If there’s one thing you know you’re going to get when you sit down to watch a Radio Silence film, it’s blood.

“Abigail” follows a group of criminals (Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito) who kidnap a young girl (Alisha Weir) in an attempt to extort her rich father, only to discover things are not as they seem. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known collectively as Radio Silence, direct.

Radio Silence is best known for directing the two recent “Scream” reboots, as well as 2019’s “Ready or Not,” and all three films are clearly cut from the same cloth. While I enjoy them all (especially last year’s “Scream VI”), their films do have their issues, including some clunky dialogue and bad jokes, though if you are a fan of over-the-top blood for the sake of over-the-top blood, then the end results are often enough to overlook the hiccups. “Abigail” is no different than their previous works, though without a charming Samara Weaving or infamous Ghostface leading the way, the leash is a bit shorter.

I think Melissa Barrera is a talented actress, and her growth between 2022’s “Scream” and its sequel is noticeable (many felt she went from the weak link to the highlight). Here she plays Joey, the ipso-facto voice of the audience among the sea of thieves. Barrera shows sympathy to Alisha Weir’s titular young Abigail, pinky promising that no harm will come to her, and she also shows her abilities to think on her feet. Barrera makes for a solid leading lady, and holds her own in the fight sequences.

I’ve been a big fan of Kathryn Newton for a while (would love to see her cast in a “Scream” joint), and she gets to have fun here as a tattooed computer hacker, even if she isn’t breaking the mold of her typical Hot Topic girl character. Some of the other characters range from cliché to cringe, with some inconsistent performances and bad jokes, but they aren’t overly distracting.

While not getting grotesque like the “Saw” films, the blood is intentionally over-the-top so those with weak stomachs need not apply here. Radio Silence is known for having their characters be no more than meat puppets and blood balloons, so anyone who saw “Ready or Not” knows what I’m talking about, but those who go into this having only seen the duo’s “Scream” films (even though those two are the bloodiest of the franchise) may be in for a surprise.

I’ve intentionally stayed vague about the actual selling point of the film, on the off-chance you have avoided the trailer for this, because I think they missed a golden opportunity for a fun twist. I get why Universal chose to market the film the way they did, but I think simply listing the cast and directors would be enough to sell tickets. As I watched the characters discover what we already know about their situation, I couldn’t help but think how fun the film would’ve been as a whodunnit (especially since the first 25 minutes or so are all set-up and a presented mystery, even though we the audience know what is happening). On that same note, the film gets a little silly in the third act, and the final fight takes its sweet time to end.

“Abigail” has several chuckles and amusing bits of violence, even if the final product is not as great as the sum of its parts. It would have played a bit better as an October (or even late-summer) release, but with a full audience or group of friends I think enough works here to be worthy of your time.

Critics Rating: 6/10