Who Is Abigail's Father? Vampire Crime Lord's Identity & Dracula Connection Explained

The following contains spoilers for Abigail, now playing in theaters

Summary Abigail fuses crime thriller and horror elements, setting up a potential new Dracula storyline in a sequel.

Kristof Lazar is a powerful crimelord and vampire in Abigail, with possible hints he is Dracula himself.

Abigail has been a vampire for centuries, with her father as the one who turned her, creating a dark vampiric family.

Abigail has a lot of fun with its vampiric roots, quietly featuring some clear connections to the mythos of previous Dracula stories — as well as a potential appearance by the most famous vampire himself. Abigail focuses on a group of seemingly unconnected criminals who are hired to kidnap the titular little girl in hopes of a massive payout from her mysterious wealthy father. However, the group is shocked to discover that the girl is in fact a centuries-old vampire, who stalks the group through a mansion and steadily picks them off one by one throughout the film in grisly ways.

It's a fun genre fusion of a criminal thriller and a gore-filled horror film. The latter of which makes perfect sense, given that Abigail quietly functions as a reimagining of the Universal monster movie Dracula's Daughter. Within the film itself, this connection is slowly teased to be a more literal bond, with one of Abigail's most intimidating characters quietly hinting at a deeper history than the film is willing to reveal. It adds an interesting layer of intrigue and mystery to the story, potentially setting the stage for a new take on the Dracula mythos in a prospective Abigail 2.

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Abigail's Father Is Crime Lord Kristof Lazar

Why The World Fears Abgail's Father

Kristof Lazar is established in Abigail as a particularly dangerous and well-connected criminal powerhouse, adding a shadow of menace to the film's first half. Initially, the crew of criminals recruited to kidnap Abigail are content to not know who they're extorting money from. However, after Abigail reveals his identity to Frank, it seeds a layer of fear and distrust between the criminals. Kristof is established as being a powerful crimelord with an infamous reputation for brutally killing those that cross him. All of these already shady character teases are given an even darker edge after Abigail's monstrous side is exposed.

It's revealed Kristof has been using Abigail as his enforcer and that he is also a deadly vampire. However, a divide has grown between Abigail and her father. His commitment to his work has resulted in him "losing interest" in his daughter. This proves to be the sympathetic foothold that Joey needs to get through to Abigail. A mother separated from her son, Joey's commitment to being a better parent touches a nerve with Abigail. This eventually leads the vampire ballerina to stand up for Joey against her father when he finally does arrive, setting up the film's final scenes.

Is Kristof Lazar Actually Dracula?

Abigail's Connection To Dracula, Explained

In Abigail, there's no clear indicator that Kistof Lazar is actually Dracula — but there are enough hints in-universe and in real life to suggest that is the case. After being announced, the film that would eventually become Abigail was revealed to be a modern take on 1936's Dracula's Daughter. The two movies almost shared the same name, which would have reinforced the implication that Abigail's father is a new version of Dracula. Within Abigail, there are indications that Kristof Lazar has been operating in the criminal underworld for years, including clues that Lazar is actually centuries older than anyone realizes.

This would fit into the unnaturally long life of most incarnations of Dracula. The manor Abigail largely takes place in is reminiscent of a European castle, which helps reinforce the connection to Dracula and his Transylvanian roots. Kristof Lazar being Dracula could explain how he's been able to spread the power he's accrued over the years. His criminal empire is notably powerful and has existed for at least decades, operating largely in the shadows. This would fit into Abigail's father being a new take on Dracula. While it's not confirmed, there are clues in the film that tease this connection.

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Abigail's Father Turned Her Into A Vampire Several Centuries Before The Movie's Timeline

Abigail Sets Up Centuries Of Violent Backstories

During Abigail, the titular vampire eventually drops the facade of being a little girl to taunt her would-be victims. This includes the revelation that Abigail has been serving as her father's chief enforcer for ages. Abigail confirms that her father turned her into a vampire centuries before the events of the film. This underscores the dark villainous traits of the film's central vampiric family, suggesting they've been killing people together for hundreds of years. This is reinforced by the art found in Kristof's manor. A mural discovered by Dean seems to show a pair of early settlers in North America.

The attire of the pair suggests they are early European settlers. The two are implied to be father and daughter, with the girl's resemblance to Abigail serving as one of the early clues that the young ballerina is not what she appears to be. Within the library where much of the climax takes place, there is also a statue that seems to depict the two pilgrims. This teases that Kristof relocated to North America hundreds of years ago. If Kristof is a new version of Dracula, this suggests his life took a different path than most versions of the character.

Who Plays Abigail's Father (& What His Cameo Means For Abigail 2)

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Abigail's father Kristof appears in the final scenes of Abigail, played by Matthew Goode. Kristof only arrives on the scene after the newly vampiric Frank has been dealt with. It initially appears as if Kristof will kill and feed on Joey, but Abigail follows through on her promise to spare Joey. Ultimately, Kristof allows Joey to depart, and ends the film standing alongside Abigail. Abigail does confirm that vampires have some specific weaknesses like sunlight and stakes through the heart, but his age and experience suggest that Kristof has mastered many of the same powers Abigail uses throughout the film.

It sets up a particularly dangerous and clever vampire. The new version of Dracula's Daughter sets up a version of Dracula who has not only adjusted well to the modern world but figured out how to control it from the shadows. Kristof's dramatic appearance in the ending of Abigail could tease Abigail 2, which could potentially expand on his relationship with his daughter in light of her refusal to back down over Joey. A prospective sequel could also explore more of the vampire's criminal world, and build off the teases about Kristof and his potential connection to Dracula in Abigail.