‘Bullies beware’
Abigail is a 2023 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 by Gunnar Garrett. Also produced by Stacy Snyder.
The Dark Gravity Studios-Mooncastle Films-Ranch Hand Films co-production 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 his new friend’s dark and twisted nature, things take a deadly turn. Now, he must choose between standing by her side or stopping her before it’s too late…
Our review:
Director Melissa Vitello’s Abigail opens with an unpromising prologue seemingly cribbed from just every low-budget slasher-horror flick ever: two young people on a date in dark woods are stalked, then killed, by a maniac with a crude sack for a head mask.
A flashback to one week earlier shows what led up to the dire scene in the nicely evoked (mainly by regrettable fashion) mid-’70s time frame. What seems to be a by-the-numbers “empowerment” exploitation thriller (think along the lines of Abel Ferrara’s Ms.45 or maybe even I Spit On Your Grave, if you want), gets better with dawning viewer awareness that as Abigail fearlessly comes to her friend Lucas’ defence, this girl isn’t just a brave, crusading liberal-feminist youth ideal – she is an absolutely, murderously crazy sadist.
Viewers who think they know where this plot line is going – maybe a reboot of the cult classic Pretty Poison (1968), where a dysfunctional Anthony Perkins found out Tuesday Weld was a bigger nutter than he was – maybe thrown by third-act twists from scriptwriter Gunnar Garrett. Abigail ultimately arrives at a sort of genre send-up of the slasher-horror aesthete, but one that winks less at the audience over its cleverness than the Scream series does. This one plays its cards (or, in this case, baseball bats) closer to the vest. It provides a good number of truly discomfiting jolts in the meantime.
And, as in the original Night of the Living Dead, the racial angle never comes up expressly in the script, yet contributes markedly to the tension. The novelty of a woman director operating in the testosterone-charged milieu of slasher-horror – infamous for its 
misogyny, even if Jaime Lee Curtis successfully fought off Michael Myers time and again – is also neat stuff. Vitello gets top quality from her performers, with especially nice give-and-take between leads Cantrell and Reed-Brown.
Gore fans should be satisfied with the deaths and themes but no nudity, sex, drugs or cheerleaders slain with power tools, we must add that advisory. Nonetheless, try this Abigail, deserving of “sleeper” status.
Charles Cassady Jr, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“Abigail is a great potboiler 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:
Country of origin:
United States
Notes:
Not to be confused with the 2024 vampire film of the same name.
