Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
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A fictionalized history of the American Civil War features the 16th president of the United States as a secret, lifelong vampire hunter.
The story
In 1818, Abraham Lincoln lives in Indiana and witnesses a tragedy involving a local landowner and a young boy. Years later, after a series of events leads him to discover the existence of vampires, Lincoln is mentored by Henry Sturges to become a vampire hunter. The story follows Lincoln as he travels to Springfield, Illinois, where he begins his dual life of hunting the undead and pursuing a political career. As the Civil War approaches, Lincoln must navigate the complexities of his secret identity while attempting to end the institution of slavery, all while facing a powerful organization of vampires who use the slave trade to maintain their dominance.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After his mother's death at the hands of a vampire named Jack Barts, Abraham Lincoln is mentored by Henry Sturges to become a vampire hunter. In Springfield, Lincoln balances his secret life with his public life, eventually falling in love with Mary Todd. He eventually discovers that Sturges is a vampire who seeks to destroy the order of vampires led by the 5,000-year-old Adam. When Adam kidnaps Lincoln's friend, Lincoln is forced to confront the vampire leader. During the Civil War, Lincoln coordinates a massive effort to collect and distribute silver weapons to the Union army to combat the vampire threat. In a climactic battle, Lincoln's allies and soldiers use silver to defeat the vampires, including Adam's sister Vadoma. The film ends with Lincoln and Mary celebrating the end of the war, while Sturges is approached by a new man in modern-day Washington, D.C.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Timur Bekmambetov
- Writers
- Seth Grahame-Smith · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Benjamin Walker · Abraham Lincoln; Dominic Cooper · Henry Sturges; Anthony Mackie · Will Johnson; Mary Elizabeth Winstead · Mary Todd Lincoln; Rufus Sewell · Adam; Marton Csokas · Jack Barts; Jimmi Simpson · Joshua Speed; Erin Wasson · Vadoma
- Genres
- horror; action; fantasy
- Themes
- Secret identity; Good vs. Evil; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Action-oriented
- Premise and plot tags
- Alternate History; Supernatural; Historical Fiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- novel of the same name by Grahame-Smith
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising its visual style but criticizing its inconsistent and overly serious tone. It also failed to meet expectations at the box office.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 34% · scale: percentage · review count: 193; Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 35; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was produced in 3D.; The film was screened to over 1,800 sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.; The film was the first major motion picture to make its debut for United States servicemembers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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