7 Best Vampires on Screen
Monsters have dominated cinema since its early days. Modern audiences still crave a good movie monster to suck them into a story, and what creature of the night has compelled people more than the ever elastic, fanged and sensual vampire? Whether they’re day walkers, inhuman beasts or glittering in the moonlight, there’s a different flavour of vampire to pique everyone’s interest.
Here’s some of the best vampires on screen in no particular order.
Akasha – Queen of the Damned (2002)
Akasha, most famously portrayed by Aaliyah in the 2002 film Queen of the Damned and soon to be portrayed by Sheila Atim in the third season of Interview with the Vampire, is an ancient vampire queen, seductress and powerful force to behold.
Canonically, in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles novel series, she is the first vampire to be born and a mother to them all. A pure blooded ancient creation, she is privy to a whole range of supernatural powers that make her a formidable enemy. Her unearthly beauty and elegance allow her to continue her reign on Earth and solidifies her place as the queen of all vampires.
Dracula – Multiple Appearances
The king of all vampires, Brahm Stoker’s Dracula, is a pop culture icon that has had hundreds of iterations over the years, from Nic Cage’s portrayal of him in Renfield, Adam Sandler’s voice bringing him to life in Hotel Transylvania, to Sesame Street’s infamous Count von Count based off of him. Dracula is horrifying, poignant and threatening, yet sometimes silly and child friendly.
Dracula is a moldable character, and there’s a version of him for everyone, but at the same time there is something ancient and glorious in his numerous portrayals. There will only ever be one Dracula, and he will always and forever be at the forefront of any vampire conversation.
Nosferatu – Nosferatu (1922 & 2024)
Most recently seen in Robert Egger’s stunning 2024 film of the same title, Nosferatu began life as a blatant rip off of a very similar famous vampire, but has now grown into a legend and ethos of his own right.
The pale, imposing Count Orlock (wonderfully portrayed by Max Schreck in the 1922 version, and Bill Skarsgård most recently) has always been one of the greats, being one of the oldest examples of vampires we have in general, but after last year’s film he has been catapulted into mainstream media and cemented as a horror icon. But even before this, you could always catch references to Nosferatu sprinkled throughout pop culture (You can catch a glimpse of him in an episode of SpongeBob of all things!)
Claudia – Interview with the Vampire (2022 – )
Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire novel may have come out long after Dracula had begun dominating vampire-related media, but she still managed to create several new vampires who were easily able to stand up against the likes of the most iconic vamps out there.
Choosing just one character from the ever popular new AMC series which reimagines characters from the novel and 1994 film was a difficult task, but in the end Claudia takes the cake. Becoming a vampire as a child, doomed to spend eternity in a body that will never grow, Claudia joins a small niche of child vampires with striking screen presence. She embodies a unique kind of grief just in her existence and lures viewers into her every move.
Alucard – Castlevania Series (2017-2021)
The son of Dracula and his opposite in almost every way, Alucard (whose name is literally Dracula backwards) was first introduced in the Castlevania video game series back in 1990, and has gone on to grow in popularity ever since, becoming a key player in later games and a prominent character in the Castlevania 2017 Netflix series adaptation.
Half-vampire and half-human, his gentle human nature and his mother’s final wishes compelled him to fight on the side of humanity, even after they burned her at stake for witchcraft. His sole mission is to stop the war on humanity his father has incited and bring an end to the endless blood shed.
Blade – Blade (1994)
Half vampire, half human, all vampire hunter. Blade doesn’t seem like a character from Marvel of all things, but with his own distinct style and Wesley Snipe’s iconic portrayal of the character, Blade ends up being one of the most compelling vampires out there. With his unique backstory, badass persona and relentless hunting of vampires everywhere, there is no question as to why he became a fan favourite. It helps that the 1998 movie has one of the most iconic open scenes for a horror movie in recent years (and it is also one of the first ever Marvel films!).
Remmick – Sinners (2025)
Bursting onto the scene this year with the phenomenal Sinners this year, Jack O’Connell’s iconic and charismatic Remmick is the newest vampire on the block and he is here to stay. The prayer reciting, scene stealing, hilarious Remmick is equal parts scary when the moment is right, reminding us all that he is not someone to be taken lightly while also breaking open the doors to a sympathetic side. Following old-timey vampire rules while still breaking tradition, Remmick is sure to have people be wary of who they invite into their homes for years to come.
_
Jaidah-Leigh Wyatt (she/her/elle) is a Canadian-Jamaican writer/filmmaker, currently based in Toronto. A writer first and foremost, she enjoys bringing her words to life through various mediums, whether that be film, photography, interactive or audio based projects — making her a mixed media artist as well. Above all else, she adores the weird, uncanny, macabre, anything horror-related (specifically psychological horror) and the absurd.