The 21 Best Vampire Movies, Ranked From 'Dracula' to 'Blade'

Movie studios have been pumping out great vampire movies for 100 years at this point. But even with so many to choose from, a handful of these movies will always rise above the pack. From "Blade" to "Dracula," here are the best movies to get your vampire fix this Halloween.

21. 'Salem's Lot' (1979)

Not only is "Salem's Lot" one of the scarier Stephen King novels, it also made for one of the better adaptations. Despite being "just" a made-for-TV movie, this adaptation offers a genuinely chilling look at an idyllic town slowly being overwhelmed by vampires. Thanks to this movie, we'll forever be terrified at the sound of tree branches scraping at the window.

20. 'Blade II' (2002)

"Blade II" definitely lacks the novelty of its predecessor, but there's still plenty to love about Wesley Snipes' sophomore outing as the stylish vampire slayer. Director Guillermo Del Toro's biggest contribution here is introducing a new breed of super-vampire, one deadly enough that Blade is forced to join forces with regular vampires just to confront it. The result is an enjoyable sequel that also had a clear influence on "The Strain" years later.

19. 'Interview With the Vampire' (1994)

If an imperfect adaptation of Anne Rice's seminal novel, "Interview With the Vampire" is still a pretty compelling look at the tragic side of being an undead bloodsucker. This film uses the period New Orleans and Parisian settings to full effect. And one might say Tom Cruise was born to play the manic, sadistic vampire villain Lestat. Sadly, he didn't stick around for the sequel.

18. 'From Dusk till Dawn' (1996)

"From Dusk till Dawn" is unusual in that it gives no indication it's actually a vampire movie until a sudden plot twist midway through the movie. Beforehand, it's just a great, snappy crime movie in true Quentin Tarantino fashion (with Tarantino himself both writing and co-starring). Afterward, it's a gory, grindhouse-worthy romp. Basically, two great tastes that go surprisingly well together.

17. 'Shadow of the Vampire' (2000)

"Shadow of the Vampire" stands out for being the most meta vampire movie ever filmed. This fictionalized account of the making of 1922's "Nosferatu" casts John Malkovich as legendary director F.W. Murnau and Willem Dafoe as actor Max Schreck. The twist being that, in this version of events, Schreck is an actual vampire, a fact that greatly complicates an already difficult production.

16. 'Cronos' (1993)

Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro started his fascination with amber-colored mystery objects and horror-fantasy with his first film. This largely Spanish language film (Ron Perlman is a part of the cast obviously) centers around a tiny, mysterious device that has the power to grant you immortal life. (Spoiler: inside, there's a little bug that turns you into a vampire.) Vampirism, as displayed in "Cronos," isn't glamorous or cool. Vamps are sad and scary, creatures to pity as much as they are to fear.

15. 'The Hunger' (1983)

Catherine Deneuve as a vampire? Check. Chilling visuals scored to a very '80s soundtrack? Check. Tony Scott directing? Check AND mate.

14. 'Fright Night' (1985)

The '80s gave us a lot of our favorite horror movies, and this is one of them. Who doesn't love a movie about a young teen, living next door to a handsome vampire, that he has to put down with the help of a has-been, late-night movie TV host with some legit Van Helsing skills?

13. 'Fright Night' (2011)

Another remake on this list that was sorely overlooked, this box office misfire is a very fun, and at times very scary, update of the campy 1985 original. Highlights include "Buffy" alum Marti Noxon's script and a scene-stealing Colin Farrell as a charming vampire who has taken root in a recently-developed Vegas suburb hollowed out by the housing crisis.

12. 'Blade' (1998)

Prior to "Blade," there wasn't a single good Marvel movie to be had in Hollywood. Apparently the Marvel Universe just needed the tried-and-true vampire movie genre to provide it with the adrenaline boost it needed. "Blade" delivers a winning blend of martial arts, techno, and supernatural conspiracy.

11. 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night' (2014)

This Persian-language effort from writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour is so good, you'll wish you made it. Set in the Iranian ghost town called "Bad City," a sort of vampire western unfolds as crime and bloody (but understated) violence intersect thanks to the mysterious presence of a strange, young female bloodsucker lurking to cause (and stop) trouble.

10. 'Near Dark' (1987)

Before she was helming Oscar-level fare like "Zero Dark Thirty," director Kathryn Bigelow tackled biker vamps for her fist feature. The end result, thanks to her inspired take writer Eric Red's clever and inventive script, is nothing short of cult-movie royalty.

9. 'Let Me In' (2010)

Matt Reeves' underrated remake of "Let the Right One In" is slow-burn horror at its most emotionally resonate. It's brooding charms and polished production values elevate this remake to must-see status, as it delves deeper into the themes of isolation and identity explored by a loner, odd-boy tween and his new friend, the only person who seems to "get him" -- an immortal vampire frozen in the body of a young child (Chloe Grace Moretz).

8. 'The Lost Boys' (1987)

Director Joel Schumacher's '80s staple pioneered a new visual style for the genre, pioneering the whole leather-y vampire vibe. When a small CA town is preyed upon by vampires lead by a scary-good Kiefer Sutherland, a small group of teens (lead by Coreys Haim and Feldman) are all that stands between our world succumbing to their bloodlust. Jason Patric plays Haim's older brother, who is lured literally into the vampires' den -- and turned into one.

7. 'Only Lovers Left Alive' (2014)

Some vampire movies seek to terrify moviegoers, and others are more interested with exploring the sad plight of those who face an eternity of blood-sucking solitude. "Only Lovers Left Alive" is most definitely in the latter camp. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton are perfectly cast in this look at two married vampires struggling to adjust to the modern world and its unexpected dangers.

6. 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992)

This particular "Dracula" adaptation gets a bad wrap for A) not being as good as the best films of Francis Ford Coppola's career and B) Keanu Reeves' atrocious British accent. The latter complaint is fair, but the former definitely isn't. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is a now-underrated gem that manages to be more faithful to the source material than most adaptations, while also delivering a lavish sense of style all its own -- thanks to the director's mandate to do so many of the film's impressive special and visual effects in-camera, using old-school/classic filmmaking techniques. Gary Oldman's haunted and dark AF performance as Dracula alone makes this worth a watch.

5. 'Nosferatu' (1922)

"Nosferatu" is technically the first film adaptation of "Dracula," though the main character's name was changed to "Count Orlok" for legal reasons. It remains one of the greatest and most influential vampire movies ever made. If anything, the silent format and crude visuals only heighten its disturbing appeal. Max Schreck's Orlok is still quite possibly the most terrifying vampire villain ever committed to celluloid.

4. 'What We Do In the Shadows' (2015)

The mockumentary is a sadly underutilized genre, but at least directors/stars Jermaine Clement and Taika Watiti used it to perfect effect in this 2015 comedy. This film offers a goofy and sweetly sad look at a group of vampire roommates searching for love, happiness and peace with a rival group of werewolves. We're thrilled to see it getting a TV spinoff.

3. 'Dracula' (1931)

While not the first film inspired by the original novel, "Dracula" is the first to be officially licensed by the family of Bram Stoker. It's also the film that gave us perhaps the most iconic movie vampire of all time in the form of Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula. It's been oft-imitated but never truly surpassed.

2. 'Nosferatu the Vampyre' (1979)

By 1979, the "Dracula" formula was very a well-established one in the film world. You'd think there'd be no way to put a fresh spin on an old favorite by that poinmt, much less top all-time classics like 1931's "Dracula" and 1922's "Nosferatu." Yet somehow director Werner Herzog managed it here. 'Nosferatu the Vampure" combines both tragedy and terror in its take on the iconic story. It also happens to be the most visually striking vampire movie ever made.

1. 'Let the Right One In' (2008)

"Let the Right One In" is the sort of horror movies that satisfies on all levels. It's a genuinely scary look at a vampire struggling to survive in the desolate, icy Swedish winter. It's also a sweetly charming coming-of-age tale about an awkward boy finding a true friend in the form of a girl who just happens to be an immortal bloodsucker. The American remake is also great, but there's just no topping the original.