Universal Pictures has not had the best of luck with their attempt at rebooting the classic monster series that put the world-famous company on top of the world. After a series of critical and financial disappointments, the executives turned to the red-hot Scream team of Matt Bettenelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The director duo caught the attention of the Horror Nation with their fantastic found footage anthology, V/H/S, followed by the highly original and entertaining, Ready or Not. After putting out two fantastic sequels to the Scream franchise, this may be the team to help Universal recapture the golden age glory of classic monsters with this reboot of Dracula’s Daughter.
The allure of a seven-figure pay day for a twenty-four-hour job has brought together a crew of criminals, each of whom has a checkered past. Things begin to take a tumultuous turn when the culprits realize that their mission is to kidnap the young daughter of a wealthy man. Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito,) the man that assembled the crew, greets his team along with their cargo at a massive, isolated mansion. What appears to be a simple babysitting job turns into a sinister sleepover when the crew begins to be mysteriously picked off one by one. Desperate to survive the night, Joey (Melissa Barrera,) uses her unique skill set to uncover her cohorts secrets as well as the past of the young girl who has suddenly gone missing in the massive mansion.
Abigal is like drinking a bottle of dark red wine. A few cups of delightful satisfaction with the last glass leaving one with a sour taste in their mouths. The film thrives with strong performances from the top-shelf ensemble, exemplified by an amazing performance from the fourteen-year-old lead, Alisha Weir. Weir shifts from frightened child to vicious monster with a range well beyond her years. Writers Stephen Shields and Guy Busick bring new lore to the old legend but are completely overindulgent with the script. Nearly putting the audience to sleep with a completely overdrawn third act. Directors Olpin and Gillett put together some nice tension filled scenes along with a slick classical shot selection however, they will be lambasted with a plot and several fx that are eerily similar to their previous film, Ready or Not. As well, the dynamic duo poorly pace the film with completely too many twist and turns that bore the viewer instead of presenting an engaging plot. Abigail is a decent film that will be enjoyed once in the darkness of the cinema, but quickly burnt out of the memories of horror fans once they exit the theater.
Scream Score: 7.3/10