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Abigail

A slick, blood-splattered horror-comedy with a strong hook, energetic ensemble, and a playful twist on the home-invasion/kidnapping setup. It’s most appealing if you want a crowd-pleasing, gore-forward genre ride rather than a deeply scary or especially fresh vampire story.

Abigail

Where to watch: Buy

Movie · Horror · Thriller

Tue · 1h 49m

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Starring: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir

Overview

A group of criminals kidnap a teenage ballet dancer, the daughter of a notorious gang leader, in order to obtain a ransom of $50 million, but over time, they discover that she is not just an ordinary girl. After the kidnappers begin to diminish, one by one, they discover, to their increasing horror, that they are locked inside with no normal little girl.

Director

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Cast

Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir

Curator Review

Verdict

A slick, blood-splattered horror-comedy with a strong hook, energetic ensemble, and a playful twist on the home-invasion/kidnapping setup. It’s most appealing if you want a crowd-pleasing, gore-forward genre ride rather than a deeply scary or especially fresh vampire story.

Best for

  • fans of horror-comedy with a high body count
  • viewers who like stylish, ensemble-driven genre movies
  • people looking for a fun, mean, midnight-movie energy
  • audiences who enjoy twisty captivity thrillers with practical gore

Skip if

  • you want sustained dread or serious horror
  • you dislike campy humor mixed with violence
  • you prefer tightly grounded crime thrillers
  • you are tired of vampire-adjacent genre mashups

Overview

Abigail works best as a glossy, nasty piece of genre entertainment: a kidnapping thriller that keeps mutating into something much more unhinged. The setup is simple, the pacing is brisk, and the movie knows exactly when to lean into banter, blood, and absurdity. It’s not subtle, but it is committed.

Worth noting

The cast gives it a lot of bounce, especially once the film reveals what kind of monster movie it really wants to be. The tonal blend is the main selling point: part siege movie, part dark comedy, part creature feature. When it’s clicking, it feels like a late-night crowd movie built for gasps and laughs.

Bottom line

That said, the film’s appeal is narrower than its premise suggests. If you want genuine terror or a more disciplined thriller, it can feel a little too jokey and familiar. But if you’re in the mood for blood, attitude, and a few sharp surprises, it delivers enough to make the ride worthwhile.

Top Letterboxd reviews

KMeeks (2.5★) · 10352 likes

7-foot muscular Elon Musk has great comedic delivery

zoë rose bryant (3.5★) · 10149 likes

melissa barrera covered in blood is my favorite genre

vasili (4★) · 7485 likes

god forbid women have hobbies

ram<3 (4★) · 5479 likes

ATE (literally) SLAYED (literally) SERVED (literally)

jonathan fujii (3★) · 5475 likes

Actors look better when covered in blood In this essay I will

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Themes

kidnapping, vampires, home-invasion horror, dark comedy, ensemble survival, criminals in over their heads, blood and gore, twist reveal

Topics

horror-comedy, vampire thriller, home invasion, darkly comic, gory, ensemble cast, siege, midnight movie, survival horror, twist ending

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