Abigail: A horror film with elements of (very) Dark Comedy. Abigail (Alisha Weir), a 12 year old girl who delights in her prowess as a ballerina is kidnapped by a six person gang. They take her to another mansion where the caper organiser Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito) tells them that they just have to hold her for 24 hours while he collects the ransom from her father. They will each receive $7 million. Seems like money for jam? Abigail is soon manipulating Joey (Melissa Barrera} a former combat medic assigned to care fot Abigail. The house itself is odd, some well appointed rooms but there are derelict quarters leading off them. The most annoying member of the gang is found decapitated, The others confront Abigail but it turns out that she is a vampire and the tables are turned. While a strong strain of black humour runs through the film this is very much a horror movie, laughter tends to die in your throat (if it isn't bitten out). Heads are lost, faces bitten out and blood sucked. The old house becomes a hunting ground as the gang fights to love rather than be undead. Some interesting vampire lore is revealed as we find out what threatens this particular type of vampire as she plays with her food. Abigail dances with a decapitated corpse, pirouettes and kick boxes ro the strains of Swan Lake, this is indeed a Black Swan. A stunning performance from Alison Weir who was 12 when Abigail was filmed ably supported by scream queens Melissa Barrera and Kathryn Newton as Sammy, as a hacker. A few interesting plot twists as well. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, based on and a reimagining of the 1936 film Dracula's Daughter. 8/10.
