‘Abigail’ Review
Stars: Alisha Weir, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito | Written by Stephen Shields, Guy Busick | Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
A ragtag crew of criminals and hackers is assembled by Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), working for someone he isn’t allowed to name. The crew’s job is to kidnap a young girl (Alisha Weir) and bring her to a seemingly abandoned house, watching her for 24 hours until her father pays up a ransom. What they don’t realize is they are way in over their heads — and nothing is as it seems.
In a year of commercially mid releases, horror films are having a field day. Already wiping the competition with movies including The First Omen and Immaculate, the genre has turned to child ballerina gone wrong in order to execute the early 2024 trifecta. Out of the three, Abigail is easily the weakest link — but it almost is arguably the most entertaining. Allowing 2020s scream queen Melissa Barrera a place to shine after her divisive sacking from the infamous franchise, the film’s cast plays into hard-worn tropes without taking itself too seriously.
Don’t be fooled… this doesn’t mean that Abigail’s plot is without holes. Hastily jumbled together like a faulty wire you can’t properly afford to get fixed, the movie’s storyline judders through numerous subtle inconsistencies to deliver a completely unbelievable ending. However, if you can move past the moments that don’t make total sense, the payoff is an incredibly fun ride. Working together to unravel the mystery of their assignment — and then of the surprise vampire child herself — each of our cast members tackles a fairly typical stereotype in the world of haunting house horror killings, but it’s almost as if the characters know this. Resigning themselves to their boundaries and choosing to fully embrace them, our team are masters of their own abilities, never taking themselves too seriously by delivering unexpected laughs along the way.
Where Barrera would likely be the standout performance thanks to her previous squeamish credits, it’s Alisha Weir who steals the show. In only her second feature performance after Matilda, she plays a role well beyond her years, acting with just as much playfulness as there is maturity. Frankly, it would be a miracle if Weir managed to get through the entire filming process unscathed by nightmares, spending a fair amount of time covered head to toe with guts and blood. That being said, her subplot ballerina fantasy doesn’t always stick. It’s perhaps one too many details to add dance to an already-laden vampire horror story, but it does make for some pretty unique kills
For the faint of heart, Abigail could likely be a pukefest. With notable scenes towards the end of the movie potentially clearing out stomachs, the movie is a fun ride even if it isn’t the most cohesive one. There’s a particular pang of pain when it comes to recognising the work of Angus Cloud, who delivers the most authentic comic relief out of the entire cast. While he will always be missed, his last acting appearance is one he could well be proud of.
*** 3/5
Abigail is in cinemas now.
