Abigail First Reactions: “Fun”, “Brilliant” and “A Bloody Good Time”

Billie Melissa
·4 min read

The directors of Ready or Not seemingly have another hit on their hands if the early reactions to Abigail are anything to go by.

First screenings have critics calling the film "an abundance of blood, screams, and laughs", saying it features some "wonderful performances" from the ensemble cast made up of Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito.

This is the seventh collaboration between the director duo known as Radio Silence, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, whose most recent work includes Scream and Scream VI.

Abigail follows a group of would-be criminals who kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure. The simple task they must complete to collect a $50 million ransom is to watch her overnight, but it all comes crashing down when they realize that this is no ordinary girl.

Here is what the early reactions are saying.

The first reviews are landing on Rotten Tomatoes, too, and from a selection of 31 critics, the film has landed a fresh rating of 84%.

While not all the reviews are as glowing as the reactions, there's a definite sway towards the positive.

Abigail Review Roundup

  • Den of Geek: Radio Silence have proven themselves as one of the most exciting, and crucially, fun, voices in the horror genre and Abigail takes this to the next level.

  • Bloody Disgusting: With an insane commitment to arterial spray and an enthusiastic ensemble, Abigail winds up another crowd-pleaser from Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett. It's a bloody blast.

  • Mama's Geeky: An absolutely insane, bloody, campy, gore filled fun fest. Probably the best time at the movies this entire year. See it in a packed theater!

  • Slashfilm: Abigail sets the bar as the most fun you can have with a horror movie of the year. In other words, Abigail is horror on pointe.

  • Perri Nemiroff: A blood-soaked bonkers good time. A clever spin on the vampire genre filled with loads of wild set pieces and gore, further fueled by a perfectly cast electric ensemble.

Abigail releases in theaters on April 19.