Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's new vampire movie Abigail has pulled in a bunch of glowing first reactions ahead of its release, with critics calling it bloodsoaked, bonkers, and "the most fun" horror of 2024.
The film was screened at the Overlook Film Fest, a New Orleans-based genre event, recently, and seemed to go down well with viewers, who took to Twitter afterwards to gush about what they'd just seen. Some even compared it to the likes of fan(g) favorites The Lost Boys and Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Till Dawn.
Starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and Matilda breakout Alisha Weir in the titular role, it follows a ragtag team of kidnappers who realize too late that the 12-year-old girl they've been asked to keep captive isn't just the daughter of a mysterious, wealthy man; she's a bloodsucking, manipulative monster, and a ballet-dancing one at that... Kathryn Newton, Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Durand, Will Catlett, and the late Angus Cloud round out the cast.
"A blood-soaked blast that doesn't pull any punches or fangs, ABIGAIL goes for the jugular with gory glee from start to finish. Such a fun screening! I have a feeling that David from THE LOST BOYS would approve…" wrote Daily Dead News editor Derek Anderson, who dressed up as Kiefer Sutherland's character from the aforementioned 1987 classic, for the occasion.
"[Abigail] is everything I want in a vampire flick: great characters, big laughs, and gallons of blood! The most fun I've had in the theater this year and I'm happy this sub-genre is making a big return," said YouTube's Cody Leach. "If you like Lost Boys and From Dusk Till Dawn, sink your teeth into this one!"
Collider's Perri Nemiroff appeared to love it, too, claiming that it's sure to become "a frequent rewatch" for her. "[Abigail] is MY kinda movie," she said. "(And in general, more and more convinced Radio Silence's horror sensibilities heavily align with my own with each and every movie they make.) It's a blood-soaked bonkers good time. A clever spin on the vampire genre filled with loads of wild set pieces and gore, further fueled by a *perfectly* cast electric ensemble."
"When they said they used a lot of blood for this, they meant A LOT of blood. [Abigail] is seriously such a great time and one of the best theater experiences I've had! It's got action, jumpscares, ballet routines, laughs, and did I mention a lot of blood?" praised TikTok content creator Gigi.
Check out some more reactions below...
Not to sound like a dance mom, but #Abigail just danced her way into my current top 10 of the year. pic.twitter.com/OccUXNy0yDApril 7, 2024
#Abigail is a bonkers bloody blast! It's a wild and entertaining ride from start to finish with great performances (especially Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera, and Alisha Weir). As a big Dracula fan, the opening scene put a big smile on my face. pic.twitter.com/wgIFbufwxuApril 7, 2024
A killer ensemble vs a killer ballerina: #Abigail has gags, gore, twists, turns & fountains of blood. It’s READY OR NOT meets FROM DUSK TIL DAWN. Plus a cheeky PHENOMENA reference? The crowd cheered each kill with delight: I reckon Abigail sets the bar for popcorn horror in 2024. pic.twitter.com/pdDcYvod83April 7, 2024
I thought long and hard about whether there was anything about #Abigail I would change ... and there wasn't. It's everything I wanted it to be and so much more. I cannot believe how much I loved this movieI gave it a 10/10. Seriously.https://t.co/5NVJrOsyEGApril 7, 2024
ABIGAIL is expertly choreographed insanity from RADIO SILENCE that injects new blood into the vampire horror game. You'll be yelling until the very last plié. ABIGAIL: Never trust a bitch in Golden Goose. 🩰🩸 @TheOverlookFest #Abigail pic.twitter.com/oNESmH7y96April 7, 2024
We're hardly surprised that the amount of gooey red stuff used in the movie was mentioned so much in the early takes, given Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett's comments to Total Film magazine back in February. "All of our movies are bloody," the duo said at the time. "[But] I would say that this is definitely the most bloody. We spent a lot of time apologizing to our actors on this movie! I mean, blood is in the DNA of a vampire movie, and the amount of blood work in this one is… It's pretty extreme!"
Abigail releases on April 19. While we wait, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.
