Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Abigail

Summary

• Abigail spares Joey because of a deal and compassion, wanting to avoid leaving Caleb motherless.
• Abigail's father hints at being Dracula, connecting to classic vampire stories like Dracula's Daughter.
• Abigail's open ending sets up a potential sequel, leaving her and her father as possible future antagonists.

Abigail, the latest horror film from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, ends with plenty of death and blood. Abigail’s reviews have mostly praised the horror film for being fun and entertaining. Starring Melissa Barrera and Dan Stevens, among others, Abigail ends with Joey and Frank being the last ones standing. In a twist, Lambert is revealed to be a vampire, having been turned by Abigail two years prior after having worked with Frank. He wants Frank to work with him to kill Abigail and her father, but Frank decides to kill Lambert instead.

With only Frank and Joey left, Abigail fights them both off initially. Joey tries to stop Frank, who impales her with a spear before going after Abigail again in an attempt to kill her by draining her of blood. Joey manages to remove herself from the spear and Abigail makes her a deal — if Joey helps her kill Frank, she’ll let her go free. Joey agrees, but is bitten by Frank, though she manages to sidestep his mind control because it hasn’t kicked in yet. She saves Abigail and they defeat Frank. Kristof Lazar appears, but also lets Joey go.

Why Abigail Lets Joey Live In Abigail's Ending

Abigail and Joey have the most intriguing bond

Abigail lets Joey live because she made her a deal, one that included a pinky promise, something Joey had done near the start of the film. But it wasn’t only that Joey promised to help Abigail defeat Frank; Joey also saved Abigail’s life in the horror film’s final scene and was the one who showed the most compassion to the ballerina throughout the movie. Melissa Barrera’s Joey was also very protective of Abigail when no one else was.

It’s possible Abigail also saw that Joey wanted to try and do right by her son, and if she killed her she would leave Caleb without a mother. Abigail was already frustrated by the fact that her own father had grown tired of her and left her behind, and she didn’t want another child to feel that way if she could help it. Joey could have killed both Frank and Abigail after being turned into a vampire, but opted to help the latter instead in a show of good faith.

Is Abigail's Father Dracula? Matthew Goode's Character Explained

Goode’s character is clearly a vampire, but Abigail hints he’s more

Kristof Lazar was mentioned several times throughout the intensely gory and violent Abigail, but he didn’t make an appearance until the film’s final moments. Played by Matthew Goode, Abigail’s father nearly kills Joey but stops at the behest of his daughter. And while it’s not overt for those who aren’t as familiar with vampire stories, Abigail hints the character is none other than Dracula himself, namely, because Abigail is influenced by the 1936 film Dracula’s Daughter, and is pretty much a reimagining of the classic movie.

In Dracula’s Daughter, the titular character, Countess Marya Zaleska, wants to be rid of her father’s influence. Whereas in Abigail, Dracula’s daughter wants her father to pay her some attention. Despite not being the exact same story, Abigail being an influential vampire’s daughter more than suggests that her father is Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. And though he only appears at the end of Abigail and the filmmakers don’t confirm his identity within the film, Goode’s entrance and mannerisms tease his identity.

Frank's Villain Twist & Plan For Abigail Explained

In a clever twist, Frank becomes a villain at the end of Abigail. Rather than team up with Lambert, however, Frank planned to take out Abigail on his own and become the big vampire in charge. Without Abigail in his way, Frank probably figured he would be able to kill Kristoff Lazar with little difficulty. Turning Joey into a vampire meant Frank would have someone on his side who he thought he could control. Ultimately, his vendetta against Abigail didn’t work, but becoming a vampire gave him some hope that his revenge against her and her father would be successful.

Abigail's Kidnapping Twist Explained: Why She Really Captured & Wanted To Kill Everyone

Abigail was in charge of the whole operation from the start

After pretending to be scared of her kidnappers, Abigail revealed that she was the one who planned their capture. Abigail wanted to kill everyone as revenge for working against her father — though it was often done indirectly and accidentally. What’s more, Abigail wanted to capture and kill Joey and the Rat Pack to get the attention of her dad. The ballerina believed that if she killed enough of his opponents he would return and stop dismissing her. Abigail was also bored, and she enjoyed teasing her victims before killing them because she had nothing better to do with her time.

The Real Identities & Backstories Of Abigail's "Rat Pack" Explained

Abigail handpicked the “Rat Pack,” as they often called themselves, because of their history with Kristof Lazar. While Abigail doesn’t reveal why Dean and Rickles, who were the first to die, were chosen, Abigail does reveal the rest of the characters’ backstories. Joey’s real name is Anna Lucia Cruz, a field medic who destroyed her career after becoming addicted to morphine. She abandoned her son Caleb and began working as an underground medic until she nicked an artery of a man close to Kristof Lazar while high.

Frank is Adam Barnett, a detective who worked undercover and arrested lieutenants who worked for Lazar, but who Abigail killed before they could talk. Frank felt empty after that and abandoned his family afterward. Rickles is Terrence LaCroix, a member of a gang in Montreal who got greedy and stole from Kristof Lazar’s subsidiary. Finally, there’s Sammy, or Jessica Hurney, a hacker who ultimately ended up stealing from another of Lazar’s subsidiaries. So it was no coincidence that they all ended up on the job kidnapping Abigail together.

How Abigail's Ending Sets Up Abigail 2

The ending leaves the door open for Abigail and her father to return

Joey may have walked away with her life intact, but Abigail and her father are still very much at large at the end of the film. Crucially, Abigail and Kristof Lazar seem like they’re on even better terms, which suggests the father-daughter duo could work together in the future. Abigail may have let Joey go, but she didn’t promise she would stop killing people, and if her father joined her, then Abigail 2 could prove to be an even bigger bloodbath. It’s also possible Joey, as the only survivor, might become a vampire hunter, going after Abigail and Kristof.

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, collectively known as Radio Silence, are open to the idea of making a sequel, though they said that Abigail has “no design to do that” and that they like having “a really definitive and satisfying character end” (via ComicBook.com). So, while Abigail’s ending leaves the door open for the ballerina to go another gory round with her victims, the horror film doesn’t necessarily need a sequel, though it would be more than welcome if Radio Silence ultimately went that route, if only to see what Abigail, and even Joey, might get up to next.

The Real Meaning Of Abigail Explained

Abigail flips the script, with the criminals becoming the victims. And while Abigail herself is a vampire with immense power, Abigail’s ending underscores never underestimating someone based on their appearance and assumed capabilities. That goes for the Rat Pack, too, each of whom had their own set of skills and backstories that didn’t necessarily fit the mold. What’s more, Joey was more concerned about potentially being a bad mother, and letting her fear push her away from her son only gave her an out, though she learns that it’s all about showing up from Abigail of all people.