Abigail, a new film directed by the Radio Silence duo team, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillet, follows a group of kidnappers who capture a young girl named Abigail, whom unbeknownst to them, is actually a vampire. The directing duo previously directed Ready or Not, Scream (2022), and Scream VI. They reunite with Melissa Barrera in once again the main role with Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, William Catlett, and Giancarlo Esposito rounding out the rest of the cast. Playing as the titular character Abigail is Alisha Weir who people may know from Matilda the Musical.

Development of this project only became announced in April 2023. Given the Radio Silence’s track record with being able to pump out films rather quickly, it’s no surprise that this team is able to work efficiently. Their resume proves how a directing duo should work, especially with a large ensemble cast. They can work with large cast more efficiently while staying on schedule. With a reported budget of $28 million not accounting for the marketing, the quality of the end product never hinders too much into dissatisfaction.

While I have enjoyed the Radio Silence’s previous films, what got me most excited was seeing this cast. Once again, we get Melissa Barrera in a lead role similar to the two previous Scream films. What we get from Barrera shows that she can lead a cast and carry a lot on her own. Quite frankly, each cast member stands out well, even if they can sometimes be too much like characters from their other films. I’d hate to five anything away here, but I feel like instead of doing something different with their characters, they play too much like what they are known for. Again, each character is great, but they do lack proper characterization, which comes down to the structure.

The structure of the film can be tonally all over the place. Going in, I was aware that it takes the film a while to show who Abigail really is, and they weren’t kidding. I couldn’t look at my phone during the screening, but I can guarantee that the first act takes up half of the movie. The film immediately throws you in the situation as the kidnappers kidnap Abigail. When they drop her off at the designation, Esposito is there with the limited time given to explain a bit of what’s going on, then disappears. The group rendezvous into a bar, and this is where the film lost me. Barrera’s character accurately guesses each character’s background. It’s corny and ridiculous. Instead of giving a natural beginning that leads these characters to this moment, we get what has to be some of the most out of place exposition in quite some time.

Then, as per usual, the group splits up to wander around a creepy house, and this isn’t the first time they do this. They even do it after people start getting killed off! It’s cliche and done so many time before. Once it is shown who Abigail really is, that’s where I was really into the film. What I imagined the film to be is really where the second act is. The action is insane, leading the characters down unpredictable path’s.

This feels like the best time that the two characters that shine the most is played by Kevin Durand and Alisha Weir. Durand, who plays as the brainless brute. I recalled that he also played in a vampire show that I really enjoyed called The Strain. This is a good example of where he plays the opposite of what he played in the show. He’s tough, yet so clueless. Durand gives it his all to his performance and delivers on the funniest lines of the movie. As for Weir, who plays as Abigail, I was impressed by how committed she is to this role and what she is required to do. There’s a scene where she essentially does the exact same thing that Barrera’s character did before with explaining who each character was. I was locked in due to how convincing she was. I would have liked to have known more about all of the characters, but I am good with what we got in this scene.

The third act began to lose me. The writing is not only predictable, but also redundant. Even after watching the film I am realizing how there are more plot holes in the film because of the third act. We get somewhat of a twist that felt so much more dramatic than it needed to be. The real villain does this thing where they want to kill someone, but take their time with it. Then, there’s also the unlikely team-up that I don’t think works. My theater was loving it, but I don’t think over-the-top gore should make up for a lack of writing. At the end of the day, there’s still fun to be had in the final act. I can just see a version with less cringey dialogue and fewer cliches.

If you are familiar with Radio Silence’s previous films, then you probably know what you are getting into. They utilize some of the same tropes they have used before and lack scares; however, it’s worth noting that I did find the cinematography and music to be exceptional. The cinematographer, Aaron Morton uses lighting to set the tone with between warm and cool lighting. Brian Tyler composes the music in a way that identifies the project within itself. The music has a great understanding between bringing the music down in it’s more dramatic moments versus a massive crescendo in its more intense scenes.

Overall, I found Abigail to a good time at the movies that I believe others would also enjoy. Yeah, I am a bit disappointed, because what I was expecting in the first and third act was a bit disappointing. In the end, the technical components make the film thrilling, and some of the performances really makes the film shine.

VERDICT: Pretty Good