COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - ABIGAIL (UNIVERSAL FILMS BLU-RAY)
Vampires suck, don’t they? Jokes aside, vampires do actually suck, but the movies with vampires in them don’t suck. At least, not all of them. A great vampire movie is of course a subjective question, but some hallmarks we subscribe to are bloodsucking, fangs, and transformations. Some of the best vampire films take old ideas and put new dressing around them, like Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Others take other genres and create something pulpy and funny like Fright Night. The sub-genre is so diverse and interesting, that trying to pigeonhole it to just a few traits is limiting the potential it has for greatness and uniqueness. That said, the ability to deliver mediocrity is always a concern for sub-genres with little innovation and lots of replication, which one could argue suits the vampire genre. Nevertheless, genre busters Radio Silence are no strangers to breaking down barriers with audiences, and their newest vampy romp, Abigail is now out on Blu-Ray from Universal Pictures and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Does the duo deliver another groundbreaking gem in the bloodsucking realm, or is this husk a little too dry?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A heist team is hired by a mysterious fixer to kidnap the daughter of a powerful underworld figure. They must guard the 12-year-old ballerina for one night to net a $50 million ransom. As the captors start to dwindle one by one, they discover to their mounting terror that they're locked inside an isolated mansion with no ordinary little girl.
HOW IS IT?
One of the biggest surprises of the year has been Radio Silence’s “Abigail”. A pseudo-remake that slickly puts a heist movie inside a vampire film like some horror peanut butter and jelly that is fun, sticky, and infested with great performances. Far from a perfect film, “Abigail” leans into its strengths which are squarely in the casting and over-the-top gore effects that will satiate the squeamish to the bloodthirsty, even when it struggles under the weight of too many twists that don’t add much to what is already a great little bloodsucking flick that we didn’t see coming.
The story goes a group of misfit heist folk are hired to kidnap the young daughter of a supposedly wealthy father at their mansion home. As the previews no doubt have shown you, that little girl is a child of the night which makes it clear she isn’t stuck in there with them, they are stuck in this house with her. First order of praise goes to the cast which is filled with genre familiars old and new such as Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens right alongside Kathryn Newton. Each character is an archetypal person you’re likely to see in a crime thriller but brought wonderfully to life by their actors and some slick without being cringy dialogue. Credit to the Radio Silence duo for being able to capture the zeitgeist without feeling disingenuous. The violence in “Abigail” is both welcome and highly entertaining. Geysers of blood explode from heads and bodies right next to literal pools filled with rotting corpses. The “ick” factor in “Abigail” may be high, but it is playful enough to not feel mean-spirited and hard to watch. If anything, it adds some humor a la the “explosive” ending of Ready or Not.
Despite a strong cast and presentation, the script does fall victim to too many false endings and some unnecessary twists. They don’t tank the movie, but they do take away from the momentum built in the third act and overcomplicate what could’ve been a simple robber vs vampire premise done with the modern slickness of a young cast and filmmakers. It also adds some extra time to an already longer horror flick that closes in on the two-hour mark. However, “Abigail” does keep things entertaining enough in the first and second acts well enough that you often aren’t concerned with the runtime or getting bored. The humor and semi-delayed, but obvious reveal work together in service of engaging you while it sets up a banger of a bloody reveal. All in all, “Abigail” does a lot right even if it kinda stumbles over some complexity in the final moments. That shouldn’t distract from what is a fun, funny, and audaciously bloody romp that is easily re-watchable.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Universal Home Entertainment is bringing “Abigail” to a dual-disc DVD / Blu-Ray combo pack that also includes a digital code. The Blu-Ray is what we used for our review, and it is encoded in 1080p HD with a 2.39:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The film looks great, and the dark, gothic browns, blacks, and crimson-red tones blend well with the rest of the production design and costuming. It is unclear if Universal will release a 4K UHD, so for now, this is the best quality physical release you can get in North America. Images from this release are used throughout the review and seen below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Much like the visual elements, the audio tracks included are superb and crisp. We opted for the Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 track for our viewing and were impressed with the soundscape and frequent use of all channels. “Abigail” has a lot of action including shootouts, explosions, fight scenes, and chases so while not a benchmark this will give your stereo system a really good workout. The film includes more than one Dolby Digital Plus track as well as a few options for subtitles in various languages.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
“Abigail” arrives on Blu-Ray with a handful of special features to round out a great film. We took in a few and started with the Deleted & Extended Scenes. While it is a nice inclusion for completists, it doesn’t offer much beyond that. The scenes included are in some cases almost identical to the final cut, or in other cases were left out for a good reason like bad dialogue. These are about 6 minutes in length, so it isn’t a huge time investment for those who are still curious. The more interesting features were the vignettes detailing different aspects of the production. The first one, Blood Bath went into more detail about how they managed to make things look so bloody and gross. The emphasis was on using practical effects as much as possible, and only using digital to add some embellishments as needed. This is a very transparent look at the process as they show you the stages from the actual effect, to the digital layers added. In some cases, it is more than others, but it is clear that a lot of the blood and gore you see on screen was the byproduct of the physical production. The additional vignettes focus on different aspects, and these are great watches for anyone who has a keen interest in how movies like these are made! A full list of special features included in this release is listed below.
Bonus Materials
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Gag Reel
Blood Bath – Soak up the slaughter alongside the cast and crew with this dive into the deep end of Abigail’s body pits, where practical FX reigns supreme and there’s no such thing as too much blood.
Hunters to Hunted – Get up close and personal with Abigail’s abductors as the cast divulges the details behind how they got into character to collectively create a unique crew of criminals.
Becoming a Ballerina Vampire – Abigail actor Alisha Weir, choreographer Belinda Murphy, and more members of the creative team take up the task of transforming a seemingly sweet little girl into a vicious vampire.
Directing Duo Matt & Tyler – Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett lead this look at the actors, ideas, and environment they put together to create a set that’s fun while still being fearsome.
Feature Commentary with Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett and Editor Michael P. Shawyer
LAST RITES
“Abigail” is a blast from start to finish with a punchy script, pitch-perfect casting, and gallons of the red stuff. While it does stumble in its final moments, it is also one of the best original horror movies of the year and this Blu-Ray is a must-own for any vampiric collectors!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at Universal for providing a review copy for the crypt! Abigail is available NOW and can be purchased via DIABOLIK DVD or other physical media retailers!
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