Is 2024's Abigail Movie Suitable For Children? How Scary & Gory It Is

Summary Abigail is not suitable for kids due to graphic violence and gore.

The film relies more on gore than scares compared to the Scream movies.

Abigail surpasses Scream in gore levels, with creative and intense bloody scenes.

Abigail, written and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (collectively known as Radio Silence), is a new take on the vampire horror movie that may or may not be suitable for children. Abigail’s movie reviews have been very positive, with the horror film continuing a Rotten Tomatoes trend for its directors. The film, which follows a group of criminals who are in over their heads when they discover the 12-year-old ballerina they kidnapped is a vampire, has a few twists and turns that will keep audiences on their toes, alongside some very gruesome horror elements.

Abigail’s cast is led by Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens, who are joined by a plethora of other big-name actors, including Giancarlo Esposito. Of course, Abigail being a horror movie from the Scream 6 directors means that it leans into the scares and the gore. The film takes on vampire lore in its own way, updating some of what has already been done in other movies. To that end, Abigail takes liberties with the horror and bloody aspects, and it will depend on how willing one might be to see so much of it, especially with children.

Related Where To Watch Abigail: Showtimes & Streaming Status Another horror movie from Radio Silence is here, and there are different options for where to watch Abigail in theaters or at home on streaming.

Abigail Is Not Suitable For Kids: R-Rating Explained

There's too much gore and violence for younger audiences

While some horror movies in the past have gotten away with a PG-13 rating, Abigail has been rated R for “strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.” The Motion Picture Association’s description is apt, especially when it comes to the part about bloody violence and gore. There are scenes that include Stevens’ character, Frank, vomiting blood for nearly a minute. During Screen Rant’s Abigail set visit, Dan Stevens discussed the sheer amount of blood used while filming.

It was definitely the bloodiest thing I've ever worked on in terms of volume, just pints of red syrup that were required on set. The fun and the ridiculousness of that as well, and just sort of, you know, if somebody vomits up blood, it's like, okay, we've all seen that, but what if it lasts for like, a minute (laughs).

With so much bloodshed and slaughter, Abigail is certainly not suitable for kids. Not only does the horror film include lots of blood vomiting, but there are severed heads, bodies exploding, and violent attacks on characters throughout. There are also several instances of characters being impaled by sharp stakes and horrifically sliced and stabbed with various weaponry and, occasionally, teeth. And while there is some cursing and gun use, Abigail is mostly violent and ridiculously bloody, and is definitely not made with children in mind.

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Abigail Is Not Scarier Than Radio Silence's Scream Movies

Abigail is more reliant on gore than on scaring its audience

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In terms of sheer scares, Abigail is not more terrifying than Radio Silence’s Scream franchise movies. Whereas the directors’ Scream films have distinct feelings of unease, Abigail is more absurd and fun. There are a couple of jump scares in the film, but it’s more gory than it is scary. Abigail herself, played by Alisha Weir, knows how to manipulate people, but her taunts and level of viciousness doesn’t live up to the skin-crawling chills that Ghostface instills in characters and the audience.

Radio Silence has directed two Scream movies: Scream (2022) and Scream VI. They are also well-known for having directed the beloved horror film Ready or Not.

Abigail can be absurd at times, and it leans into that, which makes it less horrific. The film relies on its gore and violence to get its point across, so it dials down on the scary thrills that are more prominent in Radio Silence’s Scream movies. Abigail is, at times, bigger and more wild than the directors’ previous work, so the more traditional horror elements are scaled back. Abigail doesn’t stalk her victims like Ghostface does, employing other ways to rattle their nerves. Yet despite being a vampire, Abigail still looks like a 12-year-old girl, which is decidedly less terrifying.

Abigail Is Much More Gory Than The Scream Movies

Abigail is filled with a lot more gore than one might assume. When a person explodes, blood is splashed onto everyone and everything in the vicinity. Speaking to Screen Rant during the Abigail set visit, Melissa Barrera recalled how much more blood there was used compared to other horror films she’s worked on, including Scream.

This is the most blood that I've ever experienced in a movie. I've seen some movies that have like a bathtub full of blood or someone comes out of blood and like in the water, but talking about the amount of blood that you see throughout a movie, this is probably up there with the most. It's a lot. We have blood cannons. That says a lot.

Not only is there a lot of gore, but Radio Silence gets creative in the way that it’s used throughout the film — be it through bodily explosions, stabbing characters with a cross, or letting blood run freely through open-mouthed hunger. There is no stone left unturned. It’s intense, and even director Tyler Gillet was astonished by what they managed to accomplish with Abigail’s gory elements. Here’s what he had to say about it during the set visit:

But it gets pretty wild. I mean, there were days on set where you couldn't walk anywhere, because it was just a bloodbath. And that for us is super fun. You build these incredible elaborate sets. And then by the end of the shoot, it's like wow, what a crazy transformation.

Without question, Abigail is far bloodier than any of the Scream movies to date. It perhaps helps that the horror film is primarily set in one location, so the amount of gore utilized can be more freely used. Certainly, the amount of gore in Abigail is inspired, taking the horror film to great heights and, literally, painting the town red. And while the Scream movies are more unsettling and scary, Abigail is having a good time showering everything with blood and enjoying it in the process.