Flick Is Early Frontrunner for Horror Film of the Year

Morgan Nunley/Managing Editor – News and Sports

Do you want to see a movie with the premise of a little girl who loves ballet and also happens to be a vampire? Good. Me, too. The initial synopsis of this film isn’t all that it has to offer either. With an insanely talented cast, a great team of writers and directors, and with the requisite twists and turns, the film keeps every audience member on the edge of their seat, and by the time the film’s final reel is played, it leaves the vast majority of the cinema in both awe and excitement.

So, let’s start with the basics. “Abigail” is a 2024 vampire horror flick helmed by the directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and the production team Radio Silence, the creatives behind 2019’s “Ready or Not,” the entire V/H/S franchise, and the last two Scream films, “Scream V” and “Scream VI.” The duo, along with the entire team at Radio Silence Productions, have become staples of the horror genre in recent years with the release of all of the films mentioned above, and the critical and audience acclaim that these films have received.

The film features a star-studded cast that includes Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, William Catlett, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud in his final film role, Giancarlo Esposito, and Alisha Weir playing the titular little girl “Abigail.” The screenwriting was done by Stephen Shields, a relatively new name in the film community, and Guy Busick, a frequent collaborator of the two directors as he was one of the writers for “Ready or Not” and the two Scream films.

Other key contributors to the film included the editor Michael P. Shawver, who was an editor for films like Creed, the two Black Panther films, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and A Quiet Place Part II. The cinematographer, Aaron Morton, was the director of photography on the Evil Dead remake from 2013, with that film and Abigail having similar lighting and color palettes that are mixed and blended together tremendously to create an almost red tint in both films. Morton was also a cinematographer for two episodes of “Black Mirror,” as well as another critically acclaimed April release from 2024, “The First Omen.”

The final contributor to the film that needs to be mentioned before we delve into the film itself is the composer Brian Tyler, another frequent collaborator of the directors and Radio Silence, with his compositions of the previously mentioned Radio Silence productions. Tyler is a legend of modern film composition, with his credits including but not limited to:

  • Eight of the ten Fast and Furious films
  • Constantine
  • The final two Rambo films
  • The last two Final Destination films
  • Law Abiding Citizen
  • The Expendables trilogy
  • Iron Man 3
  • Thor: Dark World
  • 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie

That is a lot, yes, and, as if that isn’t enough, he was the composer for one of my favorite films of all time, 2002’s “Frailty.” Tyler creates an atmospheric score for “Abigail” that mirrors the actions of the characters and creates tension whenever necessary. His pacing and beats added to every scene, while also not overpowering the acting, directing, or the writing. All of this can also be attributed to the amazing editing by Shawver, and how he blends the shots and scenes together so well. Everything done on screen has a deliberate motive and every action by the characters is picked up on by the editing and shot selection.

The characters and their respective actor performances all sell the story and suspend the disbelief of the audience to understand that this is how these characters would properly react to the situation they are put in.

Barrera continues to build her reputation as a rising “scream queen” with her performance in this film. She is able to bring certain sympathetic elements to an obviously conflicted and emotionally wounded character, while also maintaining a believable relationship with the other characters, particularly Abigail.

Stevens shines in his role, particularly in the third act of the film, and he continues to show why he is becoming a “leading man” in Hollywood. His role is used for the majority of moving the plot forward, while also allowing the character to show some comedic elements and timing at certain moments of the film.

Character actors like Durand, Catlett, Newton, Esposito, and Cloud also give memorable performances as their respective characters. Each actor brings the character to life and portrays every little motion or “tick” that character might have or even say in this situation.

Durand, Newton, and Cloud are used brilliantly for their comedy and their reactions to certain scenes and dialogue, while Catlett and Esposito’s characters were more plot focused and continued to advance the story. The two would also provide their own intricacies and interactions, particularly with Barrera and Stevens, respectively.

It does go without saying, however, that the star of the show is Weir in her role as Abigail. Weir clearly took the Isabelle Fuhrman template from the Orphan films and cranked up the raw ferocity of a killer little girl. Weir is able to maintain a level of composure and calm when necessary, while also displaying rage, and even sadness when the story calls for it. She was phenomenal in the role, and I don’t think anyone else is better suited for the character.

Every character has something memorable about them in the film, which is something that not many horror films can claim to be true. The film is unlike most of the others in the genre in that it places the focus on building characters and the dynamics between them before kicking off the inevitable carnage of the story.

The two directors continue to make their case as modern horror icons in the directing space. Their films continue to impress and stand out amongst the other horror films of their time. These two are names that will continue to rise in the horror community and in the film community as a whole. Some of the shots and angles in this film are done with precision and beauty, particularly of the house that the plot takes place in.

The only negative that I have regarding this film is that one character is mentioned at multiple points throughout and I think that the eventual payoff that we got for that moment was a bit underwhelming. Interestingly enough, this film has the opposite problem of most modern films in that I, personally, think the film could have added another 10-15 minutes, without complaint and that moment could have been fleshed out a little bit more, no pun intended.

One final point of contention of this film is the trailer. While I didn’t watch it until after I saw the film, I would personally agree the trailer does give away too much of the plot and reveals, but the film itself isn’t trying to hide that Abigail is a vampire. From the opening scene and even some of the early dialogue the character gives, it was obvious where things were heading.

I would highly recommend walking into this film with either no knowledge at all or simply the knowledge of the premise of the film, that being a vampire ballerina little girl.

Overall, this is the revitalization that the vampire sub-genre desperately needed, and hopefully with the success and critical reception of “Abigail,” studios will see that it has been long enough. Bring back epic, and dare I say bloody vampire flicks.