REVIEW: ‘Abigail’ Is Hilariously Demented

Audiences will never get sick of Vampire stories. From Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, to Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, to the endless retellings of Dracula, many of us are fascinated with these bloodsucking undead demons and how they reflect our own condition. Such reflections take a wildly violent and hilarious turn in the latest Vampire story to grace our screens with Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett with a script from Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, and based on the 1936 Universal original Dracula’s Daughter. 

With a compelling cast led by Scream Queen Melissa Barrera, and Alisha Weir as the titular monster, a witty script, solid scares, and creatively gory violence, Abigail is one Vampire story you won’t want to miss in theaters.

It hits you almost immediately that almost none of the characters in Abigail are necessarily “good” people. In fact, they may reflect the vampires of this tale in more ways than one. Joey (Barrera), Frank (Dan Stevens), Rickles (William Catlett), Sammy (Kathryn Newton), Peter (Kevin Durand), and Dean (Angus Cloud) are simply there to complete a kidnapping job Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito) has tasked them.

While the dialogue between the six may not be the deepest (understandable as they deal with a pressing horror show) Shields and Busick give you just enough to sympathize or empathize with each of these characters to make you invested in each, if not root for them. Barrera and Stevens in particular shine the most as they lead the group, with Joey showcasing the best of the group’s humanity and Frank showcasing some of its worst.

Barrera, unjustly ousted from the Scream franchise for being outspoken against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, showcases why she’s above any IP. She laces her performance as Joey with equal parts grit and grace as our main protagonist, navigating her horrifying circumstances and jumping to task when the moment calls. Stevens is having the time of his life as the no-nonsense asshole professional Frank, continuing his trademark string of off-kilter roles.

The rest of the supporting cast of Abigail is solid, with Newton and Durand as the comic relief standouts who get their abundant moments of horror, too. Catlett unfortunately gets short thrift compared to the others, but he has his moments as well. In his final role as Dean before his untimely death, Cloud leaves his last hilarious subdued impression on audiences for bittersweet remembrance. While his role is kept to a minimum, in order to retain the plot’s mystery, Giancarlo Esposito still packs a punch with what he’s given.

Alisha Weir, fresh off her titular starring role in Netflix and Sony’s Matilda: The Musical, is pitch-perfect as Abigail. This young performer strikes a perfect balance between demented bloodlust and hilarious quips, endearing audiences to the young vampire.

The reveal in-film that she is, in fact, the monster takes a little while, but audiences will still enjoy the buildup to the reveal and the gory violence that follows, and her reveling in it. She’s clearly having lots of fun in the role, and the audience delights in the violence along with her. Weir has proven her incredible range as a young actor, making audiences eager to see what she’ll do next.

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet know how to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, and skillfully build up the suspense throughout Abigail. They lay the pieces of the mystery Joey and the audience have to figure out and make the payoff worth the wait.

In terms of the horror of it all, Abigail may not necessarily be the scariest movie out there, but it packs a good punch of scares balanced against absurd violence and hilarious jokes scattered throughout, making for a very fun time at the theaters. The use of blood and gore is particularly innovative, giving shock, awe, disgust, and a pack of uncomfortable laughs.

Abigail may just be your new favorite horror craze. With a compelling cast led by Barrera, Weir, and Stevens, an excellent buildup of suspense, and hilarious and rowdy violence, Abigail will keep you invested throughout its runtime as you jump in your seat and laugh throughout. It’s a bloody bag of fun that keeps the Vampire genre feeling fresh and ready to bite into.

Abigail releases in theaters Friday, April 19th.