If she isn’t your best friend, she’s your worst nightmare
It’s hard to know what’s really going on behind Abigail Cole’s eyes. When they light up, her positivity is infectious. She can make you believe you can do extraordinary things and fill you with the confidence to take a stand and become someone worthy of respect. But when her eyes go cold, and she turns dead inside… Abigail shares that too. Her new (and reluctant) best friend has one question, and his life may depend on figuring out the answer: Is Abigail fiercely loyal or just fierce?
Abigail is set in 1976. It features classic horror elements that underpin contemporary themes of bullying and mental health. This could easily have been a nostalgia-drenched slasher film with flashes of violence and gore that was quickly forgotten. But there’s something special going on here. There’s care, commitment, and an attention to detail. The story is tight: nothing happens by chance, every line is important, and every twist is deftly foreshadowed — though you might not realize it until after all the big reveals.
While these aspects are commendable, they are only part of what makes Abigail a must-see film. The intrigue of this tense thriller is created by the slow-burn unveiling of Abigail’s true nature. Is she the hero, the villain, the victim, or something else entirely? The actress that brings this incredibly complex character to life, making her both so relatable and so terrifying, is Ava Cantrell.
Getting to know Ava Cantrell
You might recognize Ava from her work on Young Sheldon, The Haunted Hathaways, or Lights Out, the 2016 box office smash that was based on David F. Sandberg’s eerie horror short of the same name. She is a fan of science fiction, thrillers, and action movies who enjoys working out and hiking. Ava is currently obsessed with Muay Thai, a martial arts combat sport from Thailand that uses fists, elbows, knees, and shins. “I’ve even competed in a tournament,” she told Entertaining Options.
Ava’s friends would describe her as someone who loves to laugh and is always up for trying new things. Although many scholastic and athletic pursuits come easily to her, Ava does struggle with ball sports. “Those are near impossible for me,” she confessed.
Huntsville, Alabama 1976
When we meet Abigail, she has just arrived in Huntsville, Alabama. Her mother states that she is looking to get a fresh start. Her father is no longer in the picture, and it is unclear if Abigail’s mother is protecting her, trying to control her, or is simply afraid of her. Abigail takes an immediate (and intense) liking to her new neighbor, Lucas Wright, a tall, gangly boy who is brutally bullied by his classmates. Lucas doesn’t have the most compassionate or understanding mother. He wants nothing to do with Abigail, but she has a charm that he finds hard to resist. Abigail is also bold, to the point of being fearless. Even though he would never admit it, Lucas might need her strength, loyalty, and imposing presence to survive his unfortunate life.
“If she wanted to destroy you, she could… and she would.”
While Ava brought her effervescent personality, a radiant smile, and heaps of charisma to the table to make Abigail someone people could identify with and genuinely like, she also needed to establish a fearsome on-screen presence. This was a challenge because the petite protagonist was noticeably the smallest member of the cast.
“I loved Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. He wasn’t physically imposing but, God, was he scary,” Ava began. “Abigail was just such a twisted force underneath her skin. I wanted to portray the confidence that if she wanted to destroy you, she could… and she would.”
To get that menacing presence, Ava used Christian Bale’s portrayal of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho as a role model for Abigail.
“I really wanted to make her ‘real,'” she continued. “Abigail is able to adapt her personality to achieve whatever angle or intention she desires. If it requires charm, vulnerability, or intimidation, she’s an expert at it. She can be your greatest friend or your worst enemy. In preparation, I needed to understand what her goal was in each scene: with her mom it was domination, with Lucas it was corruption, and with her dad it was approval. Her scenes with the bullies are really what make you like her, even though you know you shouldn’t. At the premiere, in all those bully scenes, the audience was screaming loudly in approval. Especially in the bat and axe scene.”
Not your typical scream queen
Working in horror may help an actor build a devoted fan base, but it doesn’t help them win awards. In fact, while scream queen is an affectionate and complimentary term for actresses that thrive in the genre, it denotes a kind of one-dimensional aspect. Ava pointed out that the horror genre can put an actor’s skills in a box. Films like Abigail, however, are an exception. The broad range of emotions that Ava convincingly portrays is astounding.
“I’ve been very lucky to have worked in many genres. My favorites are comedy and horror, but I don’t think I’d like to be the one being scared. It’s more challenging to play roles that are different from who you are. In real life, I’m the one screaming the loudest while watching a scary movie.”
There’s a brief scene in the movie when Abigail makes a phone call after a horrific event. In just about 30 seconds, we watch her move from a detached emotional state to a hysterical daughter to an icy cold and sinister predator.
“I think that some of the most twisted characters have the best acting,” Ava stated, bringing up Christian Bale again. “I love that 911 scene. In under a minute, you see exactly who Abigail is. It was so satisfying to film that scene; it was like a release. In the movie you aren’t quite sure who she is, but in that scene with her mom, there is literally no doubt.”
Since the movie took place in 1976, when Ava made that 911 call, she used a rotary phone. The actress shared a little humorous anecdote about filming that scene.
“The first take ended up with everyone laughing at me,” Ava admitted. “Here’s why. I was really into the character and delivery as I performed the take, only no one told me how a rotary phone worked back in the ’70s. I dialed 911 on the phone, then picked up the handset. For those of us born after the millennium, you need to pick up the handset, wait for something called a ‘dial tone,’ then dial the phone.”
Is “Abigail” for you?
While we’ve already mentioned the remarkably tight writing of Gunnar Garrett, it’s important to note that the director, Melissa Vitello, has a keen eye for detail and understood the assignment. She pulled some captivating moments from her cast, and Bryan Ricke (cinematographer) framed and focused each scene to tell the story in a wholly engrossing way. A lot of care went into making this movie something special, and all members of the cast and crew should be proud of what they achieved.
“If you’re a fan of fun, slasher genre movies, check out Abigail. It’s a great twisted love story woven into a violent ’70s thriller,” Ava expressed. “Parents love the style, aesthetics, music, twists, and turns. Teens love the relationship between Lucas and Abby, and the fact that it is a thriller but not too gory. The female audience is loving that Abigail is strong and can stand up to the bullies. I think there is something for everyone in this film.”
In closing…
Before ending the interview, we wanted to ask Ava if she had any message for her fans.
“The message I have is that tomorrow is a new day. Life isn’t easy, and I have had hard knocks myself, but what I have learned is that a day can change drastically on a dime. I am currently experiencing that in my personal life. You just never know what a new day will bring.”
The actress also reminded that no matter what your goals are in life, you should never let someone else dictate who you can be. “You define yourself. You are the one who gets to write your story.”
You can watch Abigail on VOD or DVD.
Next, Ava is excited to work on a zombie survival movie that is currently in pre-production. She is also hoping a rom-com is in her future. You can keep up with this accomplished actress by visiting any (or all) of the links below.
Entertaining Options 