O Lado Sombrio de Abi

I don't normally seek out indie horror films, but "Abigail" caught my eye as potentially being a smart coming-of-age flick with an engaging premise: Teen moves into new town to escape a sketchy (yet unknown) past, and a kind of black widow persona is revealed. Hey - sounds intriguing to me!

And... it did not disappoint. Cool titles and excellent sound work led immediately into an engaging prelude scene that will really hook you into the story. The cast chemistry was terrific, led by an outstanding performance by lead actor Ava Cantrell. Her relentless persistence with Tren Reed-Browns character and the friction with her mom played by Hermione Lynch made for a dynamic tension with both that drove the movie forward.

Several key scenes backed by an awesome soundtrack peeled back more of Abigail's persona (and potentially her past?), and painted a full picture of her that still haunts me. Ms. Cantrell's performance, going progressively edgier with every scene, is marvelous to watch, portending twists in the third act that will leave you satisfied and asking for a sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed Abigail, from the storytelling and acting prowess on through the continuity details and production value. This is a character and premise that can really go places and I'm hoping for more of Cantrell, Reed-Brown and others. I rented and streamed it on iTunes.

There are two reasons to see this film: Ava Cantrell in the titular role and Tren Brown as the reluctant new friend. Having shades of classics like "Carrie" and "Natural Born Killers", the film revolves around Abigail, a teen who moves from California to Alabama in 1976. Her first attempts to befriend neighbor Lucas is futile until she helps him stand up to bullies. She goes through a "3-strike" mode, first glancing then a warning shot in the form of knocking the lead bully down.

However, the lead bully's retribution becomes strike 3 and you can guess what happens. Cantrell delivers a brilliant performance as a young woman who has an overbreaking protective mother that is reminiscent of Margaret White minus the religion aspect with Hermoine Lynch delivering an amazing performance while Lucas's home life is even worse with a very condescending and arrogant mother, driven with an excellent performance by Karimah Westbrook.

Things really pick up at the halfway point but just wait until you see the final ten minutes. Totally shocking and jaw-dropping. This film is highly recommended!!!

Another "genius" craft of a female director, and of course, such directors have male characters or scoundrels, or psychopaths, or traumatized boys, and female characters are all strong and independent. I want to ask you, those who shoot such feminist and incompetent nonsense: "Who taught you this?" Unoriginal, irrelevant, assembled from templates and cliches: he went a kilometer away in need and left a girl; a difficult teenager from a dysfunctional family is insulted by peers and his mother, and it all looks so shabby, and this is only in the first 15 minutes. The amateur production, the boring camerawork, the disgusting light that shines everywhere, all this is just repulsive with its unprofessiveness. I don't want to blame the actors, they play normally, but here's the directorial task that the actors perform - I haven't seen such a primitive for a long time. Who are all these people who are praising this movie? Did they even watch this movie? Or do they stamp their reviews without looking? Why are you doing this, do you really not care, or do you take the viewer for an imbecile? Or are you engaged in infoshamanism, instilling false meanings, for entertainment?

I couldn't stand this absurdity, I didn't watch this mediocre movie trash.

Abagail is actually quite good if you look at the underlying theme. Ava Cantral carries this film well for being a new comer to a starring role. True, this is a low budget horror film and some of the scenes are way over the top, but I gave it a 8 because Ava makes the film and she is beliveable as a funny, sadistic sick teen. Trey is OK in his supporting role but stuggles I think with developing his character as an abusive kid. He does well in some scenes then seems amaturish in others like he does not know how to play the scene. No offense but he may be a less experienced actor than Ava. I recomend this film for a late night pop corn flick. It is watchable all the way through and it has some funny moments.

A mother & daughter from California move to a semi-rural area near Huntsville, Alabama, where the teen girl (Ava Cantrell) befriends a black misfit (Tren Reed-Brown). Havoc ensues.

"Abigail" (2023) is part coming-of-age drama and part thriller/slasher. It explores the same interesting themes as Nicolas Cage's "The Old Way" from eleven months prior, although that's a Western. It's comparable to "White Rabbit" (2013) and "The Rage: Carrie 2," just not as entertaining or rewarding. I'd say it's almost on par with "Devil's Island" from two years earlier; however, if you hated that one, you'll hate this even more.

The bottom line is that it's a technically well-made indie and worth checking out for those interested. Petite Ava Cantrell is a highlight and I respect a production that has the confidence to take its time (which others might interpret as boring).

Is what the girl does in the story unbelievable, as some complain? Not if you know the tree from which the fruit fell and she trains in her personal time (even if it's not shown). Filmmakers aren't obligated to spell everything out; they respect the viewer to put the pieces together.

It runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in Oakdale, California, which is 31 miles southeast of Stockton in the middle of the Central Valley (more specifically, the northeast part of San Joaquin Valley).

GRADE: B-