Radio Silence sinks its teeth into vampire horror with new film, ‘Abigail’

On April 19, Radio Silence Productions released its first vampire thriller, “Abigail,” sinking its teeth into a new branch of the horror genre.

Headed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Radio Silence is known for its work on the 2022 and 2023 “Scream” films, as well as the production of the hit film, “Ready or Not.”

The production company’s latest release, “Abigail,” follows the kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl — only she’s not a regular 12-year-old, she’s actually a ballerina vampire.

The film stars notable actors such as Melissa Barrera (“Scream”), Alisha Weir (“Matilda”), Kathryn Newton (“Lisa Frankenstein”) and the late Angus Cloud (“Euphoria”).

“Abigail” is a gory masterpiece filled with twists, turns and surprises around every corner. The first half is entirely built-up to the chaos and destruction of the film. It first introduces the kidnappers under their aliases Joey (Barrera), Frank (Dan Stevens), Rickles (William Catlett), Sammy (Newton), Peter (Kevin Durand), Dean (Cloud) and Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito) as they kidnap Abigail, a dancer and the child of a powerful figure.

After kidnapping the girl, the group has to take her to a secluded mansion where they hold her captive in hopes of receiving ransom money. The group was under the impression that she was just an ordinary girl they were holding captive — not a vampire. That is, at least, until she breaks out of captivity and wreaks havoc on the group of kidnappers.

No one involved knows who Abigail’s father is, nor what they were getting themselves into when they agreed to the job. What is supposed to be an easy, 24-hour task for a large paycheck turned into a bloody nightmare and battle for survival.

Abigail’s goal in the film is made clear as soon as her identity is revealed — she starts going after the kidnappers, trying to kill them all, one-by-one. However, she does have a bit of a soft spot for Barrera’s Joey, who has a kid of her own that she’s trying to get home to.

Barrera and Newton are some of the scream queens of this generation, and Weir delivers a spectacular performance as the vampire inside of a little girl’s body. The women of “Abigail” steal the show.

This is one of Radio Silence’s most gory films, so it’s definitely not for those who can’t handle a little blood. Aside from the gore, the film is more fun than it is scary. It certainly has its frightening moments, but the film really dives into the comedy element throughout.

The blood and gore are interrupted with elaborate dance numbers throughout the film, as well as incredibly well-written one-liners from the entire ensemble.

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“Abigail” manages to fill its entire 109-minute runtime with shocking plot twists and gory shots, as well as stellar performances from the entire ensemble. It’s campy while also having its scary moments — it’s a perfect horror comedy that feels like a Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin masterpiece through and through.

Rating: 9/10

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