Continuing the Dracula theme, I picked this one out of a hat more or less. I expected something along the lines of the TV series Supernatural, figuring this would be about Van Helsing training a new generation of vampire hunters. Was I right? Let’s see.
Abraham’s Boys takes place in 1915 California. Abraham Van Helsing and his wife, Mina, have relocated to the Central Valley with their two boys. The family’s search for peace is threatened, however, as the railroad expands near their isolated farm. But does the railroad bring more than new settlers to the region? Abraham suspects a vampire has hunted them down.
Putting the “Van Helsing’s wife, Mina” elephant in the room aside, the premise of the movie isn’t a bad one. Abraham is played by Titus Welliver, who is no slouch when it comes to acting (Exhibit A: Deadwood). Moving the action from the gothic setting of Victorian England to the dry but beautiful Central Valley immediately informs us we’re not looking at Dracula: Part 2. The film’s focus is mostly on Abraham’s two boys, Max and Rudy, and their relationship with their sometimes-overbearing father. Their mother is still dealing with PTSD from her encounter with Dracula and has become a nervous wreck, a vast difference from the woman who largely ensured the Circle of Light triumphed over the Count.
Abraham’s Boys further moves away from Stoker’s story by suggesting that Van Helsing might not be entirely sane, making his motivations highly suspect. Was he truly hunting down the undead or was he murdering the innocent due to an undiagnosed madness? It’s here where the film really becomes interesting. Once that question begins hanging around the edge of the plot, we know were not in for a typical vampire film.
Based on the novel by Joe Hill, Abraham’s Boys took a beating in the reviews and I can understand why. People, much like myself, assumed they were in for some vampire ass-kicking and were instead confronted with a film similar to the greatly overlooked Frailty. Once I saw what the movie was up to, I changed my expectations accordingly and found this one to be better than IMDB’s rating suggested.
Rating: While not a contender for best film of this year’s marathon, I enjoyed it, earning it a solid 3 skulls out of 5. Audiences familiar with Hill’s novel might feel otherwise, but being unfamiliar with the book, I can’t judge it as an adaptation.
