Abigail comes with plenty of gore, a great twist and brings back to life the mainstream horror movie.
After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. That might might be the official synopsis for the movie, but there is one giant twist that turns it all upside down.
I have felt let down by mainstream horrors in recent years with movies from yesteryear such as Poltergeist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a Nightmare on Elm Street still seeded in my memory. Perhaps surprisingly, Abigail, though set in the present, heralded to a better time in the horror category of films. It was genuinely scary, a more traditional 80’s gorefest and had this reviewer feeling a little uneasy that I was on team Abigail in at least one part of the movie.
It takes at least to the half way point to build the story and move into pure gore, but when it does, it does not stop and the terror lasts to the end.
This is a must for both nostalgic and new horror fans, but good luck having a peaceful sleep after you see it.
RIP Angus Cloud
About the Movie
After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight.
In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl. From Radio Silence—the directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett behind the terrifying modern horror hits Ready or Not, 2022’s Scream and last year’s Scream VI—comes a brash, blood-thirsty new vision of the vampire flick, written by Stephen Shields (The Hole in the Ground, Zombie Bashers) and Guy Busick (Scream franchise, Ready or Not).
Abigail stars Melissa Barrera (Scream franchise, In the Heights), Dan Stevens (Gaslit, Legion), Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Freaky), William Catlett (Black Lightning, True Story), Kevin Durand (Resident Evil: Retribution, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Angus Cloud (Euphoria, North Hollywood) as the kidnappers and Alisha Weir (Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Darklands) as Abigail.
The film is produced by William Sherak (Scream franchise, Ready or Not), Paul Neinstein (Scream franchise; executive producer, The Night Agent) and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Scream franchise) for Project X Entertainment, by Tripp Vinson (Ready or Not, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) and by Radio Silence’s Chad Vilella (executive producer Ready or Not and Scream franchise).
The executive producers are Ron Lynch and Macdara Kelleher.
Abigail – in cinemas now
Media Release – Universal
Link to Universal Pictures HERE
TV Central Movie Previews HERE
Rating
Aaron: 8 / 10 “Universal has brought back the horror film genre we all loved in the 80’s”
Zak: 7.5 / 10 “scary, chilling and a gorefest”
#AbigailTheMovie
@UniversalPicsAU
Abigail
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Cinema Experience:
Universal put on lots of snacks. Super comfortable recliners – perhaps even best in Perth.
