I think that the golden age of horror movies was the 1930’s, particularly from the Universal studios. Abigail has been advertised as a re-imagining, by writers Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, of one of the key films of that era, Dracula’s Daughter (1936). It is brought to the screen by directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and stars Alisha Weir as the title character.
The supporting cast that includes Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, and Giancarlo Esposito is impressive. Also, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have an excellent recent filmography, with the last three films they directed being the latest two parts in the Scream franchise and Ready or Not.
It has been a while since I have seen Dracula’s Daughter, so I thought I would take another look at it. Apart from being about the daughter of a vampire – Abigail’s father may be Dracula though that is not explicitly said – and a sprinkling of humour amongst the horror, something that works much better in the new film, there is no similarity at all. Dracula’s Daughter is all about atmosphere and suggestion, including of lesbianism, whereas Abigail is awash in violence and gore. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Theme from Swan Lake features heavily in Abigail but that appeared only in 1931’s Dracula, the movie that Dracula’s Daughter was a sequel to.
Abigail appears to be a sweet but spoilt 12 year old who is obsessed with ballet. A group of criminals, hired to kidnap and hold her for ransom, arrive at the house where they find out the gruesome truth about the girl.
I have seen a lot of better films this year but probably nothing that is this much fun since The Beekeeper. The set up is done neatly and once the carnage starts there is a pleasing mix of scares and chuckles, made more effective to the well drawn characters. Like in Godzilla x Kong, Stevens has a blast and Weir, Barrera and Newton are all great.
It does run out of a little steam at the climax, but until then Abigail was a bloody, silly, good time.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10