It was supposed to be a simple job. Six strangers brought together to kidnap a little girl. A ransom demand and 24-hours to pay. Then each of the conspirators walks away with millions of dollars. But when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

That’s the set up in Abigail, a new horror film from the team behind the past two Scream installments. The film has a good cast, a fun script, a great setting, and a new spin on a vampire tale. It’s a heck of a ride.

Abigail (Alisha Weir) is a tiny ballerina who is snatched to be held for ransom. The job was organized by Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), who leaves his team behind to watch the girl while he conducts negotiations. The team—all strangers—are meant to be anonymous, each getting a name drawn from the entertainment world, primarily the Rat Pack.

Frank (Dan Stevens) is something of the leader, Joey (Melissa Barrera) has medical skills and is the primary attendant to Abigail, Peter (Kevin Durand) is the muscle, Sammy (Kathryn Newton) is the tech genius, Dean (Angus Cloud) is the wheel man, and Rickles (William Catlett) is the sharpshooter. Together, they just need to make it 24 hours.

As the six start to get to know each other, despite the rules, it becomes clear something is afoot. Abigail is more than she seems, and the situation is more complicated than it appears. What was meant to be a simple job turns into a fight for survival.

In some ways, the marketing campaign for Abigail does it no favors. The fact of what Abigail is—a vampire—is meant to be part of a reveal in the film, but it’s a major part of the marketing campaign. With a lesser film, that could be a critical blow. But it works here fine thanks to a strong script and a great production.

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have worked together on four consecutive horror features—Ready or Not, Scream, Scream VI, and Abigail. This might be their best yet. I enjoyed the script and the character development, the story, and the action. The final act, which features some big horror set pieces and plenty of bloody conflict, which makes it a heck of a ride.

I also enjoyed the cast here. There are a lot of fun performances, starting with Weir. She has a complex role but has some great action scenes and some great line deliveries. Among the rest of the cast, Stevens and Barrera—who worked with the directors on the Scream films—stand out. Stevens brings a fun, chaotic energy. While Barrera, again, assumes the mantle of the central figure and the heroine in the story.

This film moves at a good pace, delivers a story that crackles, and offers some good action. This is the best horror film I’ve seen so far in 2024, and one worth checking out for fans of the genre.

Abigail is now playing nationwide.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.