Hey there! Just a heads-up, this chat is full of spoilers about the movie *Abigail*.
So, *Abigail* is trying to flip the script on the vampire genre. Instead of the usual suspects like the classic male Draculas or those lesbian vampires that were all the rage in the 2000s, *Abigail* introduces us to a young ballerina named Abigail, played by Alisha Weir. She looks all innocent but there’s a lot more going on underneath that delicate exterior.
You don’t see many child vampires in movies, but the hit film M3gan, which revolves around a creepy AI doll looking like an eight-year-old, showed there’s definitely an appetite for young, spooky antagonists. In *Abigail*, there’s this group of not-so-savvy criminals who snatch a girl (unaware she’s actually a vampire) and keep her locked up in a mansion, hoping for a big payoff. The twist? Abigail is much older than she seems and she’s not one to be messed with—let’s just say she has a weird way of dealing with her food.
The cast is packed with known actors. You’ve got Melissa Barrera, famous for her role in *Scream* (2022), as Joey, a medic and former drug addict. Angus Cloud plays Dean, Kathryn Newton is the somewhat clueless hacker Sammy, and Dan Stevens is Frank, ex-detective. Their characters come together in that classic horror story way—strangers who have to team up.
The movie definitely has potential—it offers a fresh take on familiar horror themes with its young star. However, what really drags it down is how outdated it feels in its portrayal of women.
Between the young vampire ballerina and a gang of baddies who don’t mind getting rough with her (even before realizing she’s a vampire), the movie doesn’t really offer anyone to root for. Lacking a clear lead character, the film misses an opportunity to weave an engaging story.
It’s frustrating because, just as horror films are starting to give us more complex female characters (like those in Midsommar or Ready or Not), *Abigail* seems to stick to old, less progressive portrayals. Melissa Barrera nails her role as Joey, but it feels like that’s more thanks to her talent than to the way her character is written. Joey’s backstory and motives are often pushed aside to focus on her motherly instincts.
Joey stands out from the crew because she’s against hurting Abigail. When stuff goes south, she’s the one who steps up. Turns out, she’s got a son she left behind, yet her maternal side shines through her care for Abigail. Despite being given a gender-neutral nickname, Joey ends up fitting into a traditional maternal role. She connects with Abigail, which is set up as a sort of redemption for abandoning her own child. This is why she survives when the rest don’t.
If you dive into horror movie clichés, Joey fits the “final girl” archetype—she stays away from romantic entanglements and takes initiative. But, the movie ultimately seems to save her for her nurturing side rather than her inner strength or smarts. It’s a shame that her survival is tied to these antiquated ideas of womanhood. Unlike other “final girls,” who make it through thanks to their resilience, Joey’s safety comes from her utility in a male-dominated world.
When Joey and Abigail team up to take down Frank, who’s turned into a vampire, it’s as close to a feminist win as the movie gets. But then, just as it looks like Joey might get a break, Abigail’s vampire dad (think this movie’s take on Dracula) shows up, promptly undercutting any progress by reintroducing a powerful male presence.
Abigail has to plead with her dad to spare Joey, which means we’re back to seeing women needing approval from men. Joey doesn’t quite earn her spot among iconic final girls like Laurie Strode or Sidney Prescott, because she lives not through toughness but by sticking to tired parental roles.
Seeing Joey’s life spared by conforming to outdated gender ideas is a bit tiring. *Abigail* had the chance to be iconic in the horror scene, but instead, it gets tangled in its own references to old-school horror, playing into antiquated gender standards.
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