(Photo by Magnolia Pictures, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection)

The 40 Essential Vampire Movies To Watch Right Now

Werewolves, mummies, and cobbled-together lab freaks have been around since the earliest decades of film, but no monster was perhaps more camera-ready than the vampire. Those counts and lords who love to mug and menace for the camera, mesmerize with their fancy capes, and whose pale skin glows in the luminous flicker of old film cameras. So no surprise that some of the best vampire movies back then are some of the best vampires now, like Dracula, Nosferatu, and Vampyr, even as they approach their centennial anniversaries. That’s the bar that’s been set for our guide to the essential and best vampire movies, and still we found plenty worthy to follow in their fang-steps.

Across legend, we know vampires for their allure and seductive properties. (Or at least, just their property — who wouldn’t be charmed by a 600-bedroom castle?) The sex appeal of the vampires has especially been played up in movies since the ’80s: As the sexy suburban neighbor (Fright Night), the upper-strata socialites (The Hunger), and a smoulderer’s row of hot guys (Interview with the Vampire) and leather jacket rebels (The Lost Boys).

Or if you just want some action, see From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Daybreakers, Underworld, and 30 Days of Night.

So, looking for something to watch on your next open-coffin-and-chill night? Then go to bat with our 40 Essential Vampire Movies! —Alex Vo

Let the Right One In (2008)

98%

Critics Consensus: Let the Right One In reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.

Synopsis: When Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl

Directed By: Tomas Alfredson

Vampyr (1932)

98%

Critics Consensus: Full of disorienting visual effects, Carl Theodor Dreyer's Vampyr is as theoretically unsettling as it is conceptually disturbing.

Synopsis: After Allan Gray rents a room near Courtempierre in France, strange events unfold: An elderly man leaves a packet on Gray's table, and shadows that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julian West, Henriette Gérard, Jan Hieronimko, Maurice Schutz

Directed By: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Sinners (2025)

97%

Critics Consensus: A rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music, writer-director Ryan Coogler's first original blockbuster reveals the full scope of his singular imagination.

Synopsis: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell

Directed By: Ryan Coogler

Nosferatu (1922)

97%

Critics Consensus: One of the silent era's most influential masterpieces, Nosferatu's eerie, gothic feel -- and a chilling performance from Max Schreck as the vampire -- set the template for the horror films that followed.

Synopsis: Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence -- and his new real estate agent Hutter's wife.

Starring: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroeder

Directed By: F.W. Murnau

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

96%

Critics Consensus: Smarter, fresher, and funnier than a modern vampire movie has any right to be, What We Do in the Shadows is bloody good fun.

Synopsis: Vampire housemates (Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh) try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer)... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer

Directed By: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi

Dracula (1931)

96%

Critics Consensus: Bela Lugosi's timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.

Synopsis: The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bela Lugosi, Edward Van Sloan, Dwight Frye, David Manners

Directed By: Tod Browning

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

96%

Critics Consensus: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night blends conventional elements into something brilliantly original -- and serves as a striking calling card for writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour.

Synopsis: Residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire (Sheila Vand) who preys on men who disrespect women.

Starring: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò

Directed By: Ana Lily Amirpour

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

93%

Critics Consensus: Stunning visuals from Werner Herzog and an intense portrayal of the famed bloodsucker from Klaus Kinski make Nosferatu the Vampyre a horror classic in its own right.

Synopsis: Jonathan Harker is sent away to Count Dracula's castle to sell him a house in Virna, where he lives. But Count Dracula is a vampire,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor

Directed By: Werner Herzog

Martin (1978)

90%

Critics Consensus: George A. Romero's contribution to vampire lore contains the expected gore and social satire -- but it's also surprisingly thoughtful, and boasts a whopper of a final act.

Synopsis: Young Martin (John Amplas) is entirely convinced that he is an 84-year-old blood-sucking vampire. Without fangs or mystical powers, Martin injects women with sedatives and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel, Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau

Directed By: George A. Romero

#10

Horror of Dracula (1958)

89%

Critics Consensus: Trading gore for grandeur, Horror of Dracula marks an impressive turn for inveterate Christopher Lee as the titular vampire, and a typical Hammer mood that makes aristocracy quite sexy.

Synopsis: On a search for his missing friend Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen), vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) is led to Count Dracula's (Christopher... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling

Directed By: Terence Fisher

#11

Cronos (1993)

88%

Critics Consensus: Guillermo del Toro's unique feature debut is not only gory and stylish, but also charming and intelligent.

Synopsis: Antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) stumbles across Cronos, a 400-year-old scarab that, when it latches onto him, grants him youth and eternal life --... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook, Margarita Isabel

Directed By: Guillermo del Toro

#12

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

86%

Critics Consensus: Worth watching for Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton's performances alone, Only Lovers Left Alive finds writer-director Jim Jarmusch adding a typically offbeat entry to the vampire genre.

Synopsis: Artistic, sophisticated and centuries old, two vampire lovers (Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston) ponder their ultimate place in modern society.

Starring: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Yelchin, Mia Wasikowska

Directed By: Jim Jarmusch

#13

Nosferatu (2024)

85%

Critics Consensus: Marvelously orchestrated by director Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a behemoth of a horror film that is equal parts repulsive and seductive.

Synopsis: Robert Eggers' NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Directed By: Robert Eggers

#14

Near Dark (1987)

81%

Critics Consensus: Near Dark is at once a creepy vampire film, a thrilling western, and a poignant family tale, with humor and scares in abundance.

Synopsis: Cowboy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meets gorgeous Mae (Jenny Wright) at a bar, and the two have an immediate attraction. But when Mae turns out... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

#15

Abigail (2024)

83%

Critics Consensus: Carrying off well-worn vampire tropes with a balletic flourish, Abigail dances around the familiarity of its premise with a game cast and slick style.

Synopsis: After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett

Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

#16

Fright Night (1985)

83%

Critics Consensus: Fright Night deftly combines thrills and humor in this ghostly tale about a man living next to a vampire.

Synopsis: Teenage Charley Brewster is a horror-film junkie, so it's no surprise that when a reclusive new neighbor moves next-door, Brewster becomes convinced he's a vampire.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse

Directed By: Tom Holland

#17

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

82%

Critics Consensus: Shadow of the Vampire is frightening, compelling, and funny, and features an excellent performance by Willem Dafoe.

Synopsis: F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) is struggling to create his silent classic "Nosferatu" on location in Eastern Europe. The director is obsessed with making this... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, Aden Gillett

Directed By: E. Elias Merhige

#18

Thirst (2009)

81%

Critics Consensus: The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.

Synopsis: Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. He gets infected and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Hae-sook

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

#19

The Lost Boys (1987)

75%

Critics Consensus: Flawed but eminently watchable, Joel Schumacher's teen vampire thriller blends horror, humor, and plenty of visual style with standout performances from a cast full of young 1980s stars.

Synopsis: Teenage brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) move with their mother (Dianne Wiest) to a small town in northern California. While the younger... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes

Directed By: Joel Schumacher

#20

Ganja & Hess (1973)

93%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Germs from the stab of an ancient dagger turn two lovers (Duane Jones, Marlene Clark) into immortal vampires.

Starring: Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, William Gunn, Sam Waymon

Directed By: William Gunn

#21

Isle of the Dead (1945)

91%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Gen. Nikolas Pherides (Boris Karloff) takes leave from the 1912 Balkan War to visit a small island in Greece, where his wife is buried. While... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer, Katherine Emery

Directed By: Mark Robson

#22

Black Sunday (1960)

88%

Critics Consensus: Mario Bava's official narrative debut is a witchy nightmare steeped in gothic splendor, shot in chiaroscuro black and white and punctuated with startling gore.

Synopsis: Burned at the stake, a vampire witch princess (Barbara Steele) wakes up centuries later with her undead henchman.

Starring: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Ivo Garrani, Andrea Checchi

Directed By: Mario Bava

#23

Daughters of Darkness (1971)

84%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Newlyweds stop at a posh French hotel on their way to England. They meet a beautiful red-lipped woman whom the hotel owner swears had been... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Delphine Seyrig, Danielle Ouimet, John Karlen, Andrea Rau

Directed By: Harry Kumel

#24

The Addiction (1995)

75%

Critics Consensus: Abel Ferrara's 1995 horror/suspense experiment blends urban vampire adventure with philosophical analysis to create a smart, idiosyncratic, and undeniably odd take on the genre.

Synopsis: A vampiric doctoral student tries to follow the philosophy of a nocturnal comrade and control her thirst for blood.

Starring: Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco

Directed By: Abel Ferrara

#25

The Fearless Vampire Killers or: Pardon Me, but Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967)

73%

Critics Consensus: This uneven but amiable 1967 vampire picture is part horror spoof, part central European epic, and 100 percent Roman Polanski, whose signature sensibility colors every frame.

Synopsis: Vampire hunter Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran) and his faithful assistant, Alfred (Roman Polanski), are traveling across Transylvania when they stop to rest at a suspicious-looking... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack MacGowran, Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Jessie Robins

Directed By: Roman Polanski

#26

Vampire Hunter D (2000)

70%

Critics Consensus: Vampire Hunter D's gothic charms may be lost on those unfamiliar with the anime series that spawned it, but the crisp action and nightmarish style will satiate horror aficionados' bloodlust.

Synopsis: In a dark and distant future, when the undead have arisen from apocalyptic ashes, an original story unfolds. Ten thousand years in the future, vampires... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrew Philpot, John Rafter Lee, Pamela Adlon, Wendee Lee

Directed By: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

#27

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

69%

Critics Consensus: Overblown in the best sense of the word, Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Bram Stoker's Dracula rescues the character from decades of campy interpretations -- and features some terrific performances to boot.

Synopsis: Adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his lost love, Mina. In Britain,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

#28

Daybreakers (2009)

69%

Critics Consensus: Though it arrives during an unfortunate glut of vampire movies, Daybreakers offers enough dark sci-fi thrills -- and enough of a unique twist on the genre -- to satisfy filmgoers.

Synopsis: Ten years after a plague turns most of the world's population into vampires, a critical blood shortage causes panic and gruesome mutations among the reanimated.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman

Directed By: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

#29

Kiss of the Damned (2012)

68%

Critics Consensus: This one bites in a mostly good way: Kiss of the Damned is an erotic gorefest reminiscent of gaudy '70s horror flicks, presented in plain packaging and not meant for direct sunlight.

Synopsis: When a handsome young writer falls for a gorgeous, seductive vampire, their wild romance seems destined for the ages -- until the appearance of her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joséphine de La Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, Roxane Mesquida, Anna Mouglalis

Directed By: Xan Cassavetes

#30

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

66%

Critics Consensus: A pulpy crime drama/vampire film hybrid, From Dusk Till Dawn is an uneven but often deliriously enjoyable B-movie.

Synopsis: On the run from a bank robbery that left several police officers dead, Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his paranoid, loose-cannon brother, Richard (Quentin Tarantino),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis

Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

#31

Interview With the Vampire (1994)

66%

Critics Consensus: Despite lacking some of the book's subtler shadings, and suffering from some clumsy casting, Interview with a Vampire benefits from Neil Jordan's atmospheric direction and a surfeit of gothic thrills.

Synopsis: Born as an 18th-century lord, Louis is now a bicentennial vampire, telling his story to an eager biographer. Suicidal after the death of his family,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea

Directed By: Neil Jordan

#32

Blade (1998)

59%

Critics Consensus: Though some may find the plot a bit lacking, Blade's action is fierce, plentiful, and appropriately stylish for a comic book adaptation.

Synopsis: A half-mortal, half-immortal is out to avenge his mother's death and rid the world of vampires. The modern-day technologically advanced vampires he is going after... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright

Directed By: Stephen Norrington

#33

The Hunger (1983)

60%

Critics Consensus: Stylish yet hollow, The Hunger is a well-cast vampire thriller that mistakes erotic moments for a satisfying story.

Synopsis: John (David Bowie) is the lover of the gorgeous immortal vampire Miriam (Catherine Deneuve), and he's been led to believe that he'll live forever, too.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon, Cliff DeYoung

Directed By: Tony Scott

#34

The Little Vampire (2000)

56%

Critics Consensus: The Little Vampire can't seem to find the right pitch, with its muddled, jumpy script and badly executed mix of cuteness and fright.

Synopsis: After he moves to Scotland with his parents, only child Tony (Jonathan Lipnicki) struggles to make friends at his new school. But he is bullied... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter, Alice Krige

Directed By: Uli Edel

#35

30 Days of Night (2007)

50%

Critics Consensus: While 30 Days of Night offers a few thrills, it ultimately succumbs to erratic execution.

Synopsis: In the far Northern Hemisphere, the small town of Barrow, Alaska, experiences a solid month of darkness every year. Though most of the residents head... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster

Directed By: David Slade

#36

Blacula (1972)

46%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: During a visit to Transylvania, an African prince (William Marshall) gets turned into a vampire by Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay). Sealed in a coffin for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Marshall, Denise Nicholas, Vonetta McGee, Thalmus Rasulala

Directed By: William Crain

#37

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

36%

Critics Consensus: Buffy the Vampire Slayer's supernatural coming of age tale is let down by poor directing and even poorer plotting -- though Kristy Swanson and Paul Reubens' game performances still manage to slay.

Synopsis: For Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson), nothing is the same after she meets Merrick Jamison-Smythe (Donald Sutherland). Merrick tells the teen that he's been sent to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens

Directed By: Fran Rubel Kuzui

#38

Underworld (2003)

30%

Critics Consensus: Though stylish to look at, Underworld is tedious and derivative.

Synopsis: Under cover of night, vampires engage in an age-old battle with their sworn enemies, the Lycans, a clan of violent werewolves. Selene, a vampire orphaned... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly

Directed By: Len Wiseman

#39

Dracula Untold (2014)

26%

Critics Consensus: Neither awful enough to suck nor sharp enough to bite, Dracula Untold misses the point of its iconic character's deathless appeal.

Synopsis: In 15th-century Transylvania, Vlad III (Luke Evans), prince of Wallachia, is known as a just ruler. With his beloved wife, Mirena (Sarah Gadon), Vlad has... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson

Directed By: Gary Shore

#40