Universal has a long history with vampire films, going back to the 1930s. Their latest, Abigail, offers a reboot of 1936’s Dracula’s Daughter, a hypnotizing work that still stands as one of the best follow-ups to 1931’s Dracula. Now, fresh from its premiere at the Overlook Film Festival, it looks like Universal has marked a successful return to their vampire lineup.

Many reactions from Abigail’s premiere praise the movie for being nearly endlessly entertaining, bringing something fresh to the genre while also giving off the vibe of some of our favorite vampire flicks from decades past:

And yes, there is plenty of blood to go around in Abigail, something that is a given for the genre but it’s pretty awesome to see it be taken to the R-rated levels that it deserves:

Hype has been strong for Abigail, especially since Radio Silence has been working to help ensure the horror genre is back in the mainstream. But with our man Michael Conway’s recent set visit – coupled with these initial reactions – Abigail has easily bumped up the list of most anticipated horror films of the year. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait much longer, as Abigail is set for release on April 19th.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (the most recent Scream movies), Abigail has the following plot: “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”

The titular Abigail is portrayed by Alisha Weir, the teenage actress who led 2022’s Matilda: The Musical. But she has by all accounts transformed entirely, something she credits to the material and costumes/makeup, saying, “I like to transform myself so I’m not Alisha anymore. It definitely helped being on the set, being covered in blood, and the tutu outfit helped me get into the character. And when I put the teeth in, that was definitely the end.”

Are you more excited for Abigail now that the first reactions have arrived? Where do you think it will rank in the top horror movies of the year?

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