Review | Abigail movie review: vampire thriller is a short, sharp, satisfying blend of horror and humour
- Alisha Weir stars in the titular role as the 12-year-old ballet-loving crime boss’ daughter who is kidnapped for a US$50 million ransom
- However, Abigail is vampire, and the tables are soon turned on her captors in this film that amusingly riffs on undead mythology and other vampire films
4/5 stars
“I’m sorry about what’s going to happen to you,” says Abigail (Alisha Weir), the 12-year-old ballerina-loving, butter-wouldn’t-melt moppet at the heart of this twisty, knockabout horror-thriller. Talk about a chilling moment.
Kidnapped by a team of pros – all going by fake names – Abigail is brought to an isolated house, where the mastermind of the scheme, Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), is waiting. A hefty US$50 million ransom is the prize. All this gang needs to do is wait out 24 hours and guard Abigail.
A mother-of-one, Joey (Melissa Barrera) is given the task of communicating with the girl, who is blindfolded and tied to the bed. The rest of them only need to keep the house on lockdown.
But it swiftly becomes evident Abigail is no ordinary offspring. Her father is a big-time criminal kingpin, a man so powerful he is practically an urban legend. And she? It turns out that Abigail is a bloodthirsty vampire. Suddenly, it’s a matter of survival at all costs for these would-be extorters.
