Forget brooding romance and velvet capes—Abigail is here to remind us that vampires can still be terrifying. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (the duo behind Ready or Not and Scream 2022), this new horror-comedy reimagines the vampire mythos for a generation raised on Twilight and craving something far more feral.
Premiering in April 2025, Abigail blends campy thrills with brutal gore and unexpected laughs, delivering a wildly entertaining ride that could signal the start of a full-on vampire renaissance.
A Kidnapping Gone Horribly (and Hilariously) Wrong
The premise is simple, almost absurd: a group of low-rent criminals is hired to kidnap a young girl named Abigail and hold her for ransom in a remote mansion. But their plan starts unraveling when they discover that their tiny hostage is… a vampire. And not just any vampire—an ancient, powerful, ballet-dancing creature with a thirst for blood and zero patience for fools.
The setup echoes classics like From Dusk Till Dawn and The Cabin in the Woods—movies that start in one genre and gleefully twist into another. Here, what begins as a crime thriller quickly spirals into full-blown horror chaos, with limbs flying, alliances shifting, and blood splattering across ornately wallpapered halls.
Abigail Is a Monster You’ll Love to Watch
Alisha Weir (Matilda the Musical) plays the titular vampire with unnerving precision. She’s equal parts innocent and menacing, switching from wide-eyed child to feral predator in a blink. It’s a breakout performance that’s already generating buzz online.
What makes Abigail fascinating is that she’s not here to seduce anyone or deliver existential monologues. She’s here to feast. And somehow, that simplicity feels fresh. In a post-Interview with the Vampire world, we’ve come to expect vampires to be tragic, complex, and romantic. Abigail gleefully throws all that out the window.
Horror Meets Humor—with a Splash of Ballet?
Yes, Abigail is a ballerina. And yes, she dances between bloodbaths. The film leans hard into absurdity, creating moments that are both shocking and hilarious. Think slow-motion pirouettes under strobe lights while henchmen scream in terror.
It’s this tonal balancing act that makes Abigail feel so original. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it never loses its edge. The humor enhances the horror rather than deflating it—a rare trick in genre filmmaking.
A Cast That Knows Exactly What Kind of Movie They’re In
The ensemble cast includes Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, and Melissa Barrera, all chewing scenery with just the right amount of self-awareness. Everyone seems in on the joke, but no one’s phoning it in.
Stevens, in particular, is a standout as the group’s unhinged ringleader. His performance walks the line between menace and melodrama, giving the film a chaotic energy that’s impossible to look away from.
Why “Abigail” Feels So Timely
We live in a cultural moment obsessed with reinvention. Whether it’s Barbie becoming a feminist icon or slasher villains turned into memes, there’s a hunger for stories that subvert the familiar. Abigail does exactly that with vampires.
It taps into nostalgia (vampires!) while rejecting tropes (no romance, no tragic backstory, no sparkles). It’s campy but not cringe, bloody but not bleak. And in doing so, it offers a template for how horror can evolve: by getting weird, getting loud, and having fun while still delivering the scares.
Let the Blood Flow
Abigail isn’t trying to be elevated horror or win awards—it’s trying to entertain you. And it succeeds. With inventive kills, standout performances, and a unique visual style, it brings fresh blood to the vampire genre just when it needed it most.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of bloodsuckers or just looking for your next Friday night thrill, Abigail delivers the chaos. And if this is the future of vampire cinema? We’re all in.
Because sometimes, the most fun monsters are the ones who don’t want your heart—they just want your neck.
By: Valeria Benavides Velarde
