Abigail (2024)

The film is a frequently funny dance of death and a better, gorier effort from Radio Silence than expected, with strong highlights in Alisha Weir’s performance and the creepy mansion setting. It invests viewers in the story through absurdity, tension, and gore that feels viscerally funny.

The critic finds it a wickedly enjoyable thrill ride with gruesome splatstick comedy and several surprises once the vampire premise kicks in. They single out the fresh spin on the kidnapping-gone-wrong story and the strong ensemble cast for praise.

The critic describes a fizzing, fang-in-cheek horror yarn with wild turns, gruesome twists and killer lines. It praises the knowing references to horror lore and juicy performances from the ensemble cast.

The critic calls it a gloriously gory romp and easily the directors' best since Ready or Not, praising the escalating splatter, funny dialogue, and especially Alisha Weir's ferocious performance as the vampiric child. They highlight the fun conceit and commitment to horror-comedy elements.

The critic calls it a riotous, gory horror-comedy that creates a crossover 'vampire ballet' genre. It singles out the witty editing, tonal assurance, and strong performances from Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens for praise.

The horror-comedy is sharp in more ways than one, with an over-the-top mean streak made effective by strong character groundwork and memorable violent set pieces. Weir delivers an impressive triple-act performance as the lead, though the climactic fight is busy and convoluted.

The critic views “Abigail” as a fun, violent horror-comedy in the style of Radio Silence's previous work like “Ready or Not,” praising its energetic style and strong female lead while noting it can be overly flippant and protracted. She singles out Alisha Weir's performance as the vampire ballerina for being riveting and funny.

The critic calls it a blood-bomb of fun with satisfyingly volcanic splatter and strong casting, especially Alisha Weir, but notes it needs more narrative meat. They single out the suspenseful mansion sequences and Weir’s sly-to-savage performance for praise while complaining about predictable twists and undernourished story.

The critic finds the film smart bloody fun but notes that the trailer has defanged its central twist. It praises the inventive, nasty evil-kid romp with grotesque set pieces and knowing references to prior Radio Silence films.

The critic notes crowd-pleasing energy in the gruesome, slyly funny mix of genres but finds an overly complicated story and underwhelming characters drain some life from the proceedings. It singles out the sight of the child chasing adults as consistently amusing while concluding it has more gore than brains.

The critic notes that knowing the premise spoils the reveal but finds the film delivers cheap thrills through hilarious gore and some twisted playfulness, though it lacks depth in characters and suspense. Weir’s balletic savagery is highlighted positively amid the shlock.

The review argues that the vampire ballerina film from Radio Silence fails to bite, presenting a blood-sucking saga told as a heist film that lacks sufficient impact or originality.

The critic finds some low-stakes pleasure in the first half of this gory horror-comedy but says the plotting falls apart disastrously in the second half. They single out the strong direction and committed cast for praise amid the excess of blood and lack of substance.

The critic finds the film a relentlessly excessive and monotonous mashup of genres, criticizing its heavy-handed action and lack of subtlety compared to classic vampire films, though acknowledging some performances. He singles out the over-the-top violence and bickering characters as detracting from engagement.

The critic finds the film wildly entertaining for most of its running time as a breathlessly paced horror-comedy with exuberant gore and black humor, though it becomes overly burdened with baroque narrative flourishes later. Weir’s mesmerizing, frightening, and sardonically funny performance as the pint-sized bloodsucker is singled out for praise.

The critic calls it a perfect horror movie and one of the best of 2024, highlighting the pitch-perfect ensemble, humor, twists, blood, action, and transcendent child performance.

The critic finds Abigail a lot of fun as a cheeky vampire flick blending humor and horror effectively. Directors Radio Silence inject flair into the proceedings with strong performances and a sensational score.

The critic calls it a joyful gorefest and heist horror mashup that improves on Ready or Not, with a twisty plot, ramping shocks and gore, plenty of laughs from the ensemble, and a standout turn from Alisha Weir as the vampire ballerina. A minor complaint is some unnecessary parenting melodrama amid the fun.

The critic enjoys the film's shift into a frenetic horror-comedy with strong humor from most of the cast, effective tension and gore in the mansion setting, and Alisha Weir's standout turn as the vampire, though notes Melissa Barrera's underpowered performance.

The film is a rare horror comedy that is equally frightening and funny, with sharp humor, gory set pieces, and strong ensemble work led by Alisha Weir. It suffers from the twist being spoiled early in marketing, making the first act drag for those who know what's coming.

The critic finds the film at its best in its gory action sequences and the unhinged performances from Dan Stevens and Alisha Weir, but criticizes Melissa Barrera's flat delivery and the predictable, exposition-heavy script.

The critic found the film tremendous fun after seeing it without prior knowledge of its twists. They praise the committed ensemble cast, especially Alisha Weir, and the directors' handling of the material as an upgrade on their recent Scream films.