Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story

I'll start by saying that I really wanted to like this film. The location was gorgeous, the cinematography is fantastic, and the story it's based on is an interesting read. The issue? A really bad script that needed a few more revisions, scenes that played zero role in the story, and some really bad acting from half of the cast.

Dollar store Udo Kier just didn't do anything to help the film, and neither did the younger brother. Every scene involving the two felt like a chore to sit through because the acting was just poor. The mother, despite being from Amsterdam, had a very American accent, so it felt unbelievable even though her acting was up to par. The only good casting here was the older brother and the settler girl, the latter was not given much material to work with either, which was a shame as she played her role to the best of her ability. It didn't help matters that the dialog throughout the film was incredibly stilted, for all parties involved.

Another point to be made is that the film is just boring for the majority of it's runtime. Virtually nothing happens until about the last twenty minutes or so. I understand that it's a slow burn story, but the writer/director should have done something to spruce the story up a bit. For instance, it's the reason why Mike Flanagan is able to pull of Stephen King stories so well, he knows when to take chances and when to be faithful. There is a lot that could have been done with this story, and it all just ends up feeling like one big missed opportunity.

The film also neglects to show even a shred of the brothers believing in Abraham's atrocities once revealed. The brothers never buy into the fact that the man's determinations might be true, therefore making at least 20 minutes of the film null and void. It's one of the reasons why the film Frailty worked so well. In that film, the boys were never quite sure of whether or not their father's supposed mission was real, or if he was just a psycho, making us, the audience, rethink the entire thing ourselves. It's something that you can tell was an inspiration for the storyline, but the writer didn't study that film well enough to understand why it was so compelling and apply it to this story here.

Overall, it can wait until streaming. Yes, the location was a nice view and the cinematography steals the majority of the show, but it's really not worth sitting through in a theater, as it was, for the most part, a bore of a film and not compelling enough to make it an interesting viewing experience.

1.5 Frailty knockoffs out of 5.

Abraham's Boys had all the right ingredients to be a horror hit: a chilling premise, rich source material from Joe Hill, and the pedigree of Natasha Kermani (Lucky) behind the camera. Positioned as a Dracula sequel through the lens of trauma, inheritance, and paranoia, the film sets its sights high, but sadly, this Shudder release ends up being more of a missed opportunity than a memorable fright.

The story follows Max and Rudy Van Helsing, two teenage brothers raised under the increasingly unhinged rule of their father, Abraham Van Helsing-the same Van Helsing who helped destroy Dracula decades ago. While the Dracula novel is treated canonically (minus the final, somewhat tidy epilogue), this film is more of a slow-burn domestic horror than a vampire thriller. Unfortunately, the burn is too slow, and the tension fizzles before it truly ignites.

The film clearly aims to explore generational trauma through a Gothic lens, what it's like to grow up with a father scarred by monsters both literal and psychological. That concept is compelling, and the moments that touch on this theme are some of the strongest. Watching Max and Rudy slowly piece together the dark legacy they've inherited, and realize their father's madness may be rooted in terrifying truth, should be captivating.

But here's the problem: while watching it, I couldn't help but be reminded of another, better film and I found myself wanting to leave the theater to watch it instead. Revealing that title will be a major spoiler.

That's not to say it's a total loss. But that's part of the frustration: Abraham's Boys has so much potential. For those curious about Van Helsing's tragic legacy, it might be worth a watch-but only with tempered expectations. There's a much better film buried somewhere in here, but like Dracula himself, it never fully rises from the grave.

There mere fact that the 2025 movie "Abraham's Boys" was a horror movie that I hadn't heard about, nor seen obviously, was more than sufficient to make me sit down and watch the movie, as I stumbled upon it by random chance. Given my love of all things horror, of course I had to check it out. And the fact that it was a vampire movie spin-off based on the Abraham Van Helsing character, well that just sweetened the deal.

Writers Natasha Kermani and Joe Hill put together a fair enough script, however it was a bit on the bland and semi-boring side. I was expecting more of a vampire movie, to be bluntly honest.

Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with actor Titus Welliver. The acting performances in the movie were okay.

Watchable, for sure, but hardly a noteworthy foray into the vampire subgenre of the horror genre. Would I recommend this movie to fans of vampire movies? Hardly so. Will I ever return to watch "Abraham's Boys" a second time? Nope.

Ultimately a rather forgettable movie, and one that leaves you with a sense of 'let's just forget that this should be the legacy of Abraham Van Helsing'.

My rating of director Natasha Kermani's 2025 movie "Abraham's Boys" lands on a four out of ten stars.

I need 1hr 29mins and 5secs of my life back🙄. I can truly appreciate a good slow burn as long as a fire eventually occurs. The most intriguing aspect mildly enjoyable was the looming question of Abraham Van Helsing's mental stability. No spoilers from me, watch at your own risk. I went in with fresh eyes, no expectations, and was left disappointed.

The story is soooo slow. And the whole movie through I was waiting for it to start. I had a hard time staying awake. Acting wasn't great, but with a good story it could still be a nice movie to watch. I do not understand... why make such films? An absolute time waster. Titus Welliver should have stuck with Bosch.