Abigail (Universal/2024)

Alisha Weir in Abigail (2024)

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

Story & Screenplay by Stephen Shields

Screenplay by Guy Busick

CAST: Melissa Barrera (Joey), Dan Stevens (Frank), Alisha Weir (Abigail), William Catlett (Rickles), Kathryn Newton (Sammy), Angus Cloud (Dean), Kevin Durand (Peter), Giancarlo Esposito (Lambert) and Matthew Goode (Father)

Cinematography by Aaron Morton

Music by Brian Tyler

Edited by Michael P. Shawver

Angus Cloud, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, Melissa Barrera, Kevin Durand & William Catlett & in Abigail (2024)

Abigail is an over the top vampire tale that devilishly delivers more laughs than jump scares. The music over the opening credits is Swan Lake which was also over the opening credits in the 1931 production of Dracula.

Gloria Holden in Dracula’s Daughter (1936) The working title for Abigail was Dracula’s Daughter. It is interesting that Universal’s Dracula’s Daughter (1936) ostensibly depicted the events following immediatly after 1931’s Dracula. Frankenstein director, James Whale’s script for the film was rejected for being too bizzare and he left the project. After another director left the picture Lambert Hillyer (who directed mainly westerns) was put in the director’s chair. He was a major reason that even though the film had the highest budget of any of the Universal horror films, it is not as highly regarded as the films that preceded it.

Abigail is the third film based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula to be released in two years. Abigail was preceded by The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), Renfield (2023), and will be followed by the much anticipated Nosferatu in December 2024.

Giancarlo Esposito in Abigail (2024)

The cast plays straight, but there is no mistaking their intent as their exuberant performances keep the film moving at a frantic pace. Melissa Barrera (Joey) leads the misfit band of kidnappers through a grueling night of kidnapping a young ballerina and holding her for ransom. They are met by the creepy Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), who explains the conditions of their illicit employment.

Kathryn Newton, Dan Stevens & Kevin Durand in Abigail (2024)

After the introductions and instructions the group tries to get to know each other, but part of the deal is that they cannot share their real identities and are given code names by Lambert. The names are derived from the Hollywood Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lorre & sometime member Don Rickles). Keeping with their instructions, they do not reveal any information about themselves.

Melissa Barrera & Dan Stevens in Abigail (2024)

That is when Joey exhibits one of her talents and reads each one of her partners in crime, hitting on the truth about each of them. In turn Frank, revealed as an ex-cop, points out traits of Joey that lead him suggest that she is a recovering junkie. The results of the revelations do more to increase tension than bringing them together.

Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton & Melissa Barrera in Abigail (2024)

The directors pull out all of the the stops as the first body is discovered by Sammy (Kathryn Newton). From this moment forward the pace picks up and the claustrophobia presses in. Finally realizing their predicament, the group tries to figure out how to fight the beast that their so called victim has turned out to be. They do so with varying degrees of success and more than a spattering of blood. It becomes clear that they are woefully out matched and then a random ray of sunlight slows down the dancing doom.

Alisha Weir in Abigail (2024)

The crew finds a place to stand in the sunlight and consider their options for fighting the vicious creature. The violence is revved up and leads to an unexpected but bloody satisfying conclusion.

Facts, Rumors, and Hearsay

The directors were so impressed by Alisha Weir’s dancing that they added more dance sequences to the film.

The mansion is the Guinness manor in Dublin, Ireland.

Second film of the year featuring Kathryn Newton based on a classic Universal horror movie after Lisa Frankenstein (2024).

Abigail is a Hebrew name for “my father’s joy”.

Abigail is Melissa Barrera’s first collaboration with Radio Silence outside of the Scream movies.