10 Best '80s Vampire Movies Ranked

Strictly speaking, the 1980s wasn't a banner decade for vampire movies. Such a quaint, old-fashioned monster couldn't hold a candle to Jason, Freddy, and their ilk in the '80s — as Roddy McDowall's Peter Vincent rightly states in "Fright Night," "Apparently, all they want to see are demented madmen running around in ski masks, chopping up virgins." So vampires were largely relegated to second string efforts like "To Die For," comedies like "Once Bitten," and combinations of the two (the baffling "Vampire's Kiss" with Nicolas Cage). Even the best vampire films of the '80s, which this list suggests, aren't really the best vampire films of all time (though three of them did make the cut on our list); you'll notice that the Rotten Tomatoes scores for most of these titles hover between the mid-50s and the low 80s.

Still, the vampire films of the 1980s offer some memorable moments, and there are at least a few bona fide horror classics listed here. Join us, children of the night, as we rank the 10 best vampire movies of the 1980s. 

There are a lot of offbeat ideas on display in 1989's "Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat," and if they don't coalesce into an entirely satisfying film, there are enough of them to help this obscure horror-comedy-Western stand out from the '80s vampire pack. David Carradine plays a benevolent Count Dracula, who attempts to broker a truce with humankind by developing a synthetic form of blood. His progressive plans are upended by his once-faithful lieutenant (John Ireland), who wants to return to biting necks, and Professor Van Helsing's dimwitted grandson (Bruce Campell), who proves that vampire hunting isn't a generational talent.

The late co-writer/director Anthony Hickox ("Waxworks") juggles the good and bad ideas with equal fervor, but the best ones, like a shootout between vampires and cowboys packing six-shooters with wooden bullets, are giddy fun. Campbell in comic mode is always a pleasure, and there are amusing turns by Maxwell Caulfield, M. Emmet Walsh, and Deborah Foreman, though Carradine — playing Dracula decades after his father, John Carradine, essayed the role in "Billy the Kid vs. Dracula" — comes off best in a fully committed performance. "This is solid, old-school entertainment that, even in its weakest moments, has a genuine charm about it, filled with characters that we actually like and it's never dull for a moment," wrote Warped Perspective.

Starring: David Carradine, Bruce Campbell

Director: Anthony Hickox

Year: 1989

Runtime: 104 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%

Let's not mince words: 1986's "Vamp" is not a good vampire movie, or really, a good movie in general. It's a broad horror-comedy anchored around a teen sex comedy premise — college bros visit a strip club to hire a dancer in order to gain entry to a fraternity — that only improves incrementally when the dancer turns out to be a vampire. However, co-writer/director Richard Wenk — later a go-to action scripter ("The Equalizer") — saves his film through some quirky setpieces and the presence of Grace Jones in the title role.

Reddit users have alleged similarities between "Vamp" and "From Dusk Till Dawn," both of which take place in strip clubs staffed by vampires and featuring a vampire queen as the star attraction. Both also take an initially humorous view of their respective clubs — "Vamp" has comic Sandy Baron as a Renfield-like owner who knows that his patrons, being creeps, won't be missed when the dancers prey on them — that soon turns horrific. But with all due respect to Salma Hayek, Jones's Katrina is a far more compelling figure. Completely silent and dressed in metal wear and body paint designed by Keith Haring, she is both alluring and disorienting in a way that makes most '80s screen vampires seem like cosplayers. "With her heavy-lidded gaze and sinewy body, she's a night creature full of brooding, sexual malevolence," observed the Los Angeles Times.

Starring: Chris Makepeace, Grace Jones

Director: Richard Wenk

Year: 1986

Runtime: 93 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%

The ”Graveyard Shift" to which we refer here is not one of our 10 worst Stephen King movies, but rather a 1986 Canadian indie (also known as "Central Park Drifter") that transcends its budgetary restraints with atmosphere and a novel plot. Its vampire, Stephen Tsepes (Michael A. Miranda, who's billed as Silvio Oliviero), works evenings as a New York City cab driver, which allows him to prey on the city's flotsam without observation. Though the arrangement slakes his blood thirst and provides him with a harem of vampire brides, Tsepes longs for deeper connection — which he finds in a music video director (Helen Papas) who's spiraling from a failed marriage and a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Though burdened by low-budget limitations and a dependency on neon-lit sex scenes, director Jerry Ciccoritti invests "Graveyard Shift" with an appealing balance of urban grit and visual panache. In its best moments, it suggests an unholy union of "Pasolini" director Abel Ferrara's early efforts and French cult horror filmmaker Jean Rollin's arthouse-influenced, hormonally charged vampire titles. "It has witty touches, like the final confrontation on the cardboard set of a mock gothic rock video, but was unfashionably serious about its subject in an era when vampire movies tended to be self-parodic," wrote critic Kim Newman. A 1988 sequel, "The Understudy: Graveyard Shift II," revived Oliviero/Miranda as a different vampire who stars in a horror movie.

Starring: Michael A. Miranda, Helen Papas

Director: Gerard Ciccoritti

Year: 1987

Runtime: 89 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36%

Though the jiangshi, China's hopping vampire, enjoyed worldwide popularity after 1985's horror comedy "Mr. Vampire," the creature had appeared in Chinese films as early as 1936. One of the best pre-"Mr. Vampire" jiangshi chillers was "The Trail," from director Ronny Yu, who helmed such critically acclaimed fantasy films as "The Bride with White Hair" before coming to America for "Bride of Chucky." "The Trail" echoes the "Mr. Vampire" template of comedy mixed with outrageous special effects, but Yu adds his signature striking visuals and clever scripting. He also tapped comic actor Ricky Hui, the star of "Mr. Vampire," to play an inept lackey opposite Kent Cheng's Captain, who runs a faux jiangshi transportation service, using Taoist spells to herd the creatures to their burial sites. The jiangshi are actually smugglers transporting opium, but problems arise when a real jiangshi joins their number, which requires Cheng and Hui to act like heroes.

Yu's jiangshi looks and acts more like a zombie than a Chinese movie vampire with its green face and braided queue. As such, the horror in "The Trail" has greater emphasis, while the humor is more subdued. That's not to say that "The Trail" is subtle: The film still features plenty of physical and gross-out humor (a jug of urine factors into the plot), as well as an "Exorcist" riff in the finale. "Drenched with creepy atmospherics, and benefiting hugely from the director's visual distinctive visual style, this is a film which deserves to be rediscovered," wrote Eastern Kicks.

Starring: Ricky Hui, Kent Cheng

Director: Ronny Yu

Year: 1983

Runtime: 87 minutes

Rating: Not Rated

Rotten Tomatoes Score: N/A

As mentioned, the jiangshi moved from real-life Chinese folklore to movie star monster after 1985's "Mr. Vampire." As with many international monsters, it's a bizarre concept: A reanimated corpse that consumes a victim's qi, or life force (though some, like in "The Trail" are more traditional vampires), and due to rigor mortis, can only move by hopping, though some can run or fly. Though meant to be fearsome, there's also something innately funny about a green-faced corpse in mandarin gear bopping stiffly in pursuit of a meal. Martial arts legend Sammo Hung first exploited the funny side of jiangshi in 1981's "Encounters of the Spooky Kind" before spotlighting them in "Mr. Vampire."

The film, produced by Hung and directed by Ricky Lau, is a raucous, anarchic comedy that suggests a Hong Kong take on "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" with elements of "Evil Dead II" (which wouldn't be released for two more years). The premise — two dimwitted assistants of a Taoist priest (Lam Ching-ying) create havoc by freeing a jiangshi — is complicated by an amorous ghost and an inept police inspector. Much of the action is a mix of expertly choreographed martial arts and slapstick as Ching-ying attempts to corral the vampire and his stooges. The film also mines humor from the various ways to repel jiangshi (sticky rice, a Taoist scroll). Ching-ying later reprised his stoic vampire hunter in several sequels.

Starring: Lam Ching-ying, Ricky Hui

Director: Ricky Lau

Year: 1985

Runtime: 96 minutes

Rating: Not Rated

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

There's a fairly pedestrian plot at the heart of Tony Scott's "The Hunger" — chic vampire Miriam (Catherine Deneuve) once again mistakes addiction for affection when she ditches her current companion (David Bowie) for a human scientist (Susan Sarandon) — and it stumbles badly with its B-movie denouement, when Deneuve's mummified ex-boyfriends return for revenge. But the film is buoyed by the cool pedigrees of its three leads (casting Bowie as a vampire is a stroke of genius) and Scott's icy, eerie visual palette.

Its embrace of New York's burgeoning New Wave scene — embodied by Bauhaus performing "Bela Lugosi's Dead" during its opening moments — has extended its life in vampire-like fashion among the modern goth community, while its mix of horror, fashion, LGBTQ, and punk aesthetics can be felt in every moody, black-leather-clad, and queer vampire that followed in its wake. As The New York Times review stated, "Here is a film that, for once, is appropriately served by fast cuts, overlapping dialogue, flashy camera work, wildly fashionable clothes and decor so elegant that only mythical creatures could sit around in it."

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Susan Sarandon, David Bowie

Director: Tony Scott

Year: 1983

Runtime: 97 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%

A feature-length anime adaptation of Hideyuki Kikuchi's hugely popular fantasy-horror novels, "Vampire Hunter D" may seem quaint to modern animation and horror fans, who have seen far more technically adept and bloodier anime horror (everything from seinen anime like "Hellsing" to "Vampire Princess Miyu") since its 1985 release. Yet "Vampire Hunter D" holds its own thanks to its freewheeling blend of genres — everything from post-apocalypse science fiction to Italian Westerns — and some truly unusual touches.

The plot, which takes place on an Earth ravaged by both nuclear war and vampires, pits the monstrous Count Magnus Lee against a dhampir (half-human, half-vampire) monster hunter known simply as D. Orphan Doris is the human that Lee wants to possess and D wants to save from the count. Fortunately, the vampire hunter has a secret weapon, a sentient symbiote in his left hand that provides him with an array of powers.

Director Toyoo Ashida doesn't shy away from violence, but also maintains an appropriately Gothic atmosphere while keeping the various plot threads and influences working in a cohesive (if surreal) fashion. Best of all, "Vampire Hunter D" is an exciting watch for anime, fantasy, and horror fans alike. Those that didn't see it in '85 will get a second chance when "Vampire Hunter D" screens in U.S. theaters in 2025 to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Starring: Kaneto Shiozawa (Japanese version), Michael McConnohie (English dub)

Director: Toyoo Ashida

Year: 1985

Runtime: 80 minutes

Rating: Not rated

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

There are so many standout elements in Kathryn Bigelow's vampire thriller "Near Dark" that it's easy to look past its faults. It's a solid showcase for Bigelow's talents, especially in constructing gripping action setpieces and atmosphere, and it boasts memorably feral turns by three "Aliens" alumni — Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenette Goldstein — as the dominant members of an undead family prowling the American Southwest. Leads Adrian Pasdar (the voice of Iron Man in numerous Marvel animated series) and Jenny Wright are sympathetic sweethearts, and the film boasts no less than three show-stopping moments: The family's assault on a bar and its patrons, a motel shootout, and Paxton's standoff against a big rig.

That's a lot for one modestly budgeted box office flop, and more than enough to overcome Joshua Miller's awkward performance as the youngest vampire and some leaden dialogue from Eric Red. Mostly, it serves as a serious take on vampires during a period in which they were played for laughs, a reminder of the late Paxton's boundless screen charisma, and a standout entry in the Weird Old West subgenre, predicting (and influencing) films like "From Dusk Till Dawn," "John Carpenter's Vampires," and even the punkish vampires of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." As the Chicago Reader's review stated, "The film's purgation of terror is as vital and energizing as can be possible. This is one hell of a movie."

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Year: 1987

Runtime: 95 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

With 1987's "The Lost Boys," director Joel Schumacher pulls off a fairly impressive trick in delivering a horror film that can satisfy both fans of the genre and those with an aversion to it. Much of that success goes to a combination of smart casting and visual style: It catches teen idols Corey Haim and Corey Feldman at the height of their mainstream appeal and mints three then-newcomers — Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, and Jami Gertz — as capable leading players in training. There's also solid support from Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, and Barnard Hughes as (mostly) non-cartoonish adults.

The script by Jeffrey Boam, Janice Fischer, and James Jeremias delivers jump-worthy scare scenes and amusing comedy setpieces, two elements that don't always work in concert. Its real success comes from the subtext and depth it adds: What "The Lost Boys" is really about is teenagers' belief in their own indestructibility, shot through with enduring myths like J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" and rock and roll immortality. As The Guardian's write-up noted, "'The Lost Boys,' in its artless way, asks us to consider that being for ever young isn't a sweet Edwardian evocation of innocence, but a vision of pure hell, like vampirism."

All that adds up to a crowd-pleasing thrill ride that continues to win over fans after nearly four decades.

Starring: Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland

Director: Joel Schumacher

Year: 1987

Runtime: 97 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Simply put, Tom Holland's "Fright Night" delivers the vampire goods on multiple fronts. The horror comedy about suburban teenager Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) who discovers that his neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire knows and respects the rules of vampire lore and balances them well within its modern-day setting. It's also keenly aware of the vast body of vampire movies that preceded it and honors them with its less-than-fearless vampire killer, TV horror host Peter Vincent (the wonderful Roddy McDowall), whose name is an homage to legendary horror stars Peter Cushing and Vincent Price.

It also has a terrific villain in Sarandon's Jerry Dandridge, who carries out his vampire duties in full view, confident that no one will believe it, and whose lethal zaddy vibes are so slyly camouflaged that he signals safety to Charley's mom (Dorothy Fielding) and an allure that his girlfriend, Amy (Amanda Bearse) can't quite understand. Best of all, "Fright Night" is genuinely funny and scary (thanks to exceptional practical effects by Richard Edlund and Steve Johnson) and observant about the near-constant perils of teenage life, which appear to be only mildly complicated by a monster. As Starburst noted, it's "a playful, loving homage to the golden age of horror, yet completely its own beastly fun ride of frights and thrills."

Starring: William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall

Director: Tom Holland

Year: 1985

Runtime: 106 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%