Teeth sinking into skin; the sucking of blood straight from the jugular: the tropes of vampire movies are some of the most effective in horror, and as Spooky Season™ returns, we’re officially allowed to indulge in them once more.
To start, Francis Ford Coppola’s version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in all of its sexy and blood-soaked glory, is officially back in cinemas in a brand new 4K restoration. Fans of Winona Ryder, gorgeous costuming and Gary Oldman in some ugly ass make-up will be able to enjoy all of that on the big screen from Friday 7 October.
But what’s on offer for those of us who simply cannot be arsed to leave the house? Don’t we deserve some vampiric movie choices to waste away our dark weekends watching? Here are some vampire-aligned arthouse films, drug parables and Blaxploitation classics that you can stream from your sofa this weekend.
Let the Right One In (2008)
Even before its Hollywood remake propelled it into the consciousness of arthouse agnostics, the Swedish screen adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s coming-of-age vampire novel was cited as one of the best horror movies ever made. In it, two young friends — a lonely, bullied boy called Oskar, and Eli, a centuries-old vampire disguised as a pre-teen girl — bond in the snowy Stockholm suburbs. The inner turmoil of their lives are revealed, and the pair grow closer as the wider world shuts them both out. Watch it on Amazon Prime US now.
The Addiction (1995)
Abel Ferrara, one of American filmmaking’s most shocking provocateurs, drew parallels between vampire mythology and drug addiction with this film. It follows a New York philosophy student whose lifestyle changes rapidly after she’s bitten by a vampire and develops a dangerous obsession and thirst for human blood. Starring Lili Taylor and Christopher Walken, it’s considered an arthouse classic, harbouring all of the qualities typical of a Ferrera film — gritty black-and-white photography and a dingy New York City setting. Watch it on Amazon Prime UK now.
Twilight (2008)
No vampire movie list is complete without the one that changed it all. In 2008, teenagers shrieked as the cinema lights dimmed and Twilight started, the big screen adaptation of the hugely popular Stephenie Meyers book series. Of course, it’s a classic boy-meets-girl high school story, laced with sparkling skin and blood dependency. But more importantly it gave us Kristen Stewart, R-Patz and — in later films — the iconic line reading from Taylor Lautner: “Bella, where the hell have you been, Loca?”. If that doesn’t make this classic, god knows what could. Watch it on Netflix UK now.
Nosferatu (1922)
Ahead of Robert Eggers’ Lily Rose-Depp starring adaptation (apparently due next year) why not revisit the blueprint? This 100-year-old classic of silent cinema tells the tale of a Count living in a Transylvania castle who coerces an unsuspecting estate agent and his wife into his blood-sucking grip. The film, loosely based on the proto-Dracula tale, was almost completely destroyed in a lawsuit brought against its director by the Bram Stoker estate, but it survived. Watch it on Shudder now.
The Transfiguration (2016)
Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, this celebrated if under-seen vampire film is the sole credit to writer-director Michael O’Shea’s name. Set in modern day Brooklyn, it follows a 14-year-old vampire-obsessed boy who’s convinced he’s a vampire in real life, leading him to drink the blood of dead people. One night, he meets Sophie, a lost teenager, and the pair form a strange kind of dependency. Watch it on MUBI now.
The Hunger (1983)
In this erotic cult classic, French actor Catherine Deneuve plays an alluring vampire who trawls the nightclubs of New York City, hunting her victims. She has a lover named John, played by David Bowie, whose mask of eternal youth suddenly starts to slip, at which point his ancient exterior becomes more apparent. Cue the arrival of Susan Sarandon’s Sarah: an ageing expert willing to help him, but who becomes embroiled in the couple’s bloodthirsty trap. Rent it digitally from Apple TV now.
Ganja & Hess (1973)
Back in 2014, Spike Lee remade this under the title Da Sweet Blood of Jesus; a testament to its long-lasting cultural impact. A respected Blaxploitation movie, Ganja & Hess tells the story of Hess, an anthropologist researching an old African nation who drank blood as part of a ritualistic practice. But when he’s stabbed with one of the African nation’s knives, it turns him into one of them. His new found lifestyle rubs off on his wife too, and together they descend into a dizzying existence fuelled by bloodthirst. Watch it on BFI Player now.