Van Helsing’s Dark Secret Exposed in Abraham’s Boys

Abraham’s Boys” reimagines the Dracula lore with a fresh perspective, focusing on the tale from the viewpoint of the character Van Helsing (portrayed by Titus Welliver, known for his role in Bosch). This 2025 film is an adaptation of Joe Hill’s chilling 2007 short story and chronicles Abraham Van Helsing as he relocates his family, including his sons, to the United States in a bid to leave their haunting past behind.

David Thompson from TopMob conducted private conversations with the cast and director of “Abraham’s Boys: An American Dracula Chronicle“, a thrilling new movie that continues the storyline established by Bram Stoker’s timeless novel. Adapted from Joe Hill’s short story, “Abraham’s Boys” focuses on Van Helsing, who relocates to America with his sons Max (Brady Hepner) and Rudy (Judah Mackey), and his wife, Mina (Jocelin Donahue).

As dark powers start to awaken again, it’s evident that Dracula’s influence continues to linger. Welliver, the actor portraying Van Helsing, characterized his character as a man tormented by his past: “It’s like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He’s witnessed too much, carried out too many actions, and now he realizes that this malevolent evil has pursued him.

Abraham and Mina both carry a heavy burden from the lingering malevolence, as Mina still bears the emotional scars from her encounter with the vampire lord decades earlier. As Donahue shared, Mina’s psychological state is significantly affected by this trauma from Count Dracula’s attack 20 years prior.

“Even the author who created the original tale, Hill, holds a more intricate perspective on the legendary vampire slayer Van Helsing. To put it another way, he’s expressed a rather skeptical view of Van Helsing.”
“He questioned, ‘Would you really want to socialize with a man who spends each Friday evening prowling around graveyards, forcefully opening coffins, driving stakes through the hearts of those peacefully resting there, and then decapitating them before stuffing garlic in their mouths?'”

Abraham’s Sons: A Tale of Dracula,” helmed by director Natasha Kermani, is set to premiere in cinemas this coming Friday, July 11.

The Trauma Of Dracula’s Past

“Someone Who’s Battled The Darkest Of Evil Forces…”

TopMob: “Van Helsing is a pretty classic Dracula character. What makes this version unique?”

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but appreciate the myriad adaptations of the iconic Van Helsing character. In this rendition, we find ourselves in a time when Dracula is long past, and our protagonist finds himself in an unfamiliar realm. The weight of his experiences hangs heavily on him, creating a sense of fragility…A sense that I believe can be attributed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He’s faced the unimaginable, fought battles that most dare not imagine, and now he’s come to realize that the malevolent force he thought he had left behind has pursued him relentlessly.
In Joe Hill’s original story and Natasha’s adaptation of it, the character was portrayed differently in the script compared to the traditional Dracula figure. The new version didn’t heavily rely on the elements from Bram Stoker’s book. I wanted this character to be a doctor primarily, but also someone who had previously fought against the most malevolent forces as an academic and a physician. Given his past experiences, it was important for him to find a way to heal himself.
Fundamentally, this portrayal held significance due to the fact that he had not previously been depicted as a family man. Beneath his stoic exterior, we were meant to glimpse his genuine affection. This needed to be extremely subtle and minimal, or it wouldn’t have resonated. However, if no hint of this was given, then the audience might perceive him as losing his mind, which is essentially the essence of the character.

“She’s Having A Hard Time Connecting…”

TopMob: “Jocelin, watching the film, your character feels isolated and haunted. What was it like approaching that role each day, almost existing on your own emotional plane?”

Jocelin Donahue: Indeed, I agree that “haunted” is a fitting description. When we first encounter Mina, her mental state seems quite fragile, and it only worsens as the story progresses; she has been struggling with the emotional aftermath of the attack by Count Dracula for twenty years.
She resides in a secluded farmhouse accompanied by her husband who can be overbearing at times, her cherished children, and herself. Despite her affection for them, she faces not just post-traumatic stress disorder, but also a persistent blood infection that leaves her feeling weak. As she navigates these challenges, she often finds herself wading through the haze of her troubles.
She’s finding it tough to forge connections, yet somehow, she seems to be gaining a sense of clarity as her time nears an end, particularly reaching out to Max.

Reinterpreting the Van Helsing Character

“Van Helsing Is A Disturbed Fanatic…”

TopMob: “When it came to your initial idea for the short story, what element of the world of Dracula were you most excited about expanding upon?”

Joe Hill: My perception of Dracula has been skewed from the start due to my initial encounter with the character. Instead of reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula at a young age, I first came across ‘The Dracula Tape’ by Fred Saberhagen, which presented Count Dracula as a hero and portrayed Van Helsing as an obsessive fanatic lacking understanding of vampires and science. This book, read at the age of 13, captivated me immensely.
After reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I found myself utterly puzzled, as I thought, ‘This can’t be true. It’s nothing but falsehoods and manipulation. This isn’t how things actually transpired.’
I’ve generally found Van Helsing to be quite questionable in my opinion. After all, would you choose to socialize with a man who routinely spends his Fridays roaming cemeteries, prying open coffins, driving stakes through the hearts of those seemingly at peace there, then decapitating them and stuffing garlic in their mouths?

Creating an Early 1900s Aesthetic in 2025

“We Felt It Was A Lot More Intimate Way…”

TopMob: “The film’s aspect ratio and style really match the era it’s set in. What were some of the visual or editing choices you used to create that look and feel?”

Natasha Kermani pointed out an interesting connection: The 1930s version of ‘Dracula’ was filmed in California, not far from where they shot their own adaptation. To make it distinctive, they aimed to offer viewers a unique experience and transport them to a completely different location.
As an enthusiastic admirer, I yearned for a tale that felt tangible yet offered a unique, whimsical, and distinct universe. So, we intentionally opted for a unconventional four-by-three aspect ratio, believing it would provide a more immersive experience. From the get-go, we sensed this unorthodox choice would create an intimate atmosphere, making our characters stand out prominently. Moreover, this vertical format would perfectly capture the intricacies of the house interior, while stepping outside would evoke a sense of oppression, enhancing the overall narrative.
In addition, we employed antique lenses as well as rounded lenses, and applied various creative methods to give it an old-world charm that subtly belied its modern origins.

The Eldest Van Helsing Son’s Complexity

“He’s Trying To Figure Out Who He Is As A Person…”

TopMob: “Brady, as the oldest son, your character is pulled in different directions, but clearly has a good heart. What was it like navigating what might be the film’s most complex role?”

Brady Hepner: To portray the scenes effectively, it’s crucial to tackle each part one at a time. In this story, there’s Max, a character who respects his father deeply and follows his teachings diligently, almost as if they were laws. However, the challenge lies in guiding Max through the process of discovering that Abraham, his father, has not been entirely truthful.
Currently, he’s working on understanding himself better and personalizing his perspectives about the world instead of letting others dictate him…As Abraham begins to unravel emotionally and morphs into a potentially psychopathic individual, it seems he must adopt a protective parental role towards Rudy to safeguard his innocence, thus preventing Rudy from following in his abusive father’s footsteps.

The full video of the spoiler-free portion of the interviews can be viewed here:

2025-07-10 00:37