Abigail (2024)

The written companion

Draft companion · Awaiting editorial review

Abigail: A Bloody Good Time, with a Small Argument About What Counts as Great

Dan and Matt saw Abigail together, and their conversation carries some of that shared-night-at-the-movies energy. They are not trying to turn a killer ballerina premise into something respectable before admitting they enjoyed it. The ridiculousness is part of the appeal, provided the film knows how to make it fun.

Both connect it to Ready or Not and the filmmakers' ability to combine a confined setting, desperate people, and escalating mayhem. Matt thinks it takes a little time to get going, but once it does, he is happy to enjoy the ride. Dan is equally willing to return for more. Their enthusiasm is rooted in the experience of watching it, rather than in an argument that every element is perfectly original.

There is an interesting wrinkle in who the audience is asked to follow. These characters have kidnapped a child. Matt admits that recognizing them as the people he is supposedly meant to root for took an adjustment. Dan enjoys the moral discomfort: their predicament is frightening, but they did not arrive there innocently.

The conversation also pauses for Angus Cloud. Seeing him onscreen brings an unexpected emotional response from Matt, who realizes how much he misses an actor he had not necessarily considered a personal favorite. It is a brief, sincere moment within an otherwise gleefully gory discussion.

Dan gives Abigail nine out of ten; Matt gives it eight. Their original ten-point ratings lead into a friendly argument about Matt's highest score. Dan thinks he is keeping the classics too firmly in the back of his mind. Matt likes the film enormously without feeling that it belongs at the top of his scale.

Does Abigail need to be a ten to be exactly the movie you wanted that night? And did you find yourself rooting for the kidnappers, enjoying their punishment, or moving between both reactions?

Watch their Abigail discussion ↗

Based on auto-generated captions. The episode contains major spoilers. The vampire premise is discussed here, as it is in the film's marketing.