We are having a vampire resurgence. From the soft, cult hits of Abigail and Renfield to the acclaimed vampire reimagining in Nosferatu to the cultural megahit Sinners — yes, vampires are indeed back. The blood-sucking creatures walk again, stalking the movie screens and creating a welcome applause from fans of the horror subgenre. This brings us to Abraham’s Boys, an adaptation of the Joe Hill short story, for the latest iteration of Dracula. Here, the focus is on the legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing in a quasi-alternative world adaptation of the Dracula mythos. While the film offers little blood and not much bite, it is a unique enough adaptation, even though we sorely miss the creature of the night.
Following the destruction of Dracula, we find Abraham Van Helsing (Titus Welliver) is living in America. In a new twist on the lore, Van Helsing is now married to Mina (Jocelin Donahue), who gives him two sons, Max (Brady Hepner) and Rudy (Judah Mackey). Living in America, Van Helsing runs a tight ship, while hoping to escape their dark past. However, as the sons uncover his role as a vampire hunter, he seeks to train them so that they will be prepared to confront the undead. However, secrets run thick as blood in the Van Helsing house. Between their mother’s unraveling mental state and their father’s dark past, the Van Helsing boys are set to discover a terrible truth that has nothing to do with vampires.
Twists on familiar lore, like Dracula, are common in new tellings, which borders on narrative cliché. Van Helsing is more than a vampire hunter in this film. He is now not only married to Mina, but he is also callous and vicious. A far cry from the eccentric, grandfatherly figure we see in countless versions. This is hardly an unwelcome change, but the twists the film unveils seem to drive a stake into the legacy of the storied vampire hunter. Here we find Van Helsing as an erratic individual who seems content with the accelerating paranoia of his wife. He is overprotective of his sons and seemingly content with bringing them into his dark world of vampirism. Yet, as the saying goes, the truth is stranger than fiction.
While Van Helsing is the central tenet of the story, the focus is on his two sons, Max and Rudy. They are aware of whispers about their father’s past, as well as their mother’s near-undead encounter. Set in California, rumors abound about why the family fled Amsterdam. For much of the film’s condensed runtime, we believe the danger is the curse of the vampire. Mina, for a large stretch of the narrative, is in and out of catatonia and battling her own demons. However, the truth proves darker and less otherworldly. Purists and traditional fans will likely balk at the alterations to the story. And it is far from twists, but rather about execution.
The challenge of Abraham’s Boys is that the story essentially remains isolated. We stay on the Van Helsing farm, with only a few soaring landscape shots to at least get the blood running. For those expecting vampire action or traditional lore, the story is a letdown. Much of the film is exposition and conversations. It is a slow burn that arrives more with a pop than a bang. There is a partial story of regret. The film explores the nature of evil, but its runtime is far too brief to give it any lasting impact.
The twist on the lore, which I will not spoil, will either make or break this film for people, especially fans of the Dracula story. The subversion that reveals itself here is far from a stake to the heart, but instead acts as a compelling what-if or elseworld companion piece to the legendary vampire story. However, the problem with this film is its thinness of story, which drags on, wearing out our patience and time. We wait around for a shocking climax that arrives far too late.
All that said, the performances are compelling, and Welliver offers his own spin on the Van Helsing character. The ultimate crux of this film centers on who Van Helsing is, the man. Is he protecting his family from vampirism in America, or is the vampire hunter not a benign fellow? Those expecting a Peter Cushing rendition of the Van Helsing character will be let down. This Dracula-less film is missing the central vampire; however, as a spinoff of sorts, this version works in the pocket of the American Gothic it seems hell-bent on creating.
Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story is currently playing exclusively in theaters courtesy of RLJE Films and Shudder.
This Dracula-less film is missing the central vampire; however, as a spinoff of sorts, this version works in the pocket of the American Gothic it seems hell-bent on creating.
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GVN Rating
Writing & podcasting, for the love of movies.
His Letterboxd Favorites: The Dark Knight, Halloween, Jaws & Anora.
