Abigail is another fun and entertaining horror-thriller (with dark comedy) from Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett and is inline with Ready or Not.
Abigail
— Collector’s Edition —
(2024)
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy
Universal| R – 110 min. – $29.98 | July 9, 2024
Date Published: 08/18/2024 | Author: The Movieman
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Universal Studios Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3½/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: A heist team — Joey (MELISSA BARRERA), Frank (DAN STEVENS), Rickles (WILL CATLETT), Sammy (KATHRYN NEWTON), Peter (KEVIN DURAND) and Dean (ANGUS CLOUD) — is hired by a mysterious fixer (GIANCARLO ESPOSITO) to kidnap the daughter (ALISHA WEIR) of a powerful underworld figure. They must guard the 12-year-old ballerina for one night to net a $50 million ransom. As the captors start to dwindle one by one, they discover to their mounting terror that they’re locked inside an isolated mansion with no ordinary little girl. Quick Hit Review: Abigail is the latest horror film from filmmaking duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett who previously helmed Ready or Not, Scream (2022) and Scream VI, all which I did enjoy to some degree, albeit the latter I wasn’t the biggest fan of; they also directed the dreadful Devil’s Due so it’s nice to see they have come a long way. This one is very much in the same vein as Ready or Not and if not for being different distributors, could take place in the same universe frankly. While I didn’t think it was as clever as Ready or Not or as much fun, Abigail still was entertaining and finds Melissa Barrera reteaming with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett. The cast also includes the great Dan Stevens whom I’ve come to appreciate over the years along with the lovely Kathryn Newton and Kevin Durand along with Giancarlo Esposito and Matthew Goode in smaller roles, the latter especially. This isn’t to leave out the titular Alisha Weir who is quite scarily playful. The (mostly CGI) blood and gore is amped up to new levels along the lines of the finale for Ready or Not, just for an entire second and third acts and although I didn’t enjoy as much as Ready or Not, Abigail still has plenty of entertainment value. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3/5 |
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This release comes with a slip cover and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Deleted & Extended Scenes (6:52) — Nothing to write home about, just a few scenes either cut down or removed. Gag Reel (9:41) filled with line flubs and the cast just having a good time. Blood Bath (7:04) is a featurette braking down the gallons of fake blood used on the production. Hunters to Hunted (5:36) — This is a breakdown of the cast of thieves. Becoming a Ballerina Vampire (4:29) goes into the casting of young Alisha Weir and her character. Directing Duo: Matt and Tyler (5:40) looks at the directors’ style and approach to filming Abigail. Audio Commentary — Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett & Editor Michael P. Shawver. |
VIDEO – 4½/5 |
| Abigail is presented with a 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. The detail is sharp throughout and there is some vibrant color set against the more darkly lit scenes. Speaking of which, black levels are well balanced and there were no signs of aliasing or artifacts making it for a clean transfer, though no surprise considering it’s a studio budgeted film. |
AUDIO – 4¾/5 |
| The disc includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which offers up clear dialogue levels coming mainly from the center channel along with excellent depth for when the mayhem erupts and blood curdling screams coming from all directions. |
OVERALL – 3¾/5 |
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Abigail is another fun and entertaining horror-thriller (with dark comedy) from Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett and is inline with Ready or Not. The Blu-ray release has okay selection of bonus features while the audio and video transfers are solid. |