Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a 2012 American supernatural horror action film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and based on the novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, depicting a fictionalized history of the American Civil War with the eponymous 16th president of the United States reimagined as having a secret identity as a lifelong vampire hunter fighting against a caste of vampiric slave owners. Benjamin Walker stars as Abraham Lincoln with supporting roles by Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, and Marton Csokas.

The film was produced by Tim Burton, Bekmambetov, and Jim Lemley, with Simon Kinberg as an executive producer. Filming began in Louisiana in March 2011 and the film was released in Real D 3D on June 20, 2012 in the United Kingdom and June 22, 2012 in the United States. The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the visual style, action sequences, originality, Walker's performance and Henry Jackman's musical score, but criticism was aimed at its screenplay, the overly serious and inconsistent tone, overuse of CGI, and pacing.

DETAILED PLOT

In 1818, Abraham Lincoln lives in Indiana with his parents, Nancy and Thomas, who works at a plantation owned by Jack Barts. There, Lincoln befriends a young African American boy, William Johnson,and intervenes when he sees Johnson being beaten by a slaver. Because of his son's actions, Thomas is fired. That night, Lincoln sees Barts break into his house and attack Nancy. She falls ill the following day, and dies shortly afterwards. Thomas tells Lincoln that Barts poisoned Nancy.

Nine years later, Lincoln decides to get revenge against Barts. He attacks Barts at the docks, but Barts, who is actually a vampire, overpowers him. However, before Barts can kill him, Lincoln is rescued by Henry Sturgess. Sturgess explains that vampires exist, and offers to teach Lincoln to be a vampire hunter. Lincoln accepts and, after a decade of training, travels to Springfield, Illinois. During his training, Sturgess tells Lincoln that the vampires in America descend from Adam, a powerful vampire who owns a plantation in New Orleans with his sister, Vadoma. Sturgess also tells Lincoln of the vampires' weakness, silver, and presents him with a silver pocket watch.

In Springfield, Lincoln befriends shopkeeper Joshua Speed, and meets Mary Todd. Though Sturgess warned him not to form any close relationships, Lincoln develops romantic feelings for Mary. While in Springfield, Lincoln hunts vampires named in letters by Sturgess.

Lincoln successfully finds and defeats Barts. Before dying, Barts reveals that Sturgess is also a vampire. Lincoln confronts Sturgess, who reveals that, several years ago, he was attacked and bitten by Adam. Because Sturgess' soul was impure, he became a vampire, and that prevented him from harming Adam or any other vampire (since "Only the living can kill the dead"). Sturgess has since been training vampire hunters, hoping to destroy Adam.

Disappointed, Lincoln decides to abandon his mission. However, Adam learns of his activities and kidnaps Johnson to lure Lincoln into a trap at his plantation. Adam captures Lincoln and tries to recruit him, revealing his plans to turn the United States into a nation of the undead. Speed rescues his friends, and they escape to Ohio.

Lincoln marries Mary Todd and begins his political career, campaigning to abolish slavery. Sturgess warns Lincoln that the slave trade keeps vampires under control, as vampires use slaves for food, and if Lincoln interferes, the vampires will retaliate. After Lincoln's election as President of the United States of America, he moves to the White House with Mary, where they have a son, William Wallace Lincoln. William is later bitten by Vadoma and dies.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis convinces Adam to deploy his vampires on the front lines. Lincoln orders the confiscation of all the silverware in the area and has it melted to produce silver weapons. Speed, supposedly believing that Lincoln is tearing the nation apart, defects and informs Adam that Lincoln will transport the silver by train.

On the train, Adam and Vadoma, who have set fire to an upcoming trestle, attack Lincoln, Sturgess, and Johnson. During the fight, in which Speed is killed, Adam learns that the train holds only rocks. Lincoln reveals that Speed's betrayal was a ruse to lure Adam into a trap. Lincoln uses his watch to stab Adam, killing him, and the three escape the train before the burning trestle beneath it collapses. Meanwhile, Mary and the ex-slaves have transported the silver to Gettysburg through the Underground Railroad.

The now leaderless Confederate vampires stage a final, massive assault and are met head-on by the Union. Armed with their silver weapons, the Union soldiers destroy the vampires and eventually win the war. Before the battle, Mary recognizes Vadoma and avenges her son by shooting Vadoma in the head with a silver necklace bearing the sword of one of William's toy soldiers.

Nearly two years later, on April 14, 1865, Sturgess tells Lincoln that the remaining vampires have fled the country. Sturgess tries to convince Lincoln to allow him to turn Lincoln into a vampire, so that he can become immortal and continue to fight vampires, but Lincoln declines.

In modern times, Sturgess approaches a man at a bar in Washington, D.C., just as he once did Abraham. Upon slapping his back, a gun falls to the floor.