A nonetheless from ‘Abigail’
From the creatives behind the current Scream sequels and Ready or Not comes a B-movie masquerading as yet one more genre-defying revelation. Abigail serves up a bloody concoction of drained vampire tropes and half-baked humour that leaves us thirsting for one thing, something, with a bit extra chew.
The premise of this undead debacle begins off with some promise — a ragtag crew of criminals embark on a daring kidnapping mission, solely to comprehend they’ve bitten off greater than they’ll chew. From the outset, it’s clear that Abigail suffers from an identification disaster of epic proportions. Is it a contemporary spin on Dracula’s Daughter? Is it a heist flick? A creature function? Or maybe simply one other misguided try from Universal at relevance within the oversaturation of its very personal Monsterverse. Whatever the movie was attempting to be, the outcome looks like a relic from a bygone period stumbling over its personal cape and unexpectedly up to date with all the trite clichés of latest horror sensibilities.
Of the movie’s many egregious missteps, its dealing with of the titular character, Abigail, would have Tchaikovsky rolling in his grave. While Alisha Weir admirably sinks her tooth into her position as a ballerina vampire, the character itself is extra grating than partaking, veering dangerously near caricature territory. Unfortunately, the character’s sarcastic quips and penchant for psychological thoughts video games really feel extra toothless than terrifying, leaving us eager for the times when vampires had been extra Bram Stoker and much less… pirouetting to Swan Lake.
Abigail (English)
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Cast: Alisha Weir, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito
Runtime: 109 minutes
Storyline: A gaggle of would-be criminals kidnap a little bit lady who is truly a bloodthirsty vampire.
The supporting forged fares a little bit higher, with performances that vary from picket to downright cringe-worthy. The movie’s makes an attempt at being humorous fall painfully flat, with characters spouting off an infinite barrage of insipid profanities which can be about as contemporary because the bag of onions that makes a short-lived cameo. Melissa Barrera struggles to persuade because the movie’s ethical compass and Dan Stevens flounders in a task that looks like each villainous stereotype rolled into one.
What may have been a worthy send-off to the late Angus Cloud is lowered to nothing greater than a typecast — his character only a blander rehash of his dimwitted stoner from Euphoria. Even the often dependable Giancarlo Esposito fails to raise the fabric, his presence serving as little greater than a reminder of the movie’s wasted potential.
Alisha Weir because the titular Abigail
Visually, Abigail manages to conjure up some semblance of ambiance, thanks in no small half to The First Omen’s Aaron Morton’s cinematography, imbuing the movie’s gothic setting with a sure macabre appeal. However, any aesthetic deserves are overshadowed by the movie’s over-reliance on low cost gore and predictable scares.
Ultimately, Abigail is all style and no substance. While it could have some fleeting moments of leisure worth, they’re finally overshadowed by its myriad shortcomings. Abigail stands as yet one more cautionary story of what occurs when creativity takes a backseat to commercialism.
As the credit roll, one can’t assist however really feel a pang of disappointment over what may have been had the filmmakers dared to assume only a tad bit extra exterior the coffin. Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, you would possibly wish to sink your tooth into one thing extra satisfying.
Abigail is at present working in theatres