Abigail

4/25/2024

I don't know that I've heard Tchaikovsky ever used so menacingly before, but here his "Swan Lake" and some deadly pas seul are used to good effect! A group of kidnappers has been assembled by "Lambert" (Giancarlo Esposito) to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy man. They are to whisk her away to a remote, quite spooky, manor house where she is to be held hostage til dad stumps up $50m. Thing is, this butter-wouldn't-melt little girl has a secret even bigger than most of the rather disparate gang of folks who used their complementary skills to snatch her. These folks are led by "Frank" (Dan Stevens) and it's "Joey" (Melissa Barrera) who is left to keep an eye on the young "Abigail" (Alisha Weir). Quite quickly we realise that it's not her who is trapped in their web, but vice-versa and what no

5/10/2024

Abigail isn't exactly a novel idea but its executed convincingly enough to offer up a moderately watchable, horror, experience. In spite of its grounding in vampiric horror, I didn't find Abigail especially frightening. There's no sense of creeping menace and frankly, that's a shame. It does "have a go", so to speak, at first but never really takes it far enough or handles the material subtly enough, to pull it off. Instead, Abigail is more in line with you standard vampire fare, where for the majority of the film you know who and what, you are dealing with. This tends to move the narrative and exposition, more towards a bloody action framework. This film is not unwatchable, don't get me wrong. The acting is decent, the setting appropriately creepy and the horror sequences are po

5/16/2024

Boy did this one catch me by surprise! I absolutely loved watching <em>'Abigail'</em>! An unexpected gem! I knew nothing pre-watch aside from that it was classed, on Wikipedia at least, as horror, so was simply expecting the usual fare à la <em>'Imaginary'</em> and/or <em>'Immaculate'</em> (former bad, latter good fwiw). Clearly, what I in fact saw knocked my socks off! I had a tremendous amount of fun with every second of this, it's unsettling as it is amusing... every department did a grand job! Not even sure where to start with my list of many positives. Alisha Weir is the star of the whole thing, what an utterly brilliant performance from the youngster - so damn convincing, particularly early on. Melissa Barrera is also outstanding, I previously found her fairly forgettable in <e

7/9/2024

Abigail is a fun, action-driven vampire movie that seamlessly blends good comedy with its supernatural elements and violence. The film offers a delightful mix of thrills and humor, making for an enjoyable viewing experience. The standout performances in the film elevate its overall impact. Dan Stevens brings a charismatic presence to his role, delivering both action and comedic moments with ease. Melissa Barrera also shines, adding depth to her character with a nuanced performance. However, it is Alisha Weir as the young vampire Abigail who truly steals the show. Her portrayal is both endearing and fierce, capturing the complexities of a young vampire navigating a chaotic world. It is always a pleasure to see Giancarlo Esposito on screen, and his role in Abigail is no exception. He b

7/15/2024

Not quite as entertaining as Ready or Not, still has plenty of bonker moments, especially the second half. Really liked the performances by Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens, but the others were a lot of fun as well. **3.5/5**

7/17/2024

I feel like “Abigail” is going to be one of those horror movies that audiences and genre fans really like. This latest project from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett has everything you’d want in a film, and it delivers on them all. From its wicked sense of humor and slightly taunting tone to its fully committed, talented cast and plenty of bloody gore, this is one entertaining ride from start to finish. A menagerie of would-be criminals (Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud and William Catlett) have taken a mysterious job at the behest of a man named Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito) to kidnap Abigail (Alisha Weir), the preteen ballerina daughter of a very powerful figure in the underworld. It’s a $50 million ransom and payday, and the gang holes up i