6 Overlooked Vampire Horror Movies Ranked
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Vampire horror movies stretch back to Nosferatu (1922). Their prominence as horror villains has rarely waned.
These bloodsucking undead immortals have an insatiable following, from the Bela Lugosi Dracula flicks in the 1930s to the Twilight franchise that has entranced teen girls for the past couple decades.
Vampires are irresistible to both their onscreen victims and the horror fans who flock to their movies year after year. They are often paired with werewolves, another iconic horror movie monster.
For my money, vampire films are usually of higher quality than werewolf flicks, because vampires are generally more complex and interesting than their hairy counterparts.
I love to shine light on obscure movies in each horror subgenre. I’ve already covered underrated werewolf movies. Now, it’s the vampires’ turn. Here are six underrated vampire movies ranked. Let’s sink our teeth into them!
6. Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
What, did you think Renfield (2023) was the first time Nicolas Cage played a vampire? Early in his career, Cage gave a characteristically bizarre and eccentric performance as Peter, an insufferable New York City yuppie who is seduced by Rachel (Jennifer Beals), a stunning and sexy vampire he encounters in a bar.
He gradually grows fangs and develops an aversion to sunlight. Cage’s character was already a huge asshole before becoming a bloodsucker, but now he’s a literal monster. He brutally abuses his secretary, Alva (Maria Chonchita Alonso) – a storyline that goes to tasteless and dark places by the end of the movie.
Vampire’s Kiss‘s plot doesn’t make much sense. Its conclusion is predictable and anticlimactic. Still, it’s worth watching for Cage fans and people who enjoy over the top ’80s cheese.
Where to Watch:
5. Blood Relatives (2022)
Blood Relatives is a lighthearted horror-comedy about a father-daughter vampire duo who embark on a bloody road trip. Noah Segan, who also directs, plays Francis, an affable Yiddish vampire from the 19th century.
He cruises through the American heartland in his classic muscle car, preying on transients and other folks who he assumes no one will miss.
Noah seems content to continue his loner existence, but his life changes when he meets a daughter he never knew he had. Jane (Victoria Moroles) is a teenage human/vampire hybrid. She has inherited her father’s thirst for blood and superhuman strength.
Thanks to being half-human on her mother’s side, Jane can survive exposure to sunlight. She doesn’t have to hide during the day like her dad.
Blood Relatives is often funny, never scary, and rarely has anything important to say. Segan has crafted an enjoyable film, but not one with genuine emotional depth. As pure entertainment, it mostly works because of the sparkling chemistry between Segan and Moroles.
Where to Watch:
4. 30 Days of Night (2007)
Alaska is a perfect location for vampire horror movies, especially the parts of the state that are north of the Arctic Circle. At the peak of winter, this region endures long periods of interminable darkness. In 30 Days of Night, sunlight-fearing vamps are free to roam across the land with impunity.
The desolate, frigid town of Barrow is besieged with vampires during polar night. Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett) and a small group of survivors try to survive the month-long darkness and destroy the vampires before they can suck their way through the entire town. Eben must ultimately make an agonizing choice in order to save what’s left of Barrow.
I didn’t particularly care about any of the characters in this movie, but it’s still fun. I just didn’t find it as involving as the movies higher on the list. Still, the location and atmosphere make this a worthy entry among creepy vampire movies.
This region is a perfect fit for horror in general. True Detective season 4 was also set up here, although there are no vampires in that series. More movies and shows should use this location!
Where to Watch:
3. Jakob’s Wife (2021)
Is Barbara Crampton a vampire? She’s in her sixties, but could easily pass for being a couple decades younger. Either that or she must have drank from the holy grail from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!
In Jakob’s Wife, she plays Anne, a small town minister’s spouse who has grown bored with her humdrum life. After encountering a mysterious vampire, Anne sinks her teeth into a revitalized existence as a deadly bloodsucker. A lifetime of feeling powerless fades away as Anne embraces her newfound freedom.
Barbara Crampton gives a fiendish performance in the title role. Most of the characters are bland, and the plot is simplistic, but she carries the movie as her funny and vicious character, who tears her way through a splattery and gory rampage.
Where to Watch:
2. Near Dark (1987)
I recently covered this movie in my western horror movies post, but there’s no way I could leave Near Dark off a list of underrated vampire movies. In the westerns article, I talked about the cowboy protagonist and his love interest.
I neglected to mention the film’s entertainingly twisted villains, played by Bill Paxton and Lance Henricksen. Yes, both of these veteran genre legends are here, and they appear to be having the times of their lives playing rowdy bloodthirsty vampires.
Near Dark is worth watching for every fan of vampire horror movies – if you can find it. As far as I can tell, this poor, neglected film is not officially available to stream anywhere. It is available on DVD and Blu-ray, but it will cost ya!
1. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023)
My underrated vampire movies list is topped by this unique Quebec film (subtitle alert – the dialogue in French), which posits an intriguing question: what if a vampire had a conscience?
Sure, we’ve seen vampires who care about one person, or a small group of people, but Sasha (Sara Montpetit) cares about humans in general. She would rather starve than take a life. Her parents (both vampires themselves) think she’s crazy.
Sasha thinks up a solution: she will only feed on humans who want to die. She meets Paul (Felix Antoine-Bernard), an awkward, friendless teen who is more than happy to be her victim. Their relationship grows close, ironically giving Paul a reason to go on.
There are parallels to Eli in the Swedish film Let the Right One In. Both are female vampires who appear to be teenagers, but are in fact much older. Both girls develop a relationship with a naive boy who is attracted to them. That’s where the similarities end. Sasha is genuinely empathetic, while Eli is a manipulator.
Montpetit is a perfect fit for Sasha and Antoine-Bernard as great as Paul. I’d like to see a sequel – the ending certainly leaves open the possibility – but so far there are no known plans for a follow up.
Where to Watch:
The Immortality of Vampire Horror Movies
The popularity of vampire films is as long lasting as the vamps themselves. People just can’t get enough of them. At its most base level, horror uses gore and sex appeal to entice us. Vampires have both of these elements in spades.
The best of these underrated vampire movies utilize typical genre tropes to tell innovative stories. Hopefully filmmakers will continue to find creative and fascinating ways to use these iconic horror monsters.