A motley crew has been put together to kidnap and hide away a victim for 24 hours for a hefty $50 million ransom. The victim is a little girl, which is a minor setback. The mansion is a little spooky which raises another red flag. But when things take a gory turn for the worse, the crew realises they may have bitten off more than they can chew. 

 

With any movie you don’t want to reveal too much, with horrors the line is even more delicate. You never want to steal away the scares that have been choreographed for the screen. But much like the little girl in the film, Abigail isn’t a movie that is all that it seems. There are elements of Ready or Not, and a nod to the ballerina from The Cabin in the Woods, Abigail does bring its own distinct flavour to the genre.

 

While it is true to horror elements and rules, right down to a delightfully excessive amount of gore and a few fun jumps and screams, Abigail also leans into a few of my other favourite things. A handful of laughs are splattered about the plot. And also while the film isn’t a heist per say, the characters are familiar stereotypes, really leaning into each of their well defined roles. This genre mashup is refreshing!

 

Thinking of roles, Melissa Barrera is killing it in the horror scene. Taking lead in the Scream reboots, she brings the same kick ass characterisation here. Barrera really gets you rooting for her from the get go. Our little girl Abigail herself is played by Alisha Weir, who you may remember from Matilda the Musical, though a wildly different setting here, Weir is still able to flex her dancing skills as she pirouettes about the mansion. Both Barrera and Weir brought their own killer performances to the screen, and the rest of the ensemble cast elevated the whole film - in particular Dan Stevens and Kathryn Newton.

 

Abigail is a joyful ride, borrowing from other genres to spice up the horror. There aren’t any dull moments. It’s a film to be seen in theatres with an audience to amplify those jumps and gory splatters, then to laugh together in a brief reprieve. I pinky promise if you enjoy horror you’ll love Abigail.