‘Abigail’ – A gut-busting good time

When a young girl is kidnapped by a group of, well, kidnappers, she’s forced into an evening of imprisonment. Seemingly no older than eight, young Abigail is frightened, petrified under the threat of violence from her abductors. The premise has the makings of a harrowing story, but ends up being a pretty hilarious horror comedy.

Abigail is a film that’s difficult to review, thanks to the sheer surprises it has in store. For this thrilling laugh riot, the devil is in the details, with the story providing twists that turn the audience’s expectations upside down. It’s much better to see it without a foreword. Abigail rewards the uninitiated and plays off a trope heavy genre with clever characters and story.

The setting of a mansion that may as well be haunted lends a lot to the fun house aspects of Abigail. As the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, you can go along with its whimsy, and forgive its less refined plot points. It sets the mood well, but the movie creates no pretence of drama. The initial kidnapping is as morose as things get, and the characters from that point on are more likely to spout quips than anything menacing.

Dan Stevens walks the line well, becoming more and more frustrated as his night goes from bad to worse, creating genuine laughs as well as tension. The main draw of the film is Abigail herself. Alisha Weir carries the film which simply wouldn’t work without her magnetic performance. Her ability to evoke both terror and humour is captivating, leading to the movie’s best moments.

Abigail won’t win you over with characters who behave realistically, and its fast and loose grasp on its own rules can be a distraction for anyone locked into its wild ride. Thankfully, Abigail does more right than it does wrong. It loses steam on the back end, but the first two acts are strong, with several laugh-out-loud moments, as well as genuine terror. As far as horror comedies go, it’s definitely one of the better ones.

Rating: Half Price

Damian Levy is a reviewer and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.