Tiny Dancer

I wasn't too sure about Abigail (2024). I knew it was about a gang that kidnaps a little girl and finds that they have bitten off more than they could chew. But I hadn't been too impressed by Becky, so I kept expectations low. I needn't have worried. 

It starts with a gang of professional crooks kidnapping Abigail (Alisha Weir), a little rich girl and ballerina. They take her to a secluded mansion (Wilhelm Mansion, what a scream!) where Giancarlo Esposito explains that he will be getting a ransom for her in 24 hours. They've just got to keep her in the mansion until then and they can split $50 million.

Melissa Barrera is tasked with babysitting the girl, who she tries to treat tenderly. Abigail seems to be very frightened, but also apologizes to Barrera for what is going to happen.

There's a great scene where the gang sits around getting to know each other. They are all using aliases, and not letting anyone know about their backgrounds, for security purposes. But Dan Stevens tries to sum up their roles, and Barrera calls him the least perceptive person she's ever met. Stevens challenges her to guess one true thing about him - and she does, going around the room and cold-reading everyone. It's a nice way to introduce the characters. 

Things start to unravel when they find out that the girl's father is a vicious crime lord, with a mysterious enforcer. And then they start getting killed, starting with the most obnoxious, etc. It isn't much of a secret that the girl is actually an ancient vampire, and also the mysterious enforcer. And everyone is locked in the mansion. And maybe they didn't kidnap the girl, maybe it was arranged so she could feed.

The characters in this were lots of fun, particularly Kevin Durand. He plays a big dumb bruiser, both vicious and lovable. I guess he's been around for awhile, and now he's become a fave.

There's plenty of low-key comedy in this, like Abigail killing with balletic leaps. It ends with the last survivor leaving the mansion mouthing "What the fuck?", an apt summation.

This was directed by Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, who have done a bunch of horror or comedy/horror, like the 2022 Scream. We should probably watch those - they might be fun.