Knock on Wood

This article does not necessarily contain spoilers for Abigail, but it does discuss information revealed in the trailer. If you haven’t seen it, to go in completely blind (as is my recommendation), it might not be the best idea to read this review yet.

I know what you’re thinking – what could this movie possibly be about to warrant a disclaimer?

Abigail, the latest from filmmaking collective Radio Silence (who previously made the meta horror-comedy Ready or Not and the most recent two Scream movies), is a reimagining of the oft-forgotten 1936 Universal horror movie, Dracula’s Daughter. Radio Silence’s take follows six criminals who kidnap the young daughter of a wealthy man, only to discover that she’s a centuries-old vampire.

The film’s trailer, naturally, reveals the twist about halfway through, as a cello-heavy rendition of “Swan Lake” ushers in the big moment in which Abigail first bares her fangs at our intrepid heroes. I can’t shake the thought of how incredible it would have been if that twist was kept secret during the marketing, especially because it comes nearly halfway through the film – in that instance, the suspense and build-up might have felt earned and worthwhile when the penny finally drops.

That’s not to say the first 45 minutes are bad, by any stretch – the natural charisma of the ensemble is more than enough to carry it, and we get some half-decent character work done during that time as well – but when we know what’s coming, the wind gets taken out of the sails before it even gets a chance to blow.

The cast is key to the whole machine working as it’s supposed to. Melissa Barrera plays Joey, an ass-kicking former Army medic and recovering addict; Dan Stevens plays against type – though I’m not even sure what would constitute his “type” anymore – as Frank, a wisecracker with a shady past; Kathryn Newton (one of the best new names in horror) plays Sammy, a young hacker who comes from a wealthy family; the rest of the ensemble includes burly Canadian Peter (Kevin Durand), headstrong sniper Rickles (Will Catlett), and getaway driver Dean (Angus Cloud). Cloud, who’s best known for his memorable role on the HBO series Euphoria, passed away shortly after completing his scenes last summer, and this is his final performance.

Tying it all together is young Irish actress Alisha Weir (who recently starred in Netflix’s Matilda the Musical in the titular role) as the vampiric Abigail. Weir is phenomenal, delivering a quintessential “creepy kid” performance that checks the boxes without falling into the traps; it’s on the same level as her adult co-stars instead of trying too hard to reach those heights. Her performance is a lot of fun (endearing and sweet in one scene, murderously delightful the next) and offers a fresh take on the ancient vampire caricature, which is much needed in a more contained film like Abigail.

Abigail falls directly in the Radio Silence wheelhouse – limited locations, a horrific twist or two, with a few exploding blood splatters thrown in for good measure. I like it for a different reason than I enjoy Scream and Scream VI; while the sequels to the long-running horror franchise are conventionally exciting in their approach to abolishing age-old clichés, Abigail is a standard take on an exciting concept, but with flair-focused filmmakers behind the camera and plenty of story turns that make for a thrilling third act, it’s a scary good time.

Abigail is playing in theaters now.