Vampire horroris a genre full of expectations and conventions, but several amazing vampire films and TV shows from the 2020s have started to turn the genre on its head. This is in part due to severalincredible vampire acting performances, but also groundbreaking writing and design. These stories have begun to chart new paths for the vampire genre, taking a monster well-known by many and putting vampire characters into fresh situations.
The 2020s aren’t the only years full of great vampire media, making great changes to a long-beloved genre. The2000s were full of underrated vampire classics, but the biggest changes seem to have come in more recent years. These changes are most evident in the stories being told, as most vampire media in the past have either portrayed them as static monsters or romantic leads.
Boys from County Hell
Cast
Boys from County Hell follows a team of road workers in rural Ireland who, led by a contentious father-son duo, accidentally disturb the grave of a legendary vampire. They must confront the ancient horror they unleash and survive the ensuing chaos throughout the night.
Set in the fictional town of Six Mile Hill,Boys from County Hellposes the intriguing idea that Bram Stoker’s iconic Dracula was not an original creation,but was rather based on a local legend. This legend, detailing the terrifying Abhartach and its quest for blood, states that the only thing holding this monster back is a local cairn, or rather, a stone burial mound. When a construction company destroys this cairn, it inevitably unleashes the Abhartach.
Not only does this film take the original Dracula legend and turn it into something deeply Irish, but it does so while employing a fair bit of comedy in the process.Boys from County Hellis funny, something that few horror movies and even fewer vampire films delve into. It offers a fresh look at the vampire legend, bringing it to a new culture.
Renfield
In this horror comedy, Renfield, the lackey of Count Dracula, aids the famous vampire on his journey to the new world. Unfortunately, the long-suffering servant is committed to an insane asylum after being framed for the murder of several ship crew members on arrival. When given a second chance at life, he falls for a quirky and aggressive traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy.
Once again taking inspiration from Bram Stoker’s originalDracula, Renfieldtakes the unique approach of focusing on Dracula’s servant, the titular Renfield, as opposed to the vampire himself. The movie takes place in the modern day and shows Renfield’s life, bringing victims to Dracula for him to eat. However, as the movie progresses,Renfield slowly becomes more self-reliant before pulling away from Dracula entirely.
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Here, Dracula is portrayed as the perfect villain, played to perfection by the iconic Nicolas Cage. There is a fair bit of comedy in this film as well, and it is effective in its portrayal of Dracula and Renfield (played byNosferatustar Nicholas Hoult) in an abusive back-and-forth relationship. This showcases a side of the characters that isn’t often explored, offering more personal testimonials between the action and adventure of the film.
Abigail
Abigail is a 2024 horror thriller directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The plot follows a group of people who kidnap the daughter of a dangerous crime lord only to discover that the little girl is actually a vicious vampire out for blood. Alisha Weir stars as the titular character alongside Kathryn Newton, Melissa Barrera, and Dan Stevens.
With the 2020s also being the years of the promising subgenre of vampire horror-comedy,Abigailis another noteworthy addition to the reinvigoration of vampire storytelling. This film follows a group of bounty hunters who end up kidnapping someone who they think is the daughter of a very rich man. However, they soon realize that they have been tricked, as the little girl is not a little girl at all, but rather a hungry vampire.
Abigailwas originally meant to be an adaptation of the 1936 filmDracula’s Daughter.
Child vampires are something that has been explored before in projects such asLet the Right One InandInterview with the Vampire.However, these depictions of physically young vampires often do so through a philosophical lens. As opposed to this,Abigailrevels in the violence of the film, opting to have fun with its premise instead of waxing poetic about life and death.
Day Shift
To provide for his family, Jamie Foxx works for a pool cleaning service, which happens to be a front for a vampire hunting union in San Fernando, California. Jamie Foxx, alongside Snoop Dogg and Dave Franco, will work together as they slowly chip away at the vampire hierarchy led by a real estate magnate portrayed by Karla Souza in the overridden valley.
Featuring an all-star cast including Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and Snoop Dogg,Day Shiftis an action film revolving around the act of hunting vampires. The film is about Bud Jablonski, a man who makes a living by hunting vampires by pretending to be an average pool cleaner. He does this for the relatable reasons of paying tuition for his daughter’s schooling as well as taking care of his debts, something that leads him to bigger and bigger jobs.
Action is a version of vampire fiction that was popular in the past decades, but is only seeing another resurgence now, made even more interesting by the fact this film is a vampire movie taking place mostly during the day.Day Shiftis filled to the brim with glorious action, and the film’s creative ties toJohn Wickare clearto see. For anyone looking for an action-packed adventure,Day Shiftis the perfect choice.
Dracula
Dracula (2020) is a reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel, co-created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Starring Claes Bang as the titular Count Dracula, the series explores the legendary vampire’s battles with the descendants of Van Helsing and his dark journey from Transylvania to London. The three-episode series examines both the historical and contemporary influences of Dracula’s enduring legacy.
Ironically considered one of thebest Dracula movies of all time,Netflix’sDraculaminiseries breathes new life into the legendary character.Beginning with a retelling of Bram Stoker’s original story, the short three-episode series eventually progresses to the modern day, showing a new side of the character in an entirely new setting. This version of Dracula is confident, flamboyant, and revels in his powers even more than other depictions of the character.
The unashamed nature of this version of Dracula is one that adds something completely new to the character, making him a vampire unwilling to simply hide in the shadows. This is clear throughout every episode in the series, which puts the explicit focus on Dracula rather than the surrounding characters.Draculais a fresh interpretation of the character, one that really shines a spotlight on his personal villainy.
Castlevania
Based on the video game franchise, Castlevania is a Netflix original animated action series that follows the never-ending battle of the monster-slaying Belmont clan as they continue to face off against the hordes of the night. When Count Dracula’s human wife is murdered, his grief leads him to doom the world to eternal darkness. To stop him, it’ll take a team of three unlikely heroes banding together: the last remaining Belmont, Trevor, a magic-wielding seeker named Sypha Belnades, and the tortured half-human, half-vampire son of the count himself, Alucard.
Castlevaniais an anime-style Netflix series made for adults depicting the fight between Dracula and iconic hero Trevor Belmont.The story begins when Dracula’s wife is accused of being a witch and is burned at the stake, leading Dracula to condemn all of humanity, who he deems responsible for her death.It is up to Trevor to stop him, fighting demons and all manner of monsters alongside Dracula’s son, Alucard, as well as the witch Sypha.
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The fact that this series is animated adds another level of innovation to the vampire genre, arguably being one of the shows to herald the current boom in acclaimed adult animated TV. Most earlier animated vampire media is made for children, withHotel Transylvaniabeing one of the most notable. However,Castlevaniaand its subsequent series,Castlevania: Nocturne,prove that animated vampire media isn’t always something that should just be made for kids.
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows, released in 2019, is a mockumentary series exploring the nightly lives of a group of centuries-old vampires residing in Staten Island. The comedic show delves into their interactions with each other and the modern world, providing a humorous take on the vampire genre.
Filmed as though it is a documentary,What We Do in the Shadowsis a long-running series based on the original Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement film of the same name. It follows a group of vampires living in modern-day Long Island, showing the crazy antics they get up to in their day-to-day lives. Although it did not begin in the 2020s,What We Do in the Shadowshas continued on as a staple of 2020s television.
The series is horror-comedy at its finest, taking a silly approach to depicting the world of vampires. Over the years,What We Do in the Shadowshas created its own unique lore that parodies the worlds depicted in famous vampire media, includingDraculaandInterview with the Vampire,among others. Now thatWhat We Do in the Shadowshas ended, it is perfect to binge-watch from beginning to end.
Midnight Mass
Created and directed by Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass follows the residents of an isolated fishing community whose lives are changed by the sudden appearance of a charismatic new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater). The residents of Crockett Island struggle to eke out a meager living, just barely surviving off the mainland, but the appearance of Hill changes everything. Attendance at the local church is at an all-time high, but cynical ex-con Riley Flynn doesn’t trust the priest, and sets out to uncover his dark secret.
Taking place on an isolated island,Midnight Massis a slow burn that, once it gets started, quickly devolves into gore-riddled madness. As a charismatic preacher revives faith in this small island town, things slowly begin to go wrong in what often feels like the most gruesome way possible. It is eventually revealed that this is because of the existence of vampires on the island.
One of the greatest things thatMidnight Massdoes is merge the advertised vampire premise with the concept of faith and religion. For decades, the vampire and religion have been diametrically opposed. However,Midnight Massunites the two under one roof, breaking ground for the idea of the religious vampire.It’s efforts in storytelling paid off, asMidnight Masscurrently has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and won a Critics' Choice Super Award for Hamish Linklater’s performance.
Nosferatu
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
A brand-new film by horror expert Roger Eggers that was released on Christmas Day 2024,Nosferatuis a remake of the original 1922 silent film. It is another sort of adaptation of Bram Stoker’s original story, but like the original, it takes its own liberties with the narrative to tell something completely new. 2024’sNosferatudoes so while holding onto the horror of older vampire films, tying the genre to the gothic films of the past.
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Nosferatupays tribute to the films that came before, really diving into what might be the most horrific depiction of vampires in a long time. Without spoiling anything, it is beautiful, dark, and everything in between. It is worth seeing in theaters to immerse oneself in the scares and incredible aesthetic of the film on the big screen.
Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s novel series that began in 1976, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror fantasy series that explores the life of Louis de Pointe du Lac through an interview with a journalist. Told through flashbacks of Louis' life during the interview, the series examines Louis' relationship with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt, and a teenage girl named Claudia, whom he turns. The series is the first of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe media franchise.
Partially an adaptation of Anne Rice’sVampire Chroniclesnovels and partially a remake of the originalInterview with the Vampirefilm,theInterview with the VampireTV series follows narrator Louis de Pointe du Lac as he tells the story of how he became a vampire and what turns his life took after.Despite being primarily focused on the romance between main characters Louis and Lestat de Lioncourt,Interview with the Vampireis a show full of horrific moments. It is gothic horror and gothic romance at its finest and has a third season on its way.
One of the best things thatInterview with the Vampiredoes for the vampire genre as a whole is it makes the queer subtext present in so many different examples of vampire media a blatant storyline. The relationship between Louis and Lestat is the focus, and nothing is left up to interpretation as it has been for many decades before. This makesInterview with the Vampirean important moment in the history ofvampire horror, paving the way for the shows and films that will come after.
