Vampires are a cornerstone of horror cinema, arising even before Universal opened Dracula’s coffin in Hollywood’s relative infancy. Since then, we’ve seen vampires of every iteration — the glittery heartthrobs, the ugliest creatures, the prankster roommates, and countless other reinventions. There have always been vampires lurking in shadows, and there will forever be batty wings flapping under the moonlight. Our task here is to highlight the best of the best vampire movies throughout history, covering period highlights as horror movements came and went faster than Drac stepping into the sunlight.
As always, there will be personal favorites that don’t squeak their way onto this list but still deserve recognition. Tom Holland’s Fright Night is a wacky and subtextually queer delight that features grotesque ’80s practical effects. Rob Stefaniuk’s Suck is a hard-rocking vampire musical featuring a bevy of rockstar cameos in a fun-filled undead tour. Other movies like The Transfiguration, Byzantium, Blood Red Sky and Blade deserve to be in the conversation when fans discuss their favorite vampire movies, and we’d love to hear some of yours! After reading our selections below, hit the comments with some vampire movies you’d rank as crowning achievements in vampire cinema. But for now, let’s take a bite out of this massive subgenre.
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi spoof vampire films as spectacularly as Rob Reiner’s rock n’ roll mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap spoofs backstage heavy metal docs. What We Do in the Shadows is a tour through vampire cinema’s history with a goofball’s sense of humor that’s not without exaggerated scenes of sloppy feeding habits. It’s not only one of the better vampire films or even horror comedies since its release, but one of the best flat-out comedies since 2014. It’s endlessly quotable, knowledgeable about its fanged subjects, and genuinely hilarious. Werewolves, not Swear Wolves!
Let the Right One In (2008)
Alfredson adapts John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel by toning down horror elements and vampire conventions to stress the relationship between outcast children. 12-year-old Oskar and his neighbor Eli form a compassionate bond when Oskar’s victimization by bullies and Eli’s hidden vampirism force an unlikely connection. Society drives both children into the dark and urges them to survive by their own means, which becomes the crux of this tender and tragic love story that never subdues its nastier realities about vengeance or feeding. Let the Right One In is a tremendous vampiric achievement in terms of 2000s releases and all-timer quality.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
In 2014, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night was handily any filmmaking newcomer’s most accomplished horror debut. Ana Lily Amirpour’s black-and-white Iranian vampire flick possesses such a colorful personality, with a standout performance from Sheila Vand. Amirpour’s style blends skateboarding, indie rock, and homages to classic vampire cinema with a modern bite. Vand’s loner seeks romance while stalking denizens of Bad City by night, as Amirpour marries sweet fantasies with cruel fates and spaghetti Western influences. It’s a vigilante story, a tale of hopeless romantics, and has a taste for wicked men — all while Amirpour valiantly establishes herself as an eye-catching filmmaker who’s since made good on such promises.
