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Grab some garlic and wooden stakes, and look out for bats. We are going to delve into the 20 greatest vampire films ever made. This list has many genres: horror, fantasy, comedy, and action. Don’t worry — this list will not contain sparkling vampires from the Twilight Saga. I hope you are not squeamish. Turn off the lights, and let’s check out some vampire flicks.
20. Abigail
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Abigail is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, known for V/H/S, Ready or Not, and Scream. The film was inspired by the film Dracula’s Daughter. The film has moments of levity and humor mixed with gory horror scenes. It stars Melisssa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, William Catlett, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Giancarlo Esposito, and the late Angus Cloud. It received an eighty-three percent on Rotten Tomatoes. There are many homages to the original Dracula film from 1931, including both films opening with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The beautiful music juxtaposes the horrific scenes that will eventually play out. The film has a lot of twists and turns.
19. Vampire’s Kiss
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Vampire’s Kiss is a bizarre, dark comedy horror film directed by Robert Bierman, who is known for A Merry War. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde loosely inspired the film. Nicolas Cage steals the show with his over-the-top performance of a man convinced he is turning into a vampire. Using the method acting technique, Cage stayed in character on and off camera. He even ate a live cockroach on camera. It also stars Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, and Elizabeth Ashley. It had mixed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring sixty-two percent. However, it became a cult film and Cage meme machine.
18. Renfield
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Renfield is a comedic horror film directed by Chris McKay, who is known for The Lego Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War. The film’s titular character, Renfield, usually plays a supporting role in Dracula’s universe. The film was inspired by Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. It stars Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Camille Chen. It received fifty-seven percent on Rotten Tomatoes but a seventy-nine percent audience score. The film has clever action sequences and delivers on both a comedy and gore level. Cage based his portrayal of Dracula on the classic Dracula film, played by Bela Lugosi.
17. I Am Legend
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I Am Legend is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi with horror and dramatic elements. It is based on Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. It stars Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, and Dash Mikhok. To prepare for the role, smith spent months studying survival skills and the psychological toll isolation can take on one’s mind, which gave his character depth and authenticity. It is an interesting setting for a vampire movie. The vampires are evolved humans set in the post-apocalyptic world. The film received a sixty-eight percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Due to the film’s success, there have been talks of a prequel and sequel for years. A sequel is finally in the works and will star Smith and Michael B. Jordan.
16. Near Dark
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Near Dark is a modern horror western directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow, known for The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. The film was innovative in its use of genre-blending. It would inspire other films like From Dusk Till Dawn. Despite the word “vampire” never being uttered in the film, Bigelow offers a unique take on the vampire genre. The trope is that vampires are well off and sophisticated, but in her version, the vampires are nomadic and more grounded. It had an eighty-two percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jeanette Goldstein. Many of the same cast was from Bigelow’s ex-husband James Cameron’s film Alien. It received an eighty-two percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It only made 3.4 million worldwide at the box office but soon became a cult hit.
15. Fright Night
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Writer and director Tom Holland, known for Child’s Play and Thinner, made the horror comedy Fright Night. Classic vampire films inspired it but are also reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. It stars Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys. Peter Cushing and Vincent Price inspired the character of Peter Vincent. It earned a respectable eighty-two percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Fright Night used impressive special effects for the time, including intricate animatronics and prosthetics. The film was a major success, earning $24.9 million at the box office. There is a sequel, a remake, and another sequel made, as well.
14. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
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Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a horror romance film directed by the infamous director Francis Ford Coppola, known for The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now. It is a nearly faithful adaption of Bram Stroker’s novel Dracula. It stars Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, and Richard E. Grant. It won three Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Makeup. It received a seventy-seven percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Coppola made a creative decision to make most of the special effects practical, avoiding CGI. The film’s aesthetic is darkly beautiful, with well-crafted costumes and sets. It also adds a romantic element that is not reflected in the original novel, but it gives Dracula more depth and makes him a more empathetic character.
13. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
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A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a unique vampire film with horror, romance, and Western elements. It was written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, known for The Bad Batch and Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon. The film is shot in black and white and explores Iranian culture. Amirpour describes the film as a cross between “spaghetti Westerns, graphic novels, horror films, and Iranian New Wave cinema.” It stars Shelia Vans, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò, and Dominic Rains. It has an extremely high score on Rotten Tomatoes of ninety-six percent. It is a slow burn that has surreal elements.
12. From Dusk Till Dawn
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From Dusk Till Dawn is a horror action film directed by Robert Rodriguez, known for Desperado and Sin City, and written by Quentin Tarantino, known for Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. It is essentially two movies in one. The first half is a crime thriller, and the second is a gory vampire film. Its genre-blending makes the film unique and stand out. It stars George Clooney, Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and Salma Hayek. It had mixed reviews, with a sixty-three percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film was a success and had two sequels, a prequel, and a TV series based on the film.
11. What We Do in the Shadows
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What We Do in the Shadows is a hilarious mockumentary horror film about the day-to-day life of vampires living in New Zealand. It is written and directed by Jermaine Clement, known for his acting roles in Flight of the Conchords and Moana, and Taika Waititi, known for JoJo Rabbit and Thor: Love and Thunder. It was inspired by other mockumentaries like This Is Spinal Tap. It stars Clement, Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Ben Fansham, and Cori Gonzalez-Macuer. Critics highly regarded it, earning a ninety-six percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a low-budget film that was partially funded through Kickstarter. It was shot in twenty-eight days, and much of the dialogue was improvised. After the film’s success, a TV series with the same name and a spin-off series called Wellington Paranormal were made.
10. Blade
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Blade is a dark superhero film with horror vibes. This action-packed film was directed by Stephen Norrington, known for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It is based on the Marvel comic book character Blade. The film is unique in that it makes a vampire an antihero. It also paved the way for grounded superhero films and the comic book genre. It stars Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N’Bushe Wright, and Donal Logue. It received mixed reviews from critics, earning a fifty-seven percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it had an audience score of seventy-eight percent. After the film’s success, there were two additional sequels, a TV series and a reboot. Snipes even reprised his role as Blade in Deadpool & Wolverine.
9. Shadow of the Vampire
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Shadow of the Vampire is a dramatic horror vampire film directed by E. Elias Merhige, known for Begotten. Nosferatu was the inspiration for the film. In fact, Shadow of the Vampire takes place during the filming of the original Nosferatu. However, it is not a biopic. It is historical fiction. It was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for Willem Dafoe and Best Makeup. It received a solid eighty-two percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Max Schreck was a real German actor who originated the role of Nosferatu, and Schreck used the Method acting technique during its filming. However, despite the film’s implication, he was not a real vampire.
8. The Lost Boys
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The Lost Boys is a comedic teen horror film directed by Joel Schumacher, known for Batman Forever, Phone Booth, and The Phantom of the Opera. It stars Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, and Dianne Wiest. Despite Sutherland saying a little more than a hundred words, he shined in the film. It marries humor and horror well. It makes vampires look cool and debonair. It received a seventy-six percent on Rotten Tomatoes. After the film’s success, two sequels and a comic book series were made. It has since become a cult classic for the vampire genre. It also influenced other teen vampire storylines like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
7. Dracula
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The original 1931 Dracula is a classic monster movie directed by Tod Browning, known for Freaks and Mark of the Vampire. The film was based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and the stage play. The film paved the way for future vampire films. It was also one of the first Universal monster films. It stars Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manner, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan. Lugosi did not speak English well at the time. He learned his lines phonetically. Lugosi was so heavily associated with the Dracula character that he was buried in his Dracula costume. Critics consider it a classic, giving it a ninety-four percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Countless remakes and sequels have been made, including Dracula’s Daughter, Son of Dracula, and House of Frankenstein.
6. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
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Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a silent German expressionistic horror film that was the first vampire feature film. It was directed by F.W. Murnau, known for The Last Laugh and Faust. It was loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The Gothic film creates an eerie environment with its long, exaggerated shadows. It stars Max Schreck, Gustav Von Wagenheim, Greta Schröder, Alexander Granach, and Ruth Landshoff. It earned a nearly perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, with ninety-seven percent. The film almost did not survive over the years. The filmmakers had lawsuits filed against them due to an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stroker’s Dracula. Many of the copies were destroyed, but few were salvaged. There have been many Nosferatu remakes, spin-offs, and films inspired by it.
5. Cronos
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Cronos is a horror fantasy drama written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, known for Hellboy, Pan’s Labrinth, and The Shape of Water. It was del Toro’s feature directorial debut. It was inspired by classic vampire lore, Mexican culture, horror, and del Toro’s fear of mortality. Del Toro partially financed the low-budget film by pawning his car and borrowing money from his family. It stars Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, and Tamara Shanath. It won the International Critic’s Week Prize at Cannes. Critics adored the film, giving it a ninety percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Del Toro is a visionary director with an affinity towards monsters and fairytales. Cronos would become the blueprint for future del Toro’s future projects.
4. Interview with the Vampire
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Interview with the Vampire was based on the novel by Anne Rice, who also wrote the screenplay. The gothic horror was directed by Neil Jordan, known for the Crying Game, The Company of Wolves, and Breakfast on Pluto. It stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kristen Dunst, who was only twelve years old, Antonio Banderas, and Christian Slater. It was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Orginal Score. Critics gave it mixed reviews, with a sixty-four percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience score was much higher at eighty-six percent. The film was extremely successful, grossing $223.7 million at the box office worldwide. There was a sequel that followed the film called Queen of the Damned, as well as a TV series also called Interview with the Vampire.
3. El Conde
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El Conde, translated in English to The Count, is a complex political satire fantasy film written and directed by Pablo Larraín, known for Jackie and Spencer. It is a highly underrated film that explores the themes of power and corruption. It cleverly uses historical fiction to comment on the longing effect a dictatorship can have on a nation and the world at large. It stars Jamie Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, and Paula Luchsinger. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography. The film is shot in black and white, much like the classic monster films. It earned an eighty-two percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
2. Thirst
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South Korean writer and director Park Chan-wook, known for Oldboy, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK, and The Handmaiden made the vampire film Thirst. It is loosely inspired by the novel Thérèse RaquinIt by French author Émile Zola. It is an interesting premise about a priest turned into a vampire. He has to grapple with the moral implication of his newfound thirst. The film tackles complex themes of morality, desire, guilt, and redemption. It masterfully blends multiple genres, including horror, romance, and dark humor. It stars Soong Kang-ho, Kim OK-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, and Kim Hae-sook. It won the Jury Prize at Cannes. Critics enjoyed the unique vampire tale, giving it an eighty-one percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
1. Let The Right One In
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Let the Right One In is a dramatic horror romance film directed by the Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson, known for The Snowman and Tinker Tailor Solider Spy. The film is based on a novel of the same name, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It is a slow burn and chooses its moments of horror wisely. It has wonderful performances, including Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, and Karin Bergquist. It won Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. Critics fell in love with this grounded, stylistic vampire film, giving it a ninety-eight percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was successful, so an American remake called Let Me In was made, as well as a TV series called Let the Right One In.
