In a spooky coincidence, both 2023 and 2024 saw horror films about females with daddy issues, with both titular characters bearing the name, Abigail.
Director: Melissa Vitello
Writers: Gunnar Garrett
The first, released in 2023, takes place in the 1970s and combines a small town coming-of-age tale with a slasher movie.
A peculiar girl and her mother move to the heartlands to escape a dark past. Dark pasts have a way of catching up with people and the town's crime and death rate both receive an unhealthy boost. Abigail's new friend, Lucas, knows what is happening and who is responsible. He remains uncertain about what he should do. Think of it as an After-school Special about bullying and friendship that turns really disturbing.
While the first major twist will be obvious to most viewers, I don't think I am alone in not seeing the final one coming. I should have, really, but they handle it well, and the film which gets us there works on its own terms. The acting, typical of low-budget movies, is uneven. Ava Cantrell, who plays this Abigail, does well, and may be destined for better things. Lucas (Tren Reed-Brown) faces genuinely difficult decisions. The script does not consistently make the most of its premise and setting. It's also difficult to believe that, even in the 1970s, the actions of the various teenage characters, antagonists and protagonists, would not result in far more serious consequences from the powers that be.
Of course, people who run afoul of Abigail face serious consequences indeed.
The particular blend of genres demonstrates some originality, but a lot of what occurs is clichéd and derivative. It's watchable as a low-budget thriller/slasher, but not particularly memorable.
A different Abigail appeared in 2024. It's a lot more fun, and its central character has a little more bite.
"I for one would like to revisit the 'cut and run' idea."
--Rickles, Abigail.
There's a far funnier quotation about onions, but it amount to a spoiler.
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Writers: Stephen Shields, Guy Busick
Alisha Weir as Abigail
Melissa Barrera as Joey
Dan Stevens as Frank
William Catlett as Rickles
Kathryn Newton as Sammy
Kevin Durand as Peter
Angus Cloud as Dean
Giancarlo Esposito as Lambert
Matthew Goode as Kristof Lazar
A criminal agent assembles a team for a job: kidnap a wealthy man's 12-year-old daughter and hold her in a creepy-looking old mansion until he pays ransom. Their plans go south very quickly as they discover that (1) the girl's father is a legendary and particularly nasty crime boss and (2) his daughter is more resourceful than they realize.
The film gets points for its self-awareness. We're on a Halloween thrill ride, and most of the movie delivers remarkably well when viewed on that level. We're in a type of movie that has become familiar: a B movie premise, on which the studio has lavished an A level budget and cast talented name actors. The experience gets enhanced by the ensemble. They develop and amusing repartee and demonstrate real chemistry. We have some feeling for them as their situation turns grim. Of course, they agreed to kidnap a child and the danger that they find themselves in amounts to poetic justice. Violent and bloody poetic justice, but possibly they should have made better lifestyle choices. In addition, the old trope of having an ill-assorted group work together when faced with danger gets complicated by the fact that most of these characters would sell each other out in a heartbeat.
Abigail herself makes for a fascinating character. She may not be what she seems, but Alisha Weir is a child actress and she she gives a performance worthy of someone beyond her years. Weir learned ballet for her role, and reportedly does most of her own stunts.1 The repartee and chemistry of the kidnappers, stereotypical though some of them are, enhances both the horrific and comic elements.
The film has its flaws. It features too much action movie nonsense wherein people bounce back from injuries that would disable them. I recognize that this is a horror-comedy, but the level of stylization detracts from the horror, and it's not enough of a comedy for this particular stylistic flourish to really work.
We also have the matter of the plot twists.
The first, and best, main twist gets spoiled by the trailer and promotional material. I know they wanted to reach the horror market, but I would have enjoyed the film more. The second major twist should be obvious once you know the first, and the third was required in order for the story to make sense.
If you watch horror movies or read mystery novels, you likely can list at least five obvious influences. Most will be from a certain horror subgenre, but viewers might also notice connections to the traditional, often cozy, mystery novel in this not-remotely -cozy, movie. Violence is at an R-rated level and blood flows freely.
After several failed attempts at creating a Classic Monsters-verse for the modern era, Universal decided to make each film stand alone. Actually, the original Universal monsters also started that way (though individual films had sequels), and only later did the studio stitch together a shared universe. That approach could work here and, depending on the actual identity of a certain character2, the film could easily become a backdoor pilot for such a franchise.
That amounts to a footnote. Abigail, which delivers its frights and fun in the spirit of a haunted attraction, makes for excellent Halloween viewing.
1. Weir discusses her preparation and experiences in "Matilda star Alisha Weir: I'm back at school, I want to do my Junior Cert". The Sunday Times. April 28, 2024.
2. The film's MOUSE OVER FOR SPOILERIFIC NOTE.
On another note, a brief reference does establish a connection between this film and Ready or Not (the 2019 thriller, not the 1990s tween drama), with which it shares a directorial team.
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