‘Bullies beware’
Abigail is a 2023 American thriller about a troubled female teen who takes it upon herself to take revenge on her best friend’s bullies.
Directed and co-produced by Melissa Vitello (Speak Now; The Sound of Settling; Community Theater Christmas) from a screenplay written by Gunnar Garrett. Also produced by Stacy Snyder.
The movie stars Ava Cantrell, Tren Reed-Brown, Hermione Lynch, Gene Farber and Karimah Westbrook.
Plot:
In 1976, troubled teenager Abigail and her mother move to a small Alabama town in hopes of escaping the girl’s violent past. She befriends the lonely black boy next door, Lucas, who is mercilessly bullied by a group of kids at school.
Determined to help him seek revenge, Abigail takes matters into her own hands but quickly spirals out of control. As Lucas begins to uncover the dark and twisted nature of his new friend, things take a deadly turn. Now, he must choose between standing by her side or stopping her before it’s too late…
Reviews:
“Abigail is a great pot boiler character drama/thriller which certainly does a wonderful job of showcasing the talent of its cast. I had seen Ava previously in Lights Out and also some season 2 episodes of Young Sheldon, but if you want to see how talented Ava is when it comes to near shouldering a full film on her own shoulders (which she does wonderfully) then do check out Abigail Two Thumbs Up!” From Page to Screen
” …rather predictable to long-time genre fans, but younger viewers may find some of the twists and reveals engaging.
This isn’t a game-changer of a film, and I suspect a lot of people will be underwhelmed, but that’s not to say it’s bad. However, having some elements in common with other, somewhat similar — and many might say superior — movies only adds to the overall unoriginal proceedings.” The Good, the Bad and the Verdict
“This is a fun little slasher-styled movie, it flips what we would expect to give us something more surprising […] If a more remote location had been used, it would have helped the movie reach the next level. Performance-wise, we have a great cast and we can enjoy seeing the bodies pile up.” ★★★ Movie Reviews 101
“With its lack of gore and refusal to fully exploit some potentially disturbing themes, Abigail feels like it was meant as a horror thriller for younger audiences. Or perhaps for people who don’t usually watch horror films but would respond to its advertising that tries to sell it as another young female-fronted action thriller like Becky.” ★★½ Voices from the Balcony
Release:
In the US, Abigail was released by Dark Star Pictures on VOD on December 5, 2023.
Trailer:
