Directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett has been a fan-favourite in horror circles for the past few years since the more niche days of 2012’s VHS and 2014’s Southbound to more recent breakout hits such as 2019’s Ready Or Not and the latest two Scream movies (2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream 6). After taking on horror anthologies and slashers, they’re back with their take on the vampire genre in the form of Abigail. Just like their other recent movies, Abigail is just as fun and bloody, though not without its flaws.

From Dusk Till Dawn

With all the trailers and promotional material, the movie doesn’t hide what it is; a horror movie, but Abigail doesn’t start that way. The first 45 minutes or so of the movie feel more like a crime heist movie, introducing members of the crew while they’re in the middle of committing the heist. In that way, Abigail also feels like a modern successor to 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn. The movie doesn’t waste time telling too much of each member’s backstory since this movie isn’t about them anyway. In spirit, structure and tone, Abigail is essentially just like Ready Or Not, but with instead of an entire family hunting down a single woman in a big old house, this time it’s a single vampire girl stalking a whole crew of criminals in a big old house. It’s a lot like Abigail is a spiritual successor of sorts to Ready Or Not (no, there are no direct connections in the movie, so I’m not spoiling anything here).

There are lots of blood and gore in Abigail. Well, more blood than actual gore, really (you’ll know the distinction if you’ve seen enough horror movies). By that, I mean that the kills in Abigail are more bloody and over-the-top (spurts of gushing blood) rather than actually being too gruesome or shocking, which totally fits the more horror-comedy vibe of the movie. The highlight of the movie is definitely the performances of the ensemble cast, but where do I even start? There are horror stars here up the wazoo, with Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Giancarlo Esposito, etc. and each of them delivers in their specific roles. In addition, Abigail is also the final film for the late deceased actor, Angus Cloud.

Alisha Weir as Abigail in Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett.

That being said, who are the MVPs? The breakout star of the movie is certainly the 14-year-old Alisha Weir (who plays the titular vampire in the movie) with a wicked and surprisingly layered performance for someone so young. She has a bright future, especially in the horror genre, a scream queen in the making. The other best performer in the movie might be a weird choice to some, but not to those who have seen him in other movies; I’m talking about the awesome Dan Stevens. Yes, just as he was amazing as David Haller AKA Legion AKA the son of Professor X of the X-Men in several seasons of the Legion TV series and most recently, in Godzilla X Kong The New Empire earlier this year, he steals the show yet again in Abigail. Amongst all the ensemble cast members, he delivers the most charismatic and magnetic performance in Abigail, and his role here has made me even more excited for his future roles, including YET another movie in 2024, which will be the horror movie, Cuckoo, later this year.

Despite all the praise I’ve been giving Abigail, it has its flaws. Perhaps the biggest issue that stops Abigail from being a ‘great’ horror movie is how predictable it is. Part of what makes a horror movie memorable is often how shocking or unpredictable it is, especially if it’s your first time watching it. Abigail does thrill with its buckets of blood and cast of characters, but the overall plot and narrative play it a bit too safe and generic for the most part, especially if you’ve seen your fair share of horror movies. In a different universe, Abigail would have been a better first experience if the marketing didn’t spoil the movie as being a vampire movie. Imagine watching Abigail for the first time and not knowing that it’s a vampire movie, everything would hit even harder.

Bloodsucker

Melissa Barrera as Joey in Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett.

Abigail offers buckets of blood in a horror comedy that’s filled with great characters and performances. Again, if you’re a fan of the directing duo’s previous movies like Ready Or Not with a dash of From Dusk Till Dawn, you’ll love this one. Abigail could have been a truly great horror movie if it took more risks with its execution and plot, but as it is, it’s a fun ride for any horror fan to sink their fangs into.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100

We attended a press screening of Abigail courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia. Abigail premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 25 April 2024.