Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 28, 2026

Vampire stories are plentiful, but author Joe Hill has something a little different in mind with “Abraham’s Boys.” The material is an adaptation of a short story, and writer/director Natasha Kermani is challenged to figure out how to work with Hill’s central concept of post-Dracula life for Mina Harker and Abraham Van Helsing, picking up with the characters as they experience the trouble of maintaining sanity after they’ve survived maddening events. It’s a neat idea, and Kermani is hunting for patience from her audience, going the slow-burn route with the endeavor, searching for a sense of creepiness to command the viewing experience. “Abraham’s Boys” has mood, and the tale eventually gets around to escalation, helping to improve a somewhat sluggish effort that battles with the limitations of the material that inspired it.

It’s 1915, 18 years after the demise of Dracula, and Abraham Van Helsing (Titus Welliver) is trying to live a quiet life in rural California with his wife, Mina (Jocelin Donahue), and their two sons, Max (Brady Hepner) and Rudy (Judah Mackey). Mina seems to be getting sicker by the day, struggling with visions and fears, putting Max, her eldest son, on edge, looking to his father for guidance. Abraham is a distant man who often remains in his private study, and he has little patience for weakness, but he senses a change in the land and anticipates the arrivals of “demons” to torment his beloved wife. Max is expected to follow his father’s footsteps, but the path to maturation is difficult when he doesn’t understand what exactly is going on, also dealing with Rudy’s curiosity about their parents and their past lives. As Mina weakens, Max begins to learn more about Abraham and his experiences, soon exposed to a dark reality about evils in the world and the Van Helsing method of managing such threats.

The Van Helsing residence is located in the middle of nowhere, but one of the pressure points in the script is how that distance is shrinking every passing year. There’s railroad construction in the area, helping to make the world smaller, and Abraham is unnerved by the development, previously enjoying privacy and safety. There are strangers on the roads, and “Abraham’s Boys” takes note of one woman struggling to find transportation to the nearest town. And there are others in need of help, including Eddie (Corteon Moore), who’s injured while working on the railroad, seeking medical attention from Abraham, while his sister, mapmaker Elsie (Aurora Perrineau), gets to know Max, who’s not accustomed to outsider attention. “Abraham’s Boys” establishes remoteness and privacy, especially with the doctor, who’s trying to keep his life away from prying eyes, including his children.

Like many movies, “Abraham’s Boys” is a study of parenthood. Abraham isn’t a warm man, expecting discipline, but now he has to deal with Max, who’s old enough to understand things, but he’s also chastised for educational challenges he can’t seem to conquer. It’s a complicated relationship, and Kermani stays close to it, trying to understand both sides of the household, especially as Mina begins to exhibit signs of illness. The stress of this situation is stretched throughout the feature, watching the woman start to lose her grip on reality, putting her husband in a difficult spot, in possession of knowledge about her experiences he’s never shared with his children. “Abraham’s Boys” strives to sustain such tension, but it’s not always easy when there’s very little story to work with, but Kermani hopes to add bits of disorientation with dreamscape visits for Max, and there’s the mystery of the study, which is a place Max and Rudy dare to visit, unprepared for what they find.

Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

The image presentation for "Abraham's Boys" offers an HDR viewing experience, and one that struggles mightily with encoding issues. Evidence is there from the start of the feature, with posterization and some solarization present, varying in intensity. Banding is found as well. Detail is acceptable, delivering decently textured skin particulars on the cast, and period costuming is also reasonably fibrous. Exteriors maintain appealing depth, reinforcing the remote location. Interiors are dimensional, permitting access to decorative additions. Color is acceptable, with clear greenery and blue skies. Blood reds are defined, and clothing carries crisp whites. Skin tones are mostly intact, though Welliver looks just a touch too orange at times as Van Helsing. Highlights are tasteful.

Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix isn't working with an especially forceful movie. Dialogue exchanges dominate the picture, and performances are understood, handling with clear balance between hushed conversations and argumentative moments. Scoring supports with defined instrumentation, handling changes in suspense and mood. Surrounds aren't all that active, mostly pushing out a few musical moods and milder atmospherics. Sound effects are distinct. Low-end isn't challenged.

Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet offers an introduction from Joe Hill and an essay by Heidi Honeycutt.

• Intro (2:50, HD) features author Joe Hill, who provides some personal history for the original short story. He also points out various cinematic influences on "Abraham's Boys," and offers an appreciation for the performances.

• Commentary features writer/director Natasha Kermani, cinematographer Julia Swain, editor Gabriel de Urioste, and producer James Howard Herron.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Abraham's Boys" isn't a horror film, but it contains genre elements such as gore and troubling encounters with potentially dangerous people. It's more atmospheric than physical, as the writing looks to cut to the bone when examining character battles with guilt, which is a mighty force equal to the wrath of vampirism. The story begins to take a more familiar shape in the final act, examining the Van Helsing way as a generational duty, and Kermani visibly struggles with pacing, getting too caught up in stillness as a form of communication among family members. "Abrahams's Boys" isn't thrilling, but it's interesting, playing with pieces of Bram Stoker's creation, finding new monsters to deal with for disturbed characters who've already seen too much.