Abigail
WARNING ! Major SPOILERS ahead for Abigail ( 2024 ) !
Summary
The success of Universal ’s young horror movie , Abigail , is a reminder of the disappointing response to Nicolas Cage ’s vampire film from 2023 , which had great potency within the genre . In Universal ’s continued cause to harness more Classic Monsters from their library , the studio partner withScreamandReady or Notdirecting team Radio Silence onAbigail , a modern reimagining of their 1936 horror filmDracula ’s Daughter . Abigail , released in theaters on April 19 , now obtain aRotten Tomatoesscore of 82 % from critic , which is an impressive exploit for the revulsion film following a notable bar of critically panned vampire moving-picture show .
Radio Silence ’s acclaimed hitAbigailarrives on the cad of a few other notable attempt by the studio to invigorate their Universal Monsters catalog , which have seen wide-ranging results in late years . While there was an early effort to create the “ Dark Universe ” with Tom Cruise’sThe Mummyremakein 2017 , the film proved to be a critical fizzle and box office disappointment after earning only $ 410 million against an estimated $ 125 million budget ( viaBox Office Mojo ) . Still , thestudio opted to continue their ticket of Universal Monster movies with film producer - driven standalone films , include a few yield on Dracula withAbigailand a divisive Nicolas Cage movie .
Another horror picture show from Radio Silence is here , and there are dissimilar option for where to watch Abigail in theaters or at home on streaming .
Abigail Is The Hit Modern Vampire Movie That We Wanted Nicolas Cage’s Renfield To Be
Abigail achieves the critical acclaim that Renfield couldn’t
Renfieldis usable to pelt on Amazon Prime Video .
Renfieldwas still acclaim for being a fun time in field with mass of gory kills and camp performancesby its lead actors , but , unfortunately , it was a dashing hopes critically and commercially . As such , Abigail ’s widespread critical acclaim and potency for farsighted - term box office success is refreshing afterRenfield ’s unfortunate performance . Renfieldwas signify to have the same great hearing and critical response as Radio Silence ’s new movie , and certainly was hoped to be the bloody , humorous form of bunch - pleasing entertainment thatAbigailhas been touted as .
AbigailandRenfieldboth take alike attack to the iconic Dracula story by sidelining him in favour of an underrepresented character reference for whom he do as a derelict founding father design , but the two horror - funniness yielded very different issue . With Radio Silence now boasting four back - to - back horror - clowning dispatch withReady or Not(2019),Scream(2022),Scream VI(2023 ) , andAbigail(2024),theirDracula ’s Daughterreimagining now serves as an inspirational guide for Universal ’s next Classic Monster moviesto learn from . Sadly , however , withAbigail ’s “ Dracula”-esque character being discover as Matthew Goode ’s Christof Lazar , the chance to redeemNicolas Cage ’s Draculain aRenfield - Abigailcrossover is n’t potential to happen .
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
AbigailandRenfieldboth take exchangeable approaching to the iconic Dracula tale by sidelining him in favor of an underrepresented character for whom he serves as a neglectful begetter figure , but the two repulsion - comedies yielded very different results .
Why Abigail Worked Better For Critics Than Renfield
Abigail’s 82% is a big jump from Renfield’s 58% score
WhileAbigailcertainly flourish on some camp minute and humor , Renfieldtakes that a step further , which did n’t land as well with critics and hearing . Additionally , Renfield ’s gore and action were seen as too cartoonish and overstated ; thoughAbigail ’s bloody wildness and gore are certainly amplified to a full point that it makesReady or Not ’s endinglook like child ’s gambol , they are n’t run in a style that ’s excessively cartoonish and animated . WhereasRenfield ’s humor and horror advance leans more into the fashioning of a cult classic than a encompassing crowdpleasing favorite , Abigailbetter accomplishes the latter while integrating a smart screenplay and darkly compelling performances .
In what may become one of the greatest vampire picture show of all fourth dimension , Abigail provides an exceedingly bloody , fun , humorous & fresh take on the subgenre .
Perhaps whereAbigailsucceeds more is its almost complete absence of a Dracula character , whereasRenfieldstruggled with equilibrize its use of Nicolas Cage ’s campy lamia . Cage ’s Dracula was the buff - favorite character that audiences wanted to see have more sieve time and perhaps even emerge fromRenfield ’s endingundefeated , as he ’s ultimately the more compelling of the film ’s ensemble of characters . Meanwhile , the portrait ofAbigail ’s “ Dracula ” is painted through descriptions by the other characters and response to his report , making Matthew Goode ’s appearance a fun cameo to augment its transmitted report rather than an dominate twist in the movie ’s story .
Image via Universal Pictures
Perhaps whereAbigailsucceeds more is its almost ended absence seizure of a Dracula character , whereasRenfieldstruggled with balancing its use of Nicolas Cage ’s campy vampire .
Abigail Brings An End To The Past Decade’s Bleak Vampire Movie Streak
Vampire movies have had more critical misfires than hits over the last decade
With an 82 % account from critics on Rotten Tomatoes , Abigailbreathes young biography back into the vampire subgenre after legion critically pan off or blend - reviewed entries . BeforeAbigailarrived in April 2024 , thelast two big lamia movies were the critical misfiresRenfieldandThe Last Voyage of the Demeter , both of which also flop at the box post in 2023 . Similarly , smaller lamia movies likeNight Teeth(2021),Day Shift(2022 ) , andThe Invitation(2022 ) could n’t accomplish critical acclaim . go back further , Universal ’s 2014 movieDracula Untoldfailed to impress criticson a big ordered series , currently take an abysmal 25 % score on Rotten Tomatoes .
Recent Vampire Movies
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Abigail(2024 )
82 %
88 %
The Last Voyage of the Demeter(2023 )
49 %
Image via Universal Pictures
75 %
Renfield(2023 )
58 %
79 %
El Conde(2023 )
63 %
The Invitation(2022 )
30 %
59 %
Day Shift(2022 )
56 %
76 %
Night Teeth(2021 )
38 %
48 %
Blood Red Sky(2021 )
81 %
57 %
What We Do in the Shadows(2014 )
96 %
87 %
Vampire Academy(2014 )
17 %
Dracula Untold(2014 )
25 %
For big - budget vampire movies , the last ten has struggle to roil out many critical hit , butAbigailmakes future installments in this subgenre more optimistic . Abigailisn’t whole alone , however , in vampire picture with convinced Rotten Tomatoes score , as Taika Waititi ’s 2014 comedyWhat We Do in the Shadowsholds a 96 % score , the animated 2018 movieHotel Transylvania 3holds a 62 % grudge , 2021’sBlood Red Skyboasts an 81 % musical score , and 2023’sEl CondematchesAbigailwith an 82 % rating on the review article aggregator site . Though there are far more vital misfires than hits over the past 10 , Abigail ’s succeeder in 2024 set up a outstanding revitalization of lamia motion picture .
With both Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter both bombing at the box office , where does Hollywood keep going wrong with Dracula ?
With an 82 % grudge from critic on Rotten Tomatoes , Abigailbreathes new life back into the lamia subgenre after legion critically - panned or mixed - reviewed entries .
Abigail’s Success Puts More Pressure On Robert Eggers' Nosferatu Movie This Year
Universal has another vampire movie being released in 2024
The coming remake of a 102 - twelvemonth - old repulsion flick could help Nicholas Hoult repair the going he incurred from a $ 65 million flop with Nicolas Cage .
With all three ofRobert egger ’ movies have 90 % slews on Rotten Tomatoesso far , the pressure is even higher forNosferatuto be a winner with critic . Abigailnow determine the case in point for high - quality vampire movies in 2024 and beyond , and the first fewteasers forNosferatuindicate that the repugnance subgenre will be on an telling success streakas 2025 approaches . Of naturally , asNosferatuandAbigailare both under the Universal collapsible shelter of film , the studio is impressively redeem its attack to vampire films with its 2024 entries .
Sources : Rotten Tomatoes , Box Office Mojo
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Cast
Abigail is a 2024 horror thriller directed by Matt Bettinelli - Olpin and Tyler Gillett . The plot follow a radical of people who kidnap the daughter of a dangerous law-breaking lord only to divulge that the trivial girl is actually a vicious lamia out for blood . Alisha Weir stars as the titular persona alongside Kathryn Newton , Melissa Barrera , and Dan Stevens .
