ABRAHAM’S BOYS: A DRACULA STORY is a new horror movie out in theaters. It’s based on a short story by Joe Hill. The runtime is only around 90 minutes, but it still feels too long. Read our full Abraham’s Boys horror movie review here!
ABRAHAM’S BOYS is a new vampire horror movie. However, it’s a different take on a Dracula story. It plays out in California in 1915, so we’re on a farm with just a few characters.
I knew this movie was based on a short story by Joe Hill, and watching this movie did make me curious about that story. This is obviously a good sign. What isn’t very good is the fact that I felt this movie was far too slow-burn. And I usually like slow-burn.
Continue reading our Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story movie review below. Find it In Theaters from July 11, 2025. It will also be on Shudder later this year.
Meet the Van Helsings
In Abraham’s Boys, the title characters are Max and Rudy Van Helsing. Yes, the very same Van Helsing you’ll know from countless vampire stories. For this movie, we meet the two sons of the very strict and overprotective father, Abraham (Titus Welliver).
They have no idea what Abraham Van Helsing has gone through in the past. Nor do they know what their mother, Mina (Jocelin Donahue), has lived through. And is, to be fair, still living under the shadow of.
Especially Max Van Helsing (Brady Hepner) is getting to be old enough to notice the paranoia and very strange behavior of their father. His younger brother Rudy (Judah Mackey) keeps more to himself and escapes via books, so he’s always reading something.
Abraham finally realizes that he needs to let his sons in on what it means to be a Van Helsing. It’s not nearly as dramatic or action-fueled as you might think. In fact, for Max especially, it’s hard to fully grasp whether his dad is being truthful or has lost his mind.
Who is the real monster? And who will be the true hero of this story?!
A strong cast always helps
As soon as I saw Jocelin Donahue as Mina, I felt very safe. Like a treat had been given from the onset of this story. She looks very thin and frail in this role, which I feel confident is very purposeful. Mina is not happy, nor does she feel safe, which Jocelin Donahue exudes.
From Ti West‘s The House of the Devil (2009) to the amazing Holidays segment, and on to I Trapped the Devil and Doctor Sleep (2019), I have always enjoyed Jocelin Donahue. She’s great in Abraham’s Boys as well, but I wish she had played a much bigger role.
Of course, the title of this movie doesn’t include “Mina”, so instead the focus is on Abraham, who is portrayed by Titus Welliver (Bosch), who also produced this movie. The sons are portrayed wonderfully and believably by two strong young actors.
There’s Brady Hepner from The Black Phone and The Waterfront Netflix series as the older brother, and Judah Mackey (What/If, Deadcon) as the younger brother.
Watch Abraham’s Boys in theaters (or on Shudder later)
Abraham’s Boys was written & directed by Natasha Kermani. I was very impressed with her movie Lucky, which was written by (and starred) Brea Grant. Unfortunately, this new movie didn’t hit those same notes that made me enjoy Lucky.
Of course, this new movie is based on the short story by Joe Hill, and since I haven’t read that one, I don’t know just how closely it follows it. I found myself getting annoyed by things that shouldn’t matter – like if stupid details were accurate for its 1915 rural setting.
BONUS INFO: The score comes from Brittany Allen, who is another of my favorite indie horror movie actors. You might recognize her from What Keeps You Alive, which she also composed the score for.
I can’t blame filmmaker Natasha Kermani for this, but something about the execution of the movie allowed room for these thoughts. In other words, I wasn’t completely hooked, which is a real shame. It’s a fascinating story at its core, so maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this particular story and vibe. It did look gorgeous!
Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story is out In Theaters from July 11, 2025. It’s being released by RLJE Films, which means we’ll also be getting a Shudder release later this year.
Details
Director: Natasha Kermani
Script: Natasha Kermani
Starring: Titus Welliver, Jocelin Donahue, Judah Mackey with Aurora Perrineau and Brady Hepner
Plot
Max and Rudy Van Helsing have spent their lives under the strict and overprotective rule of their father, Abraham. Unaware of his dark past, they struggle to understand his paranoia and increasingly erratic behavior. But when they begin to uncover the violent truths behind their father’s history with Dracula, their world unravels, forcing them to confront the terrifying legacy they were never meant to inherit.
📺 Watch trailer
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