New Horror-Comedy 'Abigail' Draws Inspiration from Dracula, Competes at Box Office

The new horror-comedy film 'Abigail' is drawing inspiration from Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula without being directly linked to the famous vampire story. Directed by the 'Scream VI' filmmaking duo Radio Silence, the movie is currently in a close competition with the dystopian thriller 'Civil War' at the box office.

'Abigail' has had a strong start, earning $10 million from 3,384 locations in its debut weekend. The film has received generally positive reception, boasting an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and a B grade on CinemaScore from audiences. With a reported budget of $28 million, 'Abigail' is expected to be able to pass the break-even point.

The film follows a group of criminals known as the 'Rat Pack' who plan to kidnap a young girl named Abigail, the daughter of a wealthy and powerful man, in order to ransom her for millions of dollars. However, it is revealed that Abigail is no ordinary child, but an ancient vampire who likes to "play with her food." While the film's promotional materials have already revealed this twist, taking away some of the element of surprise, 'Abigail' still delivers competent filmmaking and a strong performance by Melissa Barrera in the lead role.

Set in modern times, 'Abigail' implies that the title character's father, Kristof Lazar, is a present-day version of Dracula, though his name is never explicitly mentioned. The filmmakers had several discussions about the character of Lazar and whether he should appear in the final scene, ultimately deciding it was important to remind the audience that this is still a heist film at its core. The film also features a surprising twist where one of the mercenaries, Frank, becomes a vampire and emerges as the real antagonist, with Abigail and Joey joining forces to destroy him.

'Abigail' is part of the horror-comedy genre, blending scares with humor. The ensemble cast, which also includes Dan Stevens and Alisha Weir as Abigail, is said to fully embrace the tone of the film. While the movie has some individual moments that work, critics note that the overall writing, especially in the third act, can be muddled and the attempt to subvert vampire tropes by keeping Abigail's powers and weaknesses vague results in a perplexing finale.

Key Takeaways

• New horror-comedy 'Abigail' draws inspiration from Dracula.
• 'Abigail' had a strong box office debut, earning $10M in its first weekend.
• The film features a twist where the young Abigail is revealed to be an ancient vampire.
• While praised for its filmmaking, the writing in the third act is criticized as muddled.
• The success of 'Abigail' is seen as a positive sign for the vampire subgenre.