A group of would-be criminals kidnaps the 12-year-old daughter of a powerful underworld figure. Holding her for ransom in an isolated mansion, their plan starts to unravel when they discover their young captive is actually a bloodthirsty vampire. AA film by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Alisha Weir, Giancarlo Esposito, and Matthew Goode.

A group of kidnappers plans to abduct Abigail (Alisha Weir), a young ballerina from a mysteriously wealthy family. Hacker Sammy (Kathryn Newton) successfully breaches the mansion’s security system, allowing the crew led by Frank (Dan Stevens), including Joey (Melissa Barrera) and Peter (Kevin Durand), to break into the luxurious mansion.

Sniper Rickles (William Catlett) takes up his position on the roof for surveillance. Joey uses a tranquilizer to render Abigail unconscious. Peter carries the girl back to the van where the driver Dean (Angus Cloud), and Sammy await them. They quickly transport Abigail out of the city to a secluded location, following their instructions.

Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), the kidnappers’ boss, waits for them at the secluded mansion, ordering them to find a room and lock the girl inside. Lambert then explains that each of the crew member were recruited for their unique skillsets. He assigns Joey, already reluctant, when she realizes the job involves kidnapping the girl, to take care of her.

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@pradt

ABIGAIL 🩸
Children can be such monsters.
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A film by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Alisha Weir, Giancarlo Esposito, and Matthew Goode.

Their job is to babysit the girl here and lay low for 24 hours then they will receive an equal share a $50 million ransom collected from the girl’s father. Lambert then collects all their cellphone to ensure that none of them can be tracked, before he leaves the mansion.

Upon learning the girl is the daughter of powerful crimelord Kristof Lazar, Frank decides to forfeit his share and tries to flee. The crew argues about their options: run or stick it out for the night and get $7 million each. Frank has a change of heart, figuring it might be worth the gamble since all they have to do now is guard against any potential threats for the next 22 hours.

With nothing much to do, Dean strolls around the mansion by himself. He ventures through a dark hallway and finds an old mural painting depicting the mansion with dragons flying above it. On the same wall, he notices a painting of a young girl with an uncanny resemblance to Abigail. Suddenly, Dean believes he hears something coming from the basement. He enters to investigate, only to be attacked by an unseen assailant.

The crew gathers in the kitchen, where Sammy discovers Dean’s decapitated body sitting at the dining table. Panic sets in as they discuss what or who could be strong enough to rip Dean apart. Joey suggests it might be the work of Lazar’s hitman, Valdez. Rickles fills in the crew with the urban legend of Valdez, a hitman known for decapitating Lazar’s top guys who turned against him. According to the story, Valdez took them out while they were holed up in a room on the top floor of a hotel, with no way in or out except the front door guarded by FBI agents and a window on the 23rd story.

The crew realizes they are no match for Valdez and decides to flee. But as they rush to the front gate, they discover it’s locked. Peter attempts to break through with brute force, but instead triggers the security system. Iron panels slam shut, sealing every window in the mansion. A horrifying realization dawns on them: the entire kidnapping scheme was a trap. They’re locked inside with the murderous Valdez potentially lurking somewhere within the mansion.

Directed by American filmmaker duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett with an original screenplay written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, Abigail is such a breath of fresh air, bringing a comedic element to the well-worn vampire trope.

The film even makes fun of traditional vampire rules, such as vampires being believed to be scared of garlic and holy crosses, which aren’t the case in the film. Some rules are still valid, such as vampires cannot withstand sunlight and they can transform humans into vampires, breaking some vampire norms that usually state that only a few master-level vampires can create other vampires.

The story itself, however, is a bit too predictable. From the moment the crew brings the girl to a sprawling, deserted manor instead of a typical cramped safehouse, it becomes obvious that the kidnappers are actually the ones walking into a trap. It is easy to guess that the setup was devised by her father or possibly even the girl herself. Still, the film’s real appeal likely lies elsewhere, perhaps in its comedic elements or unique take on vampire lore.

Other than the appearance of Kristof Lazaar, played by Matthew Goode (who previously played a vampire in the British fantasy television series, A Discovery of Witches), there is no surprising twist. Goode is known for his seemingly ageless appearance, having maintained a youthful look for years.

Abigail offers plenty of comedic entertainment by playfully keeping viewers guessing which kidnapper will be the next to fall prey to the murderous vampiric girl, who has seemingly lived for centuries or even millennia. However, the film does suffer from a few dragging moments. The pacing really takes a hit during the girl’s dance sequence, which feels more like an out-of-place music video set to distracting music. A tighter runtime of 95 minutes or less would have been ideal.

I wish Angus Cloud had a larger role in this film. He was such a talented actor with a distinctive look, who unfortunately passed away prematurely.

ABIGAIL premiered at the Overlook Film Festival on 7 April 2024. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 19 April.