Vampires are my favourite subgenre of horror. I have seen so many and have at least liked almost all of them (a vampire movie has to be really bad for me to hate it). There are still a lot that I haven’t seen though. I haven’t seen any of the Hammer vampire movies, nor the French erotic ones. There’s also a few notable ones that by all accounts I really should have seen by now. Only Lovers Left Alive, Byzantium, Sinners, Thirst (2009), The Invitation, and Doctor Sleep have all been on my watch-list for what feels like forever and I just never got around to them. So who knows, maybe this list will change once I’ve seen those. But for now, here are my top 25 favourite vampire movies!

Number 25

Title: Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat
Year: 1989
Plot: Reclusive vampires lounge in a lonely American town. They wear sunscreen to protect themselves. A descendant of Van Helsing arrives with hilarious consequences.
Starring: David Carradine, Bruce Campbell, Morgan Brittany, Jim Metzler, Deborah Foreman, Maxwell Caulfield, M Emmet Walsh, Dana Ashbrook
Directed by: Anthony Hickox
Based on: An original screenplay written by Anthony Hickox and John Burgess.
Notes: I generally don’t like comedies (not cause I don’t like to laugh, I’m just real picky), but this one is completely charming.

Number 24

Title: Twilight series
Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Plot: Human Bella falls in love with vampire Edward while her best friend, the werewolf Jacob, is in love with her.
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Billy Burke, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Michael Sheen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Rachelle Lefevre, Bryce Dallas Howard, Cam Gigandet, Lee Pace, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Casey LaBow, Dakota Fanning
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke, Chris Weitz, David Slade, Bill Condon
Based on: The Twilight series of books by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn).
Notes: I know, I know. But you know, Meyer tried something different. Some of it landed, some of it didn’t, but I respect what she tried to do. I enjoyed these films for what they were, light, popcorn fluff.

Number 23

Title: Salem’s Lot
Year: 2004
Plot: Writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot and discovers that it is being terrorized by vampires.
Starring: Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, Donald Sutherland, Samantha Mathis, Robert Mammone, Dan Byrd, Rutger Hauer, James Cromwell, Andy Anderson
Directed by: Mikael Salomon
Based on: The book Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.
Notes: The book is so very good that it got made into 3 movies, 1979, 2004, and 2024. Only this one was any good. And not only because Rob Lowe is a cutie.

Number 22

Title: Priest
Year: 2011
Plot: A warrior priest disobeys church law to track down a pack of vampires who have kidnapped his niece.
Starring: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Lily Collins, Brad Dourif, Stephen Moyer, Christopher Plummer, Alan Dale, Mädchen Amick
Directed by: Scott Stewart
Based on: The Korean comic series Priest, created by Hyung Min-woo. The book, in turn, was heavily inspired by the video game Blood by Monolith Productions.
Notes: I honestly don’t remember much about this film except the fact that I loved it and that Karl Urban as a vampire is almost too sexy. That alone should give it its spot on the list.

Number 21

Title: Innocent Blood
Year: 1992
Plot: Marie is a vampire with a thirst for bad guys. When she fails to properly dispose of one of her victims, a violent mob boss, she teams up (and falls in love) with the cop trying to put him away.
Starring: Anne Parillaud, Anthony LaPaglia, Robert Loggia, David Proval, Rocco Sisto, Chazz Palminteri, Tony Sirico, Kim Coates, Angela Bassett, Luis Guzmán, Don Rickles
Directed by: John Landis
Based on: An original screenplay written by Michael Wolk.
Notes: I generally don’t like mob movies, but add a vampire in and I guess that’s all it takes to win me over. This one is funny, sexy, and bloody all at once and I’m here for it.

Number 20

Title: Dracula
Year: 1979
Plot: In 1913, the charming, seductive and sinister vampire Count Dracula travels to England in search of an immortal bride.
Starring: Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Kate Nelligan, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve, Jan Francis, Janine Duvitski, Tony Haygarth, Sylvester McCoy
Directed by: John Badham
Based on: The book Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Notes: This was the first introduction I had to Dracula way back when I was a little one. I haven’t watched it in literal decades, so the details are fuzzy, but I used to watch it over and over so that cements its place in the list.

Number 19

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Year: 1992
Plot: Ditzy teenager Buffy discovers she’s part of a long line of vampire slayers and with the help of her new mentor, the Watcher Merrick, she takes on a master vampire, Lothos, and his minions.
Starring: Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Luke Perry, Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens, Michele Abrams, Hilary Swank, David Arquette, Paris Vaughan, Candy Clark
Directed by: Fran Rubel Kuzui
Based on: An original screenplay written by Joss Whedon.
Notes: This movie is nowhere near as good as the tv show that followed it, but it set the stage nicely. It’s hilariously campy and great fun. Paul Reubins is absolutely hilarious.

Number 18

Title: John Carpenter’s Vampires
Year: 1998
Plot: Recovering from an ambush that killed his entire team, a vengeful vampire slayer must retrieve an ancient Catholic relic that, should it be acquired by vampires, will allow them to walk in sunlight.
Starring: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Tim Guinee, Maximilian Schell, Mark Boone Junior, Gregory Sierra, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Directed by: John Carpenter
Based on: The book Vampire$ by John Steakley.
Notes: I don’t get all the hate that this film gets. No, it’s not Shakespeare, but it’s not trying to be. It’s just a fun, action-packed vampire romp.

Number 17

Title: From Dusk Till Dawn
Year: 1996
Plot: The Gecko brothers, two dangerous outlaws on a wild crime spree, kidnap a father and his two kids and head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety. Soon they realize that they’re not in a typical bar, as the entire place begins to teem with vicious, blood-sucking vampires.
Starring: George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, John Hawkes
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Based on: An original screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino.
Notes: I was one of the lucky ones that did not know the vampiric twist of this film. I literally stood up and cheered when Salma Hayek vamps out. What follows is one long fight for survival and it’s so much fun. The makeups and practical effects are stellar.

Number 16

Title: The Last Man on Earth
Year: 1964
Plot: When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter. But is he truly alone?
Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Umberto Raho
Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow
Based on: The book I am Legend by Richard Matheson
Notes: I don’t often like old timey movies, they really have to be something special. And this one is. Vincent Price is great as the weary vampire hunter (even if they act more like zombies, they are, in fact, vampires). Awesome movie with a gut-punch ending.

Number 15

Title: My Best Friend is a Vampire
Year: 1987
Plot: After an intense sexual encounter with a beautiful woman, a teenage delivery boy finds himself turning into a vampire, while being pursued by a couple of clumsy vampire hunters.
Starring: Robert Sean Leonard, Evan Mirand, Cheryl Pollak, Rene Auberjonois, David Warner, Paul Willson, LeeAnne Locken, Cecilia Peck, Fannie Flagg, Kenneth Kimmins
Directed by: Jimmy Huston
Based on: An original screenplay written by Tab Murphy.
Notes: Another vampiric comedy, this time leaning in to the teenage angle. Robert Sean Leonard is cute as all hell in this and does a great job in the role of a teen turned vamp. A campy good time!

Number 14

Title: Underworld
Year: 2003
Plot: Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons.
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Bill Nighy, Sophia Myles, Erwin Leder, Kevin Grevioux, Wentworth Miller
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Based on: An original screenplay written by Len Wiseman, Danny McBride, and Kevin Grevioux.
Notes: Definitely more style over substance, but I’ll be darned if I don’t just love this movie. The sequels are meh, but this one is great.

Number 13

Title: Queen of the Damned
Year: 2002
Plot: The vampire Lestat wakes from his long sleep and becomes a rock star whose music wakes up the equally beautiful and monstrous queen of all vampires.
Starring: Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Paul McGann, Lena Olin, Tiriel Mora, Matthew Newton
Directed by: Michael Rymer
Based on: The books The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice.
Notes: Trying to squeeze these 2 books together to make one film was probably a bad idea, but I don’t care cause I love this movie, warts and all. I know it’s bad, but I can’t help it. The soundtrack is absolutely bitchin’.

Number 12

Title: Subspecies
Year: 1991
Plot: Three students get caught in the struggle between a good vampire and his evil brother in the Transylvanian mountains.
Starring: Anders Hove, Laura Mae Tate, Michael Watson, Irina Movila, Michelle McBride, Ivan J Rado
Directed by: Ted Nicolaou
Based on: An original screenplay written by Jack Canson and David Pabian, based on a story created by Charles Band.
Notes: Ah, Full Moon. Their films can either be amazing, or they can be shite. This one happens to be amazing. I’m not a huge fan of the sequels, but this first one is great as a stand-alone film.

Number 11

Title: Abigail
Year: 2024
Plot: After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, William Catlett, Giancarlo Esposito, Matthew Goode
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Based on: An original, contemporary reimagining of the classic 1936 Universal movie Dracula’s Daughter. That movie in turn is based on a short story called Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker, but this movie takes that core premise and puts a modern, original spin on it by framing the story as a kidnap-heist gone wrong.
Notes: I was surprised by this movie. I was definitely not expecting it to be so high up in my list, but I really loved it. It’s funny, tense, and a bloody good time.

Number 10

Title: Stake Land
Year: 2010
Plot: A vampire epidemic has swept across what is left of the nation’s abandoned towns and cities, and it’s up to Mister, a death dealing, rogue vampire hunter, to get Martin, his protegé, safely north to Canada, the continent’s New Eden.
Starring: Connor Paolo, Nick Damici, Kelly McGillis, Danielle Harris, Gregory Jones, Traci Hovel
Directed by: Jim Mickle
Based on: An original screenplay written by Nick Damici and Jim Mickle.
Notes: Dark and atmospheric, this is how I imagine a real outbreak of the undead would be. This movie goes surprisingly hard, and I love it.

Number 9

Title: The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Year: 2023
Plot: Sailing from Bulgaria to England, the crew of the Demeter is under attack nightly by a monstrous foe.
Starring: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Chris Walley, Jon Jon Briones, Stefan Kapicic, Woody Norman, Nikolai Nikolaeff, Martin Furulund, Javier Botet
Directed by: André Øvredal
Based on: The chapter The Captain’s Log from the book Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Notes: I was skeptical that they could make a movie out of a single chapter of a book, but they really did a great job. The movie could have been boring, taking place all on one boat, but instead it just makes it claustrophobic and inescapable. My only gripe is the over use of cgi, but other than that it’s simply wonderful.

Number 8

Title: Dracula 2000
Year: 2000
Plot: A crew of thieves accidentally unleash Count Dracula upon modern-day New Orleans. Van Helsing tries to recapture the vampire while protecting his daughter, Mary, from Dracula’s dark quest to claim her as his eternal bride.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Justine Waddell, Jonny Lee Miller, Christopher Plummer, Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Esposito, Omar Epps, Sean Patrick Thomas, Danny Masterson, Jeri Ryan, Nathan Fillion
Directed by: Patrick Lussier
Based on: Characters created by Bram Stoker from his book Dracula.
Notes: This film was not very well received when it came out. It only has a 4.9 on IMDb, but I don’t get it. It’s fun and sexy and just great, popcorn fun.

Number 7

Title: Dracula Untold
Year: 2014
Plot: As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his family, and the families of his kingdom.
Starring: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance, Diarmaid Murtagh, Paul Kaye, William Houston, Noah Huntley
Directed by: Gary Shore
Based on: A character from the book Dracula by Bram Stoker (origin story).
Notes: Absolutely wonderful. They did a great job with the origin story of Dracula as Vlad the Impaler. I very much doubt he was as loving and kind as he was portrayed in the film, but that’s besides the point. My only gripe with the film is Dominic Cooper, who’s quite white, as a Turk. Other than that, it’s almost perfect.

Number 6

Title: Near Dark
Year: 1987
Plot: A mid-western farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.
Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, Joshua John Miller, Tim Thomerson
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Based on: An original screenplay written by Kathryn Bigelow and Eric Red.
Notes: This film had the unfortunate timing of coming out at the same time as The Lost Boys and was unfortunately criminally overlooked. It’s dark, romantic, and bloody, just the way I like them!

Number 5

Title: Interview with the Vampire
Year: 1994
Plot: Against the backdrop of a gloomy San Francisco, the nearly two-century-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac, recounts the unbelievable story of his eternal transformation and a life worse than death to the sceptic reporter, Daniel Molloy.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, Kirsten Dunst, Stephen Rea, Indra Ové, Thandie Newton
Directed by: Neil Jordan
Based on: The book Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.
Notes: Sumptuous and lush, this film is absolutely wonderful. I saw it when it came out, I was 13, and I must have watched it at least 50 times since then.

Number 4

Title: Nosferatu
Year: 2024
Plot: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Based on: The 1922 movie Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, which in turn was an unauthorized adaptation from the book Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Notes: I wasn’t expecting to love this one as much as I do because I’m not a huge fan of Eggers’ work. But this film is stunning. The actors all do an amazing job, the costumes are wonderful, and Bill Skarsgård is unrecognizable under amazing makeup.

Number 3

Title: Fright Night
Year: 1985
Plot: Teenager Charley Brewster, a diehard horror fan, discovers his charming new next-door neighbor, Jerry Dandridge, is a vampire responsible for a string of local murders. When nobody believes his claims, Charley enlists the help of Peter Vincent, a washed-up actor and television horror host, to hunt the monster down.
Starring: William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding
Directed by: Tom Holland
Based on: An original screenplay written by Tom Holland.
Notes: This movie is just wonderful. Chris Sarandon made teenage me (and adult me, let’s be real) swoon as Jerry Dandridge. And the practical effects are absolutely amazing and creepy. A definite gem of the 80’s. The remake is worth a gander as well.

Number 2

Title: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Year: 1992
Plot: Centuries-old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray and wreak havoc in the foreign land.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Sadie Frost, Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, Billy Campbell, Tom Waits, Monica Bellucci
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Based on: The book Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Notes: The best version of Dracula, hands down. It’s so beautiful and romantic while still having some tense scenes. The visual and practical effects are amazing.

Number 1

Title: The Lost Boys
Year: 1987
Plot: When a recently divorced mother and her two teenage boys move to a coastal town to stay with her father, it doesn’t take long for the brothers to realize the area is a haven for something much more sinister than party-going surfers.
Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Alex Winter, Billy Wirth, Brooke McCarter, Chance Michael Corbitt
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Based on: An original screenplay by Janice Fischer and James Jeremias.
Notes: As long with being my favourite vampire movie of all time, it might just be my favourite movie, full stop. I was 6 when this came out, and my mom bought it on vhs. She hid it, telling me it was too scary for me. By the time she caught me with it, I’d already seen it about 20 times. This film began my lifelong love of horror movies, and more specifically, vampire movies.

And that’s it! I’d put some honourable mentions, but that list would probably be longer than this list. I hope you enjoyed! What are your favourites? Let me know!

M.