our hearts, but into a pool of blood and guts, with a healthy serving of mania. Radio Silence’s newest movie, “Abigail,” is guaranteed to chew you up, gargle just a bit, and spit you out.
Dracula’s Daughter Gone Gen Z
Hot off the tails of “Ready Or Not” and “Scream VI,” directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have once again proven that they have a solid understanding of how to mesh a character-driven ensemble into chaotic bliss while keeping audiences squinting and smiling without having to think too hard.
Written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, “Abigail” is heavily inspired by Universal’s classic horror “Dracula’s Daughter” from 1936. In this reimagining, the story follows a team of six crooked criminals hired to kidnap the daughter of a powerful crime mogul. When the gang completes their heist, they retreat to an old mansion for 24 hours and wait for their ten million dollar ransom payout, not knowing that they have been played to the highest degree by the young girl.
An Ensemble Cast That Lets Everyone Shine
Alisha Weir, who plays the tiny 12 year old terror “Abigail” is a black star. She’s a near perfect pick for a Radio Silence ensemble as she can retain her creepy characteristics while balancing her comedic moments perfectly for a quick sigh of audience relief and reset. Against her stars Melissa Barrera as Joey, the retired army medic, Dan Stevens as Frank, the crime maestro, William Catlett as Rickles, the seasoned and professional sniper, Kevin Durand as the slightly dull but loveable explosives expert, Angus Cloud as the young and reckless getaway driver, and Kathryn Newton as the bubblegum hacker.
Although Melissa Barrera carries most of the battle (as most scream queens do), every last piece of this cast gets their well-deserved moments before the chaos, during the chaos, and at their ultimate demise. It’s clear through the dialogue that the writer’s room was treated fairly, as each of our quirky characters has a distinct voice and purpose towards the climax. Their dynamic against each other really shines in the second and third acts of the film, but not so much from the start.
Abigail Starts Slow But is Sure to Satisfy Genre Fans
The pacing has its issues in the first half, but by the halfway mark, I’m sure all will be forgiven by most horror fans. The exposition could be stronger and may leave viewers twiddling their thumbs waiting for that climbing moment. But when it gets there, however, it really gets there. It has the gore, the violence, the super fun and gimmicky deaths, and more gallons of blood than we could ever ask for. For the horror fans who will eventually watch this one at home- just be patient.
I’d describe the film as “Renfield’s little sister” by the way it steers away from general suspense, but triples down on its comic book style, over the top action and extremely gratuitous gore. The influences of “Home Alone” and Agatha Christie are really at play here, with a single location of delightfully tropey characters that start as predators but quickly understand they have become prey. How wonderful.
“Abigail” opens in theaters this Friday, April 19th.
