Abigail (2024), directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, stars Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, William Catlett, and Giancarlo Esposito. The film follows a group of criminals who are hired to kidnap a powerful man’s pre-teen daughter. As they wait for the ransom, they are instructed to hold up in an extravagant mansion that seems too good to be true. As members of the group begin to turn up dead, it soon becomes clear that Abigail, the girl they kidnapped, is actually a blood-sucking creature of the night. Led by ex-addict, Joey (Barrera), and ex-cop, Frank (Stevens), the group is forced to fight for their lives during a night of bloody dismemberment.

The film’s dynamite characters elevate this above the typical vampire romp. The film takes its time to build each of its characters (even if they are dispatched early on). The directors seem to understand that this formula is built on the uniqueness of its victim characters. Their frustrations, motivations, and quirks all lead to some great clashing dialogue and funny character moments. Movies like this aren’t meant to be scary as much as they are meant to be fun. Thankfully, the cast and directors seem to realize this. It’s clear that this is heavily inspired by eighties vampire films such as Fright Night (1985) and The Lost Boys (1987). Those movies have horror-fun down to a science. 

Melissa Barerra is a strong lead, Kathryn Newton and Kevin Durand give strong comedic performances, and Dan Stevens steals the show. Stevens provides a level of leading-man energy that makes me wonder why he isn’t the star of significantly more films. It’s almost overwhelming how entertaining he is here. Scummy characters like this are rarely this much fun.

The film is paced better than just about any “trapped in a house” film I’ve ever seen but that doesn’t mean it’s subversive enough to feel new. Although the characters elevate the film, the plot is pretty unoriginal. Even the film’s climax, which is a real barn burner, feels a bit inspired by other vampire films. The film even tries to subvert what we know about the rules of vampires but doesn’t ever go far enough. The subversions that are made are a bit obvious and don’t change the overall effect of the vampire in any significant way. Even the order in which certain characters are killed off is predictable. Again none of this really hurts the film considering the outrageously fun cast, but they are areas that could have used a bit more originality. 

What really bothered me about this film was that It features an ending that feels like it has “studio mandate” written all over it. The film just feels so creatively free for 95 percent of its runtime that the tacked-on “there could be a sequel if you want it” ending makes me want to hurl. 

The directors just seem to know what their audience wants. Carnage candy, good comedic timing, and characters that are complex and likeable. This really is a simple film but it feels like it’s made by people who love this level of simplicity. Movies like this are about the small details and this film has small details in spades. 

Overall, this is nothing new, but it might feel new to a majority of audiences. This revives the fun vampire films of the 80’s that many audiences probably haven’t yet experienced. It also cements Dan Stevens as one of the most charismatic actors working in Hollywood today. Although it’s less original than some critics have been leading people to believe, it’s an undeniable injection of pure, gothic fun. If you enjoy vampires in any capacity, Abigail (2024) is a must-watch. B