On the surface, Abigail might seem too small for talents like Dan Stevens and Giancarlo Esposito. But with how quickly and effectively Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s film becomes a tasty blend of genres, it’s bound to make you think that this is exactly the kind of place where Dan can bring his Legion-like menace. The blood and the nasty death pool are just what the doctor ordered for this glorious mess to have that touch of madness.
Spoiler Alert
What happens in the film?
A quirky group of mercs who don’t even know each other’s names get off to a pretty good start with the kidnapping of 12-year-old Abigail. Lambert, the guy who’s behind getting this group together, plans to make Abigail’s dad pay up a sweet $50 million as ransom. Things are pretty hush-hush over at the gorgeous mansion they hold Abigail in, so much so that the kidnappers don’t even know who her dad is. Lambert isn’t playing around. He wants the operation to run so smoothly that he’s named the kidnappers, who’re not supposed to get too comfortable with one another. Joey’s the only one allowed to interact with Abigail, who plays the part of a helpless little girl so well that Joey’s come to think that Abigail can do no wrong. But when people start popping up dead, the group can’t help but question if there’s a bigger and badder killer in the mansion with them. They’ve been locked in. And someone’s hunting them down one by one.
Is Abigail actually Valdez?
From the few seemingly sincere words exchanged between them, Joey’s come to know that Abigail’s father is Kristof Lazar. But it’s not until Dean’s gnarly death at the hands of a mystery killer that the truth about Lazar comes out in the open. It turns out that crime mogul Lazar has made quite a name for himself in the underworld. But the man whose reputation precedes him is Valdez, a terrifying assassin on Lazar’s payroll. Apparently, as we get to know from ex-detective Frank, Valdez once managed to disembowel three whistleblowers under the FBI’s protection. The thing is, Abigail’s been playing the group all along. With Joey on her side, it’s even easier for Abigail to make them turn on each other. Joey’s plan to stick with Rickles ends when the latter loses a side of his face and falls dead. In the meantime, Abigail has made good use of the panic and convinced Joey that not only is her father’s killing machine, Valdez, in the mansion, but he’s none other than Frank himself. But before Joey can put a bullet in Frank, Abigail’s patience runs out, and the fangs come out. There’s a rapid shift in the hunter-prey dynamics as the group comes to learn that Abigail’s a vampire who can’t be killed with regular weapons. And from the way this tiny little ballerina hops on her toes and rips into people, Abigail makes it abundantly clear that she’s her father Lazar’s choice weapon, infamously known among cops and criminals as Valdez.
How do they trap Abigail in a cage?
It doesn’t help that pop culture’s gotten the group accustomed to several kinds of vampires. I mean, if you bump into a vampire one fine day, how do you even determine if it’s a Louis from Anne Rice’s book or an Edward from the Twilight saga? It surely makes things all the more frustrating that Sammy can’t even tell a clove of garlic from an onion. Peter’s crucifix and Frank’s makeshift stake are no match against the centuries-old predator with a penchant for the “Swan Lake” ballet. Sammy’s had a terrible time coming to terms with just how deadly Abigail is. She most definitely didn’t care for a dip in a pool of decomposed bodies, courtesy of the vicious bloodsucker they’re trapped with. Considering Joey’s supposed to be the brains in the group, she’s the only one who comes up with a possible solution to the problem. Abigail may be near-indestructible, but the tranquilizer injection did work on her when she was nabbed from her home. The same injection fortunately subdues her this time around, too, but not before she roughs up the group and chomps down on poor Sammy’s arm. An iron cage comes in handy when they decide to hold her captive. By now, they’ve figured out that Abigail’s not immune to sunlight.
Why does Abigail want to kill the group?
Abigail was quick to make it clear that what the group walked into was essentially a trap. There was this freakishly large sculpture of a little girl and a grown man, which no doubt was made in the image of Abigail and Lazar. Abigail’s pretty talkative in the cage. And she soon lays the whole scheme bare. The whole kidnapping was an elaborate ruse spearheaded by Lambert, who, if you still haven’t worked it out yet, is working for Abigail and her dad. But why these specific people? That’s only because, in some way or another, each member of the group has gotten on Lazar’s bad side. And there’s a reason why Frank knows so much about Valdez’s deadly escapade in the skyrise where the three moles were being held. He was the cop in charge of the whole mess. And the mistake he makes now is buying into Abigail’s pretense of helplessness. Abigail was capable of breaking out of the cage all along. But who could blame her for wanting to play with her food a little bit longer? On their way to look for the control room so Sammy can hit reset and get them all out of the murder den, the group lets their guards down just enough for Abigail to trick them once again. Sammy rejoiced a bit too soon, thinking the bite didn’t turn her into a vampire. But it looks like our bloodthirsty ballerina’s got quite a few tricks up her sleeve. She’s turned Sammy into a vampire thrall.
Is Lambert a vampire?
Time and again, Joey proves to be the only one saving the day. Even when they’re about to be mauled by Sammy, Joey’s the one who’s quick enough to think up a way to use sunlight and give Abigail its first blood and guts explosion. For the suave guy he pretends to be, Frank’s an absolute dud when it comes to the slightest of critical thinking. But even though there seems to be no secret door behind the bookshelf because Abigail is clearly yanking Frank’s chain, another door soon opens up for them to finally enter the control room. There’s a slight problem, though. Lambert’s not just a shady guy who stuffed these people into the murder mansion. He’s also been a full-blown vampire for the last couple of years. And not just that! As he turns an enthusiastic Frank into a vampire to team up against Abigail, we get to know that he’s playing a double game. He’s likely eyeing the crime empire with his plan to kill Abigail and overthrow Lazar. But a rabid Frank with vampire juices flowing through his veins pulls the rug out from under Lambert. This also marks the point where Lambert’s bits and pieces fly all over the room, and we get to know that a stake would only work if it’s put through the heart of a vampire.
Why does Abigail protect Joey?
The film has been setting Joey up to be the sole survivor from the very start. How else do you explain her survival through the numerous situations where it was the most unlikely? Frank’s new to vampirism. No one’s taught him the fundamentals of being a vampire. His power-hungry nature only grows tenfold when he’s a vampire. And his hubris makes him think he’s just killed Abigail. Like I said, no one told him that he needed to drain a vampire completely to actually kill them. Frank’s having the time of his life tormenting Joey when Abigail turns up fresh as a daisy. Frank’s only took half a lesson when he saw Abigail turning Sammy into her puppet. And the dumdum that he is, he really thinks he pulls off the same with Joey. His plan is to take Joey under his command so that they can gang up on Abigail together. But the bite’s done nothing for Joey, who teams up with Abigail and turns on Frank. He’s clearly not experienced enough to achieve a feat that’s an easy-peasy task for Abigail. Frank’s given the death he deserved for being such a pain in the jacksie.
Abigail‘s ending sequence plans to make you forget all about Frank and the film’s last gory explosion with the arrival of Abigail’s enigmatic father. That’s right. Lazar shows up with his pale face and formidable air, like a cop at the end of a bloody brawl. There’s a whole array of thematic parallels that’ve already made you wonder if the film is a contemporary take on Count Dracula and his daughter. After all, Abigail did mention that her father created her centuries ago. Everything about Lazar screams Dracula, even though there’s no solid hint in the film. Those grisly sets of fangs sure confirm that he is, in fact, a vampire, though. But what’s more fascinating about this whole thing is Abigail’s relationship with Lazar. She was created in a moment of whim and left behind. Since then, as Joey rightly pointed out when Abigail was trapped in the cage, she’s been her dad’s errand girl, taking care of his enemies and waiting patiently for his approval. Lazar gives himself a pat on the back for even showing up. And that gives us an idea of how he’s been breadcrumbing his daughter for all this time. Though he plays the devil’s advocate, he does let go of Joey at Abigail’s request. And that brings me to why Abigail chose to spare Joey in the first place. It looks to me like while getting to know Joey in order to be able to manipulate her better, Abigail’s come to actually bond with her. Joey has a little boy she’s ended up neglecting while trying to get a handle on the self-destructive chaos that is her life. Knowing Joey wants to bury the hatchet and be a good mom for once, Abigail sees it as a chance for a parent to do better after a lifetime of messing up. And in a way, maybe it gives her hope that her dad will do the same someday.
