by Rosa Parra
“Abigail” follows a young girl who is kidnapped by a group of individuals to earn some quick ransom money. Little do these people know is that the little girl they kidnapped isn’t as innocent, much less as childlike as she seems. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, it stars Alisha Weir as Abigail, alongside Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett and Angus Cloud (in one of his last roles before his unexpected death last summer).
In complete transparency, I went into this film solely to support Barrera. Her unjust treatment by Spyglass Entertainment has been in the headlines since they parted ways, and I’m committed to supporting her work as an attempt to showcase my respect and admiration towards her bravery and resilience.
“Abigail” is a fun time in the movie theater though. It reminded me a lot of “Ready or Not” (2019) with its atmosphere, kills, and production design. This film perfectly incorporated the vampire tropes and made it a bloody entertaining time. The film isn’t necessarily scary, but it expertly fuses vampires with comedy which is further elevated by strong performances all around.
Alisha Weir as Abigail is a complete revelation. Her ability to maneuver between an innocent young girl and a menacing, hungry-driven vampire is astonishing. Stevens genuinely surprised me with his layered performance. Durand and Newton’s comedic timing is impeccable, adding a balanced dose of levity. But Barrera has officially cemented herself as a Hollywood star. She has such charisma that’s further accentuated by her versatile talent. She can do it all: drama, horror, musicals, comedy. I’m officially labeling her the Scream Queen.
“Abigail” does take a little bit for it to get started, but once it does, it does not stop. Some twists and turns in the third act play out wonderfully. Depending on your tolerance for blood and gore, that final act may be a bit too much. For me, it worked perfectly.
Overall, “Abigail” is an excellent addition to the vampire genre—a movie with performances that elevate this story. Next time you witness a young girl dancing ballet with such gravitas and passion, your inner voice may subconsciously trick you into thinking that you may be in the presence of Abigail.
4/5