Vampire films have a place in history dating all the way back to the early days of cinema, from the silent era's Nosferatu to the 1931 Dracula film starring Bela Lugosi. Vampire fiction especially became popular in the 2000s, through the Twilight franchise, but there have often been popular vampire films throughout the decades. However, with all the vampire films that have come out over the years, it was inevitable that not all of them would be well-received.
When it comes to Rotten Tomatoes, quite a few vampire stories don't exactly get the top scores. Some of these films were box-office bombs that were critically panned when they came out. That said, some of these films garnered enough interest to inspire a few sequels and spin-offs. The films themselves can occasionally develop cult followings over the years, with fans who find the merit of these stories. After all, when it comes to vampires, it's not always easy for them to stay dead.
12 Underworld: Evolution (2006) - 17%
Underworld: Evolution is the second installment in the Underworld film series, serving as a sequel to the 2003 film. The vampire Selene attempts to keep the half-werewolf Michael safe while facing the vampire ruler Kraven. More of the history of the war between the vampires and the werewolves comes to light, particularly the three brothers who would become the first vampire, the first werewolf, and Michael's ancestor.
Some Thought the Story Was Too Complicated
Critics often felt the plot of the film was overcomplicated and that it focused too much on visuals. That said, the film was followed by a few more sequels, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Underworld: Awakening, and Underworld: Blood Wars, as well as the animated Underworld: Endless War.
11 Queen of the Damned (2002) - 17%
Queen of the Damned is based on the works of Anne Rice, making it sort of a follow-up to Interview with the Vampire. The vampire Lestat awakens and tries to reinvent himself as a band frontman. This soon incurs the wrath of other vampires, feeling he risks exposing them. However, his music soon awakens an ancient Egyptian vampire queen, Akasha, who will destroy both humans and vampires to accomplish her goals.
The Film Topped the Box Office, But Was Still a Bomb
The film is infamous for its troubled production. The story may have been rushed due to Warner Bros.' rights to Anne Rice's work expiring. Aaliyah, who portrayed Akasha, died in a plane crash after completing her scenes, with her brother Rashad Haughton dubbing over some of her lines. The film actually topped the box office at the time of its release, but was ultimately considered a financial and critical flop.
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10 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010) - 17%
30 Days of Night: Dark Days is the fourth installment of the 30 Days of Night franchise, set after the event of the first film and two miniseries. Stella Oleson travels the world in the hopes of exposing the existence of vampires. Thanks to a mysterious source named Dane, she finds herself traveling to Los Angeles. After being targeted by Agent Norris, a human minion of the vampires, she learns she is tasked with hunting Lilith, the vampire queen.
Fans Thought It Wasn't As Subversive As the First
Compared to the first movie, Dark Days was noted for being more action-oriented, while its predecessor played out more like a survival story.
9 Dracula 2000 (2000) - 17%
Dracula 2000 is a horror film revolving around the titular count being woken up by thieves. Finding himself in Louisiana, he seeks out a woman, Mary, who is the estranged daughter of Van Helsing. Dracula's famous archenemy has been prolonging his life through Dracula's blood, which has also granted Mary a telepathic link to the count. The film is famous for its big twist over Dracula's true identity: he is actually the Biblical Judas Iscariot, cursed by God to become a vampire.
The Film Still Got a Few Sequels
Known for its troubled and rushed production, the film didn't do well financially or critically. However, it did garner two sequels. While the project was labeled as being "presented" by Wes Craven, it was actually directed by Patrick Lussier.
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Scariest Vampires in Movies, Ranked
Vampires have remained Hollywood’s go-to monster movie favorite for 100 years, with the fanged fiends being created for countless frightening flicks.
8 Immortally Yours (2009) - 11%
Immortally Yours, also known as Kiss of the Vampire, is a direct-to-DVD film. Estelle Henderson is bewitched by a mysterious man at the opera, Alex Stone, who turns out to be a vampire and part of a coven. He hopes that Estelle's father, a prominent scientist, can cure him. Meanwhile, her father hopes such research can unlock the secrets of immortality. However, Henderson is not the only one with such ambitions.
The Story Was Unfavorably Compared to Twilight
Katherine Hawks, who played Estelle Henderson, also served as a scriptwriter on the film. Many viewers suspected the film was influenced by the popularity of the then-recent Twilight film adaptation.
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7 Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) - 11%
Vampire in Brooklyn is a comedy horror film directed by Wes Craven. Eddie Murphy appears in a variety of roles in the film, notably the titular vampire Maximillian. After arriving in New York on a ship, Max searches for a half-vampire woman before the next full moon. The hybrid in question turned out to be NYPD Detective Rita Veder, who is unaware of her heritage. Meanwhile, Max is aided by Julius, a man who is slowly transforming into a rotting ghoul.
Considered a Weak Film For Both Murphy & Craven
A stunt performer, Sonja Davis, had notably been fatally hurt during the production of the film. Interestingly, the film was intended as a straight horror film, with Craven being the one to suggest a more comedic take. Released during the Halloween season, the film was generally seen as one of both Craven and Murphy's weaker projects.
6 Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) - 11%
Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a horror spoof starring Leslie Nielsen as the famous Count, with director Mel Brooks playing Dr. Van Helsing. The story generally follows the beats of Bram Stoker's novel and its 1931 Universal adaptation.
"Children of the Night... What a Mess They Make..."
As in modern vampire stories, Dracula is portrayed as having a weakness to sunlight. This is initially poked fun at in a dream sequence in which Dracula walks out into the sun, thinking he's been cured of his vampirism, only to start smoking. Sunlight, as well as Renfield's incompetence, end up destroying him once and for all.
The film did poorly at the box office and was unfavorably compared to Young Frankenstein. The film was also seen as being one of Mel Brooks' weaker films. That said, it has gained something of a cult following over the years.
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5 Once Bitten (1985) - 10%
Once Bitten is a teen horror comedy in which Jim Carrey plays a high school student, Mark, who falls under the spell of the Countess, a centuries-old vampire who feeds on the blood of male virgins to maintain her immortal youth and beauty. Mark slowly finds himself turning into a vampire and it lies in the hands of his girlfriend Robin to save him.
An Early Film Role For Jim Carrey
The film is known for being an early film role of Jim Carrey. Much of the film's humor comes from that it is becoming increasingly hard for the Countess to find virgin blood in a setting as hedonistic as 1980s Los Angeles. The film has often been compared to a vampiric version of Teen Wolf, which premiered a few months earlier. Interestingly enough, Michael J. Fox had originally been considered for Mark.
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16 Monstrous Vampires in Horror Movies That Aren’t Pretty
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4 Ultraviolet (2006) - 8%
Ultraviolet is a science-fiction film starring Milla Jovovich as Violet Song, a woman infected with a vampiric illness. Living in a futuristic world where those with her disease are put to death, Violet is tasked with uncovering an anti-mutant weapon being held by the government. However, the "weapon" turns out to be a young boy known as Six. Violet must protect the child, who the government wants back and the infected want dead.
It Later Inspired an Anime
The film ended up a box office bomb and faced competition with other vampire films, Underworld: Evolution and Blade: Trinity, during its release. However, the film, which was styled to resemble a comic book, later loosely inspired an anime series, Ultraviolet Code 044.
3 Vampires Suck (2010) - 4%
Vampires Suck is a comedy film that parodies The Twilight Saga, especially the first two films. A young woman, Becca Crane, moves to the town of Sporks with her sheriff father. While there, she encounters the mysterious Edward Sullen, who she soon learns is a vampire initially mistaking him for one of the Jonas Brothers. She also reconnects with her childhood friend, Jacob White, who can transform into a Chihuahua.
Meanwhile, malicious vampires are attacking people in the area, with the blame falling on Canadians.
"From the Guys Who Couldn't Sit Through Another Vampire Movie!"
The film was generally panned by critics, though it actually did well at the box office. Some of the jokes were considered random, like a cameo from Alice of Wonderland fame. That said, the film was seen as one of Seltzer and Friedberg's better spoof movies, and Jenn Proske in particular was also praised for her performance as Becca.
2 BloodRayne (2005) - 4%
BloodRayne
- Release Date
- October 22, 2005
- Runtime
- 94
BloodRayne is an action horror film based on the video game franchise of the same name, loosely serving as a prequel to the first game. Rayne is a vampire-human hybrid, also known as a "dhampir." Her father, Kagan, is the vampire king who seeks to destroy the human race through both human and vampire minions. Meanwhile, the "Brimstone Society," a group of vampire hunters, seeks to recruit Rayne.
The Story of a Dhampir
The film was panned by critics, with viewers especially disliking the execution of the fight scenes. The film was also criticized for deviating from the source material. Despite this, the film received a few sequels; BloodRayne 2: Deliverance and BloodRayne: The Third Reich.
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1 Dracula II: Ascension (2003) - 0%
Dracula II: Ascension is a sequel to Dracula 2000. Following the plot of the first film, Dracula's remains are sent to medical student Elizabeth Blaine in New Orleans. Elizabeth pricks herself on one of the vampire's fang and Dracula is revived after being placed in a vat of blood, as Elizabeth soon develops a strange bond with him. Meanwhile, Father Uffizi seeks to grant Dracula, who was once known as Judas Iscariot, absolution, but will have to fight the monster himself.
"No, God Gets Your Soul. I Just Want Your Head."
The film's story was allegedly based on an earlier pitch for Dracula 2000, which would have seen the famous vampire being studied. In fact, Father Uffizi was originally a character cut from the original film. The film was criticized for being too gorey rather than scary and underusing Dracula.
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