Radio Silence duo, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are back in the director's hotseat for the new vampire horror movie, Abigail, with their Scream collaborator, Melissa Barrera taking on the lead role. Fans and critics are raving about the new subversive horror flick, after it was released in theaters on Friday, April 19.

Scream (2022) and Scream 6 scribe, Guy Busick wrote the script with Stephen Shields, and it is a re-imagining of the 1936 Universal Classic Monsters film Dracula's Daughter. The movie co-stars Alisha Weir as the eponymous 12-year-old vampire, Abigail, alongside Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito.Abigail earned a respectable $15.2 million worldwide in its opening weekend, from a $28 million budget.

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What is Abigail about?

Six criminals kidnap a 12-year-old ballet dancer, Abigail, who is the daughter of a powerful underworld crime figure in New York City. The group take her to a secluded mansion upstate. At this location, they meet with a man called Lambert (GIancarlo Espositio) who tells them not to disclose any personal information to each other or to Abigail. They use aliases derived from the Rat Pack to be known by: the group consists of former Army medic and recovering drug addict Joey; (Melissa Barrera) a former NYPD detective Frank; (Dan Stevens) wealthy hacker Sammy; (Freaky's Kathryn Newton) sociopathic driver Dean; (the late Angus Cloud) Marine sniper Rickles; (William Catlett) and dumb mob enforcer Peter. (Kevin Durand)

After 24 hours, each will receive a $7 million check as long as Abigail is kept safe. Joey is sent to watch over her, and be the only port of call for the kidnapped child. When Joey leaves, Abigail warns her about what might take place during the night.

Events take a drastic turn when Dean enters the basement and is dragged away by an unseen assailant. Sammy hears his screams and finds Dean's headless corpse. Frank confronts Abigail and demands to know who her father is, and discovers it's a feared criminal called Kristof Lazar.

Rickles attempts to leave, but the home's security system activates and bars them inside. As they look for another way out, Rickles is mauled to death. Frank tells Peter to kill Abigail, but Joey stops him, but during this battle, Abigail suddenly transforms into a vampire, causing the group to flee in terror.

The remaining members of the group discuss how to kill Abigail, before she can maul them all to death. Garlic, stakes and holy crosses fail to do the job, before they eventually come up with the idea to tranquilize her and lock her in an elevator, but she wreaks havoc once again, biting Sammy, and leaves Joey and Frank to figure out how to escape before becoming Abigail's next meal.

How does Abigail end?

After the shocking revelation that there is in fact no ransom money for the kidnappers, and they were actually lured to the house because they all got on the wrong side of Abigail's underworld crime boss father, Kristof Lazar, the sole survivors, Joey and Frank head back to the manor library to take refuge in the house's protective rays of sunshine. However, night is fast approaching as they try to figure out a plan to escape. A secret bookshelf doorway swings open, leading the duo to a control room, where Lambert has been monitoring them since the very start.

It is revealed that Abigail turned Lambert into a vampire two years previously, and forced him to lure her father's string of enemies to their deaths on a regular basis. Despite gaining immortality and superhuman abilities, Lambert is fed up with taking orders from Abigail and her father. He incapacitates Joey and presents Frank with an offer he surely can't refuse: become a vampire and help take control of Lazar's empire or die.

Frank gladly accepts the offer, but once he turns into a vampire, he double-crosses Lambert and drives a stake through his heart, killing him instantly. Abigail shows up soon after this, and attacks Frank, who, in turn, sinks his fangs into the girl's neck, but she survives the ordeal.

Joey has regained consciousness and retreats back to the library, but finds herself unable to open the locked door. She leaves an emotional voicemail to her estranged son, Caleb, as she ponders her own fate, while Frank catches up to her and vows to turn Joey into a vampire. He impales her through the shoulder, while Abigail returns, stating that the only way to truly kill a vampire is to completely drain them of their blood.

Frank overpowers her before turning his attention back to Joey. He bites her on the neck and places a stake into her hand, ordering her to finish off Abigail. Joey moves toward Abigail but then moves back and attacks Frank, who blocks her advances.

Abigail joins forces with Joey, and they pin Frank down. They drive the stake through his heart, and he explodes, with blood and guts going everywhere, a la Ready or Not. This frees Joey from the wicked undead curse.

A grateful Abigail allows Joey to leave the residence, saying she hopes that she can reunite with her estranged son, Caleb. Abigail states that all a parent really needs to do is show up for their child, which contrasts her relationship with her father. Before Joey can leave, Abigail's crime lord father, Lazar, (Major cameo by Matthew Goode) arrives on the scene. Despite going by the name 'Lazar', he’s apparently gone by many different names over the centuries, implying that he’s actually Dracula.

Lazar wants to kill Joey, but Abigail vouches for her and stands up to her absent father, stating "She was here when you weren’t." Lazar reluctantly allows Joey to leave before 'dinner time', and she makes a run for it. Covered in blood, Joey gets into the van parked outside the house and drives off while enjoying a signature lollipop from her stash of candy.

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