In the next horror movie “Abigail,” Kathryn Newton, best known for playing Cassie Lang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is going in a horrifying direction. Under the direction of Radio Silence, the group behind the most recent “Scream” sequels and “Ready or Not,” “Abigail” seems to be a terrifying new addition to the genre. Newton joked about the surprisingly gummy nature of her horror film career and talked about the movie’s most terrifying sequence in a recent interview with ComicBook.com.
The horror genre is nothing new to Newton. Her roles in “Paranormal Activity 4” and “Freaky” were recent, as was her appearance in “Lisa Frankenstein.” It appears that “Abigail” is going farther than she has ever gone. Asked about the most graphic scene in the movie, Newton responded with a lighthearted anecdote: “So I don’t even know what it was,” she said, “It was gelatin of some kind, like some kind of glycerin, right? It felt like being in a slushie during the screen test that we conducted for it. All right? I was unable to move on the day of the shoot since there were so many more things in there.”
A depth of hideous dread is added to the film by the interview’s insinuation that this gelatinous nightmare might entail a pool of bodies. It’s easy to assume that “Abigail” will live up to the hype of being a thrilling and terrifying film, even though facts are still few.
An intriguing pattern is shown by Newton’s joking remark regarding her career in horror. Actresses who are successful in mainstream movies are more and more drawn to genre roles. In particular, horror seems to provide a special creative area where actors can explore darker roles and scenarios. It gives viewers an opportunity to view these well-known faces in a completely new way.
This is not limited to Newton. Horror film actors such as Lupita Nyong’o (“Us”), Florence Pugh (“Midsommar”), and even John Krasinski (“A Quiet Place”) have been doing very well in recent years. Maybe what draws audiences and seasoned actors to this genre so much is its ability to combine horror with dark humour or social commentary.
From “Abigail,” it seems Kathryn Newton is diving headfirst into the oozy, scary horror genre. It will be interesting to see if this represents a long-term change in her professional trajectory or just a lighthearted experiment. However, one thing is certain: when “Abigail” opens in theatres on April 19, viewers can anticipate seeing a completely different side of the actress.
It is also remarkable how the film relates to the directors’ earlier work. Because of their work on the critically acclaimed “Ready or Not” and the current “Scream” movies, Radio Silence is known for their suspenseful and intelligent horror films. “Abigail” is likely to excite admirers of their work, who are curious to see what fresh horror creations they’ll create next.
Plot specifics are yet unknown, but given Radio Silence’s history, Kathryn Newton’s skill in the horror genre, and the possibility of an incredibly gory scene, “Abigail” seems like a film that horror enthusiasts just must see. Expect a healthy mix of humour, a few jump scares, and maybe a fresh respect for Kathryn Newton’s courage to jump headfirst—or maybe shoulder-deep in gelatin—into the unknown world of horror.
