2024
Abigail (2024) is a film that I have been dying to see for what feels like over a year now, but I have been waiting for it to show up on a streaming service that didn’t require any extra money from me. As of yesterday, I gave up. I could wait no longer!
It starts as a crime heist kidnapping movie that gets hijacked by a monster movie. The narrative opens with a meticulously orchestrated abduction: a cadre of criminals extract young Abigail from her ballet recital, whisking her away to a secluded estate that may well be her own domicile. They’re all going by fake names, but we know the leader is actually Matthew Crawley and the guy who hired him is Gus Fring of Los Pollos Hermanos! Anyway, what begins as a calculated ransom scheme rapidly devolves into a nightmarish ordeal, as the captors find themselves ensnared in a situation far beyond their comprehension or control when they realize that the tiny dancer is a vengeful vampire.
So far, I have told you nothing that you haven’t already seen in the trailer, and I don’t think I will reveal much more than that. What I will do, however, is tell a story via my favorite screencaps.
Here we have the soon departed Dean (also RIP Angus McCloud) investigating some noises in a subterranean basement kitchen, a sort of haunted Williams Sonoma advert, that inexplicably has a bowl of fresh fruit on the table and an industrial bread mixer on the floor. What a strange culinary twilight zone. Maybe vampires are really into sourdough?
Abigail’s transformation is stark and unsettling. Her ballet costume is drenched in crimson, her face is a canvas of gore, and her eyes remain hauntingly beautiful. But it’s her grin that is awesomely unnerving—rows of fanged teeth gleaming, a predator’s smile ripping across a child’s face. Ethereal and monstrous. Am I terrified of her? Undoubtedly. Do I love her? ABSOLUTELY.
A marble sentinel stands frozen in the attic, nature reclaiming art in the most unlikely of places. Our intrepid criminals stumble upon this ghostly gallery, only to find their colleague has joined the undead ranks. She attacks with newfound fangs and superhuman strength, but I can’t help being distracted by these statues. Who curates a sculpture garden in their attic?
Abigail’s choice of footwear is a dazzling spectacle amidst the carnage. Encrusted with silver glitter that catches the light with every movement and emblazoned with charming pink stars, they’re such a whimsical witness to the dark deeds of the evening. Ballet shoes might be elegant, but they’re hardly ideal for the messy work of hunting down your kidnappers and draining them of their delicious blood. Our girl Abigail knows that when it comes to a proper rampage, traction is key. It’s nice to see a monster with both a sense of style and sensible shoes. Who says you can’t be cute while terrorizing your captors?
Ok, I actually have no notes on this one. Perfection.
What I truly appreciated about Abigail is its refreshing approach to the vampire reveal. Unlike countless other films where characters spend precious screen time in denial, this gang swiftly accepts the bloodsucking reality they’re facing. There’s no tedious dithering or drawn-out disbelief – they see a vampire, they believe in vampires. It’s as simple as that.
This approach felt wonderfully respectful of the audience. Let’s face it, we all knew Abigail was a vampire from the trailer. The directors acknowledged this and aligned the characters’ knowledge with ours, cutting straight to the chase. It’s as if they said, “We know you know, and now the characters know too, so let’s get to the good stuff.” By skipping the usual skepticism and existential crises, Abigail cuts out all the fluff and dives headlong into the action–and I adored every crazy, gruesome minute of it.
Day Seven of 31 Days Of Horror in years past: 2023 // 2022 // 2021
If you enjoy posts like these or if you have ever enjoyed or been inspired by something I have written, and you would like to support this blog, consider buying the author a coffee?
