What constitutes a good horror movie: likeable main characters? A terrifying villain? A spooky, abandoned mansion with no escape? If these are your requirements, then add “Abigail” to your list.
Coming from the same production team behind “Ready or Not” (2019) and 2022’s “Scream”, “Abigail” has a similar charm and vibe, and certainly an unusual plot. A group of kidnappers target a 12-year-old ballerina, the titular character played by Alisha Weir.
They successfully bring her to an abandoned mansion, where they meet up with their informant Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), who promises each of them a mere $7 million as long as Abigail is kept safe until they can receive the ransom.
As it turns out, being locked in a spooky building for 24 hours with a seemingly innocent girl in a tutu can lead to some untimely, and gruesome, deaths. Abigail is not as sweet as she seems, and the group ends up fighting for their survival by any means necessary.
So, what works here? The star of the show is undoubtedly Weir, who is able to switch from seemingly vulnerable victim to vicious vampire with just a subtle change in her expression and shift in her tone.
The way her character manipulates and plays her kidnappers like a fiddle is brutal and entertaining, making you look forward to seeing what diabolical move she’ll pull next. They say child actors can make or break a film, putting Weir’s performance here solidly in the “win” category.
If you’re looking for well-executed action sequences that end with, well, executions, look no further. There are plenty in “Abigail”, each more over-the-top than the last and bound to satiate your bloodlust.
The grisly goings-on are mostly seen through the eyes of Joey (Melissa Barrera), a former army medic and recovering drug addict tasked with looking after Abigail.
Barrera, who also starred in the latest two “Scream” movies, is an appealing actress who keeps the movie grounded, even when it reaches heights that ask the audience to suspend disbelief.
Her connection with Abigail is maintained throughout the potty proceedings, adding nuance to an otherwise kill-or-be-killed dynamic between the two.
Meanwhile, Dan Stevens plays another kidnapper named Frank, a too-serious former cop who assumes leadership of the gang, seeing himself as the smartest in the room (spoiler alert: he isn’t). While his character isn’t exactly genial, the “Godzilla x Kong” actor makes the role his own with relish.
Kathryn Newton’s Sammy comparatively doesn’t get as much screen time, but the actress manages to make her smarmy hacker persona somewhat likeable and her brattiness even endearing at times.
The team’s muscle Peter (Kevin Durand) is probably the most sympathetic character here, as the jarring contrast between his buff-guy persona and not-too-bright personality lowers his chances of survival more significantly than the others’.
That said, there are a few flaws with this flick, the biggest being its runtime of 109 minutes. There are times you might feel the story drags, with plot points that could be resolved more quickly (or scrapped altogether).
As per standard horror-movie requirements, some characters are also obligated to make decisons any sane person wouldn’t, leaving you frustrated. Let’s split up in this creepy mansion to look for potential exits! That creaky door just opened by itself? Let’s check it out!
But hey, at least the mansion setting, with its rundown gothic vibes and sprawling dread-inducing hallways, are fun to look at.
Overall, though, “Abigail” offers an enjoyable, blood-soaked time for fans of the genre. If anything, Weir’s performance alone is worth your while.
As of press time, ‘Abigail’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.