ABIGAIL -- A Bloody Good Time

Review by Adam Donato

(from left) Abigail (Alisha Weir) and Sammy (Kathryn Newton) in Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett. Photo Credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures

There’s a subgenre of horror that embraces the ridiculous to become almost more funny than scary. Abigail walks in the footsteps of the recent hit M3GAN, which also featured a villain in a form that appears to be a little girl. This time, the little girl is a ballerina vampire who preys upon a group of unsuspecting criminals trying to make a big score. The directors of the last two Scream films, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, reteam with Melissa Barrera on this crazy horror flick. Other stars include Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, and Giancarlo Esposito, who make this quite a fun ensemble all trapped in this mansion of horrors. Does Abigail have the fun to win the hearts of scary movie fans at the box office?

It’s really cool that this concept is being made into a big studio movie. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are competent enough filmmakers. Their Scream movies are decently well-received, and their breakout film Ready or Not is getting a sequel. This was definitely a movie they wanted to make, and they earned the right to do it. The concept is surprisingly not the funniest thing about this movie. It’s the cast. Barrera is a solid leading lady, but Stevens really stole the show. It’s ironic because he stars in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is currently still a big competitor at the box office. It’s awesome seeing him get more big opportunities like this, and he takes full advantage of his time in the spotlight here.

(from left) Sammy (Kathryn Newton), Peter (Kevin Durand) and Frank (Dan Stevens) in Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett.

The supporting cast got a lot of love from audiences at the early screening of the film. Newton is coming fresh off of critical success in Lisa Frankenstein. She works much better here in a supporting role. Her character has a fun dynamic with Kevin Durand, who thrives in his role as the dumb muscle of the group. Esposito is underutilized, but his usage is effective. William Catlett and the late Angus Cloud are both solid members of the group. Alisha Weir’s biggest claim to fame before this is starring in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. Seeing such a fresh face do so well in such a gruesome film is cool. It will be cool to see this performance garner more opportunities for her in the future.

Abigail is a fun time at the theater but is held back from being a true cult classic because of the lackluster execution. It takes a long time to get to the conflict of the movie and a long time to wrap it up. A film that mostly takes place in one location should’ve been a tight ninety minutes instead of almost cracking one hundred ten minutes. There’s no real theme or emotional grip to the film. You’re rooting for the main character to escape, but there are no arcs or anything. While the other characters are likable enough, you’re more so rooting for them to fall victim to the ballerina vampire. It’s just trying to have a good time, and it succeeds. 

The horror genre has been going strong with various types of films at the box office lately. Abigail is sure to stand out amongst the crowd for its out-there concept. It deserves the attention, as the cast thrives under competent direction. Hopefully, this will inspire more original studio films in theaters. While this movie may not become the cult phenomenon that movies like M3GAN was, it’s a good time at the movies for anyone looking for a good combo of laughs and scares.

​Abigail hits theaters on April 19.
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Rating: 3/5