The 15 Best Vampire Movies Ever Made, Ranked
Vampires have been frightening and seducing movie-goers for over a hundred years. As such, vampire movie mythology is vast. They've been portrayed as sirens and playboys, ancient bloodsuckers, innocent children, and everything in between over the decades. That's part of the appeal with vampires — they appear human at first glance, meaning they can be anyone and anything we want them to be.
The list of vampire movies below runs the gamut. It's been whittled down from our writer's own experience with vampire flicks of all kinds. They hail from different corners of the world, come from different time periods, and have vastly different themes, but they all have two things in common: They revolve around creatures of the night with a thirst for blood, and they're must-see movies for horror fans. Here is Looper's ranking of the 15 best vampire movies ever made.
15. Martin
Director George A. Romero is lauded for his zombie trilogy, starting with 1968's "Night of the Living Dead." But Romero's favorite of his films was 1977's "Martin," a movie about a young man who thinks he's an 84-year-old creature of the night. The film keeps us guessing about whether this is actually the case or if Martin is just an unhinged boy obsessed with the mythology of vampires.
What we do know is that he's sexually frustrated and dangerous, yet his confessions are so intimate we almost forgive him. Martin goes to live with his elderly cousin Tata Cuda (Lincoln Maazel) in a small town in Pennsylvania. His hostile cousin believes him to be a vampire, and Martin can barely connect with anyone around him. Ultimately, "Martin" is a downbeat story of someone who is sad and scary in equal measure.
Cast: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest
Director: George A. Romero
Year: 1977
Rating: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
Where to watch: Tubi
14. Vampyr
When "Vampyr" came out in the 1930s, it was considered a low point in the career of Carl-Theodor Dreyer, the Danish director known for "The Passion of Joan of Arc." Adapted from the story collection "In a Glass Darkly" by Sheridan Le Fanu, the film tells the story of Allan Gray (Julian West), who travels to Courtempierre, France looking for vampires. He finds an old man (Maurice Schutz) in his room at an inn who leaves a package there that says it can be opened if he dies. Gray follows shadows to find the man's eldest daughter (Sybille Schmitz) is suffering from an affliction.
"Vampyr" has all the inner workings of Dracula and his ilk: a woman with a mysterious bite, the vampire and its servants, etc. But it also has a unique style that makes it striking and original. With interesting special effects, especially of the shadows that so occupy Gray's mind, this is a fascinating watch for vampire movie lovers.
Cast: Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel
Director: Carl-Theodor Dreyer
Year: 1932
Rating: Not rated
Runtime: 73 minutes
Where to watch: Max, Philo, PLEX
13. The Hunger
"The Hunger" focuses on three key characters: Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), who researches rapid aging; Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve), a vampire from Ancient Egypt; and her companion John (David Bowie), a cellist from the 18th century. When John suddenly ages after 200 years as Miriam's consort, he goes to see Sarah in hopes of finding a cure, but Sarah doesn't believe his story and John leaves frustrated. Sarah looks for John but meets Miriam instead. They begin an affair as Miriam tries to initiate Sarah into the ways of the vampire.
It received mixed reviews from critics at the time, but "The Hunger" went on to earn cult classic status in the years that followed thanks to a haunting style that vampire fans will no doubt adore. This gives the movie an everlasting cool: There's a lot of smoky rooms, blue lighting, and the odd slashes of red blood. Style over substance? Perhaps, but style never looked so good.
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon
Director: Tony Scott
Year: 1983
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes
Where to watch: Buy or rent on major platforms
12. The Lost Boys
"The Lost Boys" has all the hallmarks of a great vampire story: A sexy cast, hilarious bon mots, and one hell of an ending. The movie centers on Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim), who move to a mysterious California seaside town with their mother. Younger brother Sam finds friends in the Frog brothers, Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander), who claim to be vampire hunters, while older brother Michael is drawn into a clan of leather-wearing guys through his interest in the beautiful Star (Jami Gertz).
Before long, the two brothers learn that Santa Clara is a hotbed of vampire activity, and Michael is falling prey to them. The film, which boasts killer performances and a wealth of '80s chic, changed the perception of blood suckers in popular media: "The Lost Boys" inspired a generation of vampires and made a big impact on the genre, with hot vampires becoming the popular norm instead of the usual old ghouls.
Cast: Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim
Director: Joel Schumacher
Year: 1987
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes
Where to watch: Roku Channel
11. Bram Stoker's Dracula
This well-known vampire flick was directed by Francis Ford Coppola from Bram Stoker's original 1897 novel. But the legendary director made a key change: Mina (Winona Ryder), the fiancée of Dracula's (Gary Oldman) solicitor Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves), is the spitting image of Dracula's wife Elisabeta, who died in the 15th century. This sets the narrative on a different path, as, unlike in the novel, this retelling of the story has Mina attracted to the vampire, even as she is repulsed by him.
Other than that, the film faithfully follows the story in which Dracula goes to London and feeds on Mina's friend Lucy (Sadie Frost), leading to Abraham Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins), the vampire expert, being called upon. Everything about this production is big. Some may say overblown. But if you can get on its wavelength, you'll enjoy this interpretation of this classic tale.
Cast: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Year: 1992
Rating: R
Runtime: 128 minutes
Where to watch: Buy or rent on major platforms
10. Thirst
"Thirst" is director Park Chan-wook's take on vampires. Not surprisingly, the "Oldboy" helmer adds a unique twist on the mythology. This loose adaptation of the classic novel "Thérèse Raquin" by Émile Zola is about Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest who ministers to people at the local hospital. He volunteers for a study to find a vaccine for a deadly virus but the vaccine doesn't work, and Sang-hyun gets sick. Unlike the hundreds of other volunteers, though, Sang-hyun doesn't die — instead he receives a blood transfusion and recovers. His parishioners think he's a miracle, but what they don't know is that he is becoming a vampire.
Sang-hyun starts attending the game nights of childhood friend Kang-woo (Shin Ha-Kyun) and finds himself attracted to Kang-woo's wife, Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin). The pair begin an affair as Sang-hyun begins to lose his faith. It's a complex tale – not only does Sang-hyun get thrown a curveball from the universe in his newfound vampirism, but Tae-ju, Kang-woo, and Kang-woo's mother Mrs. Ra (Kim Hae-sook) all have their own motivations and drives. While there's lots of blood and gore, this is not only a vampire movie, but also a story of an illicit love affair gone very wrong.
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-vin, Kim Hae-sook
Director: Park Chan-wook
Year: 2009
Rating: R
Runtime: 134 minutes
Where to watch: Buy or rent on major platforms
9. Only Lovers Left Alive
Jim Jarmusch has tackled a lot of strange characters over the years, but none more so than the vampires in "Only Lovers Left Alive." Perhaps the best way to describe this movie is Jarmuschian: It's more of a mood poem than a full-scale story. A vampire named Eve (Tilda Swinton) goes to rescue her lover, Adam (Tom Hiddleston), from his ennui. The pair have been a couple for centuries, and, despite their differences, they keep choosing each other. But with the arrival of her brash, uncontrollable sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska), they must figure out how to weather the storm.
"Only Lovers Left Alive" is an offbeat tale about two souls who seem to be opposites in every way yet continue to love one another despite their striking differences. That set-up (and a killer soundtrack full of music of all kinds to reflect musician Adam's extensive interest) make this a slow but worthwhile watch. If you like your vampire flicks a little more artsy, make sure to check this one out.
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Year: 2013
Rating: R
Runtime: 123 minutes
Where to watch: Tubi
8. Cronos
Guillermo del Toro's hidden horror gem "Cronos" focuses on a device that promises eternal life. The device was created in 1536 by an alchemist and found in 1996 by an elderly antique dealer named Jesús Gris (Federico Luppi). He winds it up, and soon the thing is gripping his hand and inserting a needle. Gris finds his vigor returns, his wrinkles clear up, and he has a new lease on life — but he also develops a thirst for blood. Along with his new thirst comes new adversaries who want the device for themselves.
This is a fascinating film with an interesting take on vampire mythology and an original hero. The fact that the key pair here are Jesus and his granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath) makes this a deeply humane imagining, one that's too often overlooked. Del Toro and vampires are a match made in heaven, as "Cronos" proves beyond doubt.
Cast: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Year: 1992
Rating: R
Runtime: 94 minutes
Where to watch: Max
7. Near Dark
Katherine Bigelow's "Near Dark" is about Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar), a young man from a small Oklahoma town who falls for a girl named Mae (Jenny Wright) and ends up getting way more than he bargained for. That's because Mae is a vampire and she roams the country with a group of sadistic bloodsuckers. When Mae turns Caleb, the group takes him in with the caveat that he has a week to learn how to hunt and kill. But Caleb doesn't want to kill, so Mae is forced to protect him.
"Near Dark" is a violent vampire film and an exciting Western rolled into one. Bill Paxton, as the vampire Severen, is particularly noteworthy as the most sadistic — and sexiest — vampire of the group. The movie is a gory delight, visually stunning with a quiet teenage love story that, along with "The Lost Boys" (which was released the same year), put a different spin on what vampires could be.
Cast: Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen
Director: Katherine Bigelow
Year: 1987
Rating: R
Runtime: 1h 34m
Where to watch: Shudder
6. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
The title "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" has certain implications, especially in the Iranian ghost town in which it takes place, Bad City. That's why the name of this movie is so clever. The girl (Sheila Vand) in this case is not helpless; she is powerful and strong and can stand up to any man, because she's a vampire. The story centers around her and her relationship with Arash (Arash Marandi), who is in debt and struggling to look after his drug addict father.
"A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" is a vibe, a feminist art house horror film that stays with you long after the credits have rolled. It addresses female agency and sexuality head on in a way that few Farsi-language films have done before, making it not only a great vampire film, but an important one, too.
Cast: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Year: 2014
Rating: Not rated
Runtime: 101 minutes
Where to watch: Kino Film Collection
5. What We Do In the Shadows
"What We Do In the Shadows" is one of the most original films on this list, not because of its unique take on vampire lore, but because this is a comedy mockumentary about vampires. While there are plenty of familiar vampire tropes, such as drinking blood and turning into bats, there is also the mundane, such as trying to get into a club and finding old lovers on the internet. The story, such as it is, is about a group of vampire flatmates going about their daily lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
This hilarious and inventive movie gave people a taste of what Taika Waititi was capable of before he became a household name by directing Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok." It also laid the groundwork for the American TV spin-off, which is just as entertaining. While the mockumentary format had been done prior to this, "What We Do In the Shadows" broke new ground with its brilliant blending of genres.
Cast: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh
Director: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waitiiti
Year: 2014
Rating: R
Runtime: 86 minutes
Where to watch: Buy or rent on major platforms
4. Sinners
Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" in set in 1932 and stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as Smoke and Stack, twins who return to their Mississippi hometown after making money working for Al Capone in Chicago. They set up a juke joint where the town gathers on opening night, and their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) takes to the guitar like he was born to play. The music is hypnotizing, so much so that it attracts a trio of white vampires who want entry into the joint. Soon, anyone who goes outside is turned, and one of the twins, Smoke, bands together with several others to fend them off.
In another director's hands, this mix of music and the supernatural horror could easily fall apart, but Coogler's vision is superbly executed. "Sinners" is Coogler's most ambitious movie yet, an enchanted fantasia with serious bite.
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfeld
Director: Ryan Coogler
Year: 2025
Rating: R
Runtime: 137 minutes
Where to watch: Buy or rent on major platforms
3. Nosferatu
The original "Nosferatu" is one of the earliest examples of a vampire movie, and certainly the most famous. It adapts the tale of "Dracula" by Bram Stoker but with key details changed. Stoker's widow sued for copyright infringement anyway, and most copies of the film were destroyed as a result. But some copies survived, and now, over a hundred years later, "Nosferatu" is considered one of the most influential horror movies ever made.
"Nosferatu" follows Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim), his wife Ellen (Greta Schröder), and the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck), a Transylvanian noble who Hutter soon learns drinks blood. The tale is familiar to anyone who has read Stoker's book or seen a movie adaptation of "Dracula" (and there are many), but director F.W. Murnau's brilliant touches, especially his use of light and shadow, make this a spellbinding film that every vampire fan needs to see at least once.
Cast: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder
Director: F.W. Murnau
Year: 1922
Rating: Not rated
Runtime: 81 minutes
Where to watch: Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Sling TV, Crackle, Fandango at Home, PLEX
2. Let the Right One In
In the Swedish film "Let the Right One In," Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a bullied 12-year-old boy, meets Eli (Lina Leandersson), who looks like she's about his age but is actually much older: Eli is a vampire, and she needs blood to survive. Despite her early objections, Oskar and Eli form a friendship with all the purity and chastity you would expect from someone of Oskar's age. The kids are capable of some very dark deeds, but they still have all the vulnerability of lonely people, and the movie does a fantastic job of showing them in different lights.
This is a beautiful vampire movie about a delicate relationship that still has all the violence and mayhem of a film typical of the subgenre. It's a special kind of story with characters that both attract and repel us, plus lots of gorgeous, snowy cinematography to set the mood. "Let the Right One In" is the indie vampire movie every horror fan needs to see.
Cast: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Year: 2008
Rating: R
Runtime: 114 minutes
Where to watch: Prime Video, Tubi, Fandango at Home, Pluto TV, Xumo Play
1. Dracula
F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" was first out of the gate, but, for our money, 1931's "Dracula" is still the best vampire movie ever made. Also adapted from Bram Stoker's novel, the film features Bela Lugosi in a bravura performance as the dashing Count. He comes to England to take control of Carfax Abbey, where he meets Lucy (Frances Dade), Mina (Helen Chandler), and Mina's fiancé, John Harker (David Manners). As Lucy dies and Mina starts to succumb to a strange illness, Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is called in to hunt the vampire.
Both the movie and Lugosi have been highly influential on subsequent vampire films. Lugosi is equal parts mesmerizing and monstrous as Dracula, making the vampire's bite an erotic act in images that have held to this day. There are things that happen in every "Dracula" movie, and this was the start of it all, making 1931's "Dracula" a seminal picture.
Cast: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners
Director: Tod Browning
Year: 1931
Rating: Not rated
Runtime: 74 minutes
Where to watch: Buy or rent on major platforms