The Best Non-Traditional Vampire Movies, Ranked

When you think “vampire,” you likely picture the signature Count Dracula character brought to life from Bram Stoker’s novel of the same name. He’s a well-dressed, seductive blood-sucking fiend living in an old, dark castle with an aversion to garlic, wooden stakes, and sunlight. Or maybe you think of the glittering Cullen Family from the Twilight Saga.

Whatever your flavor of vampires is, the signature monster has been reimagined in a variety of ways over the years. While Dracula may be the “poster child” for interpretations of the classic monster, there’s more to vampire movies than what Dracula’s interpretations offer. There are many non-traditional vampire movies — some better than others. Here are eight of the best.

8 Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)

Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire is a fun, corny Disney movie about a single mom (Caroline Rhea) who gets set up on a date with a vampire played by Charles Shaughnessy (The Nanny). The movie premiered on Disney Channel on Friday, October 13, 2000, perfectly timed in the middle of the Halloween season. While Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire certainly isn’t an award-winning flick, it’s fun. In terms of made-for-TV Halloween movies, it certainly doesn’t stand up to other greats like Disney Channel’s Halloweentown. But it’s a unique take on the vampire trope, and as corny as the movie may be, Shaughnessy gives a great performance.

7 Vampire’s Kiss (1988)

Vampire’s Kiss is about Peter (Nicolas Cage), a white-collar businessman, who brings home a woman named Rachel (Jennifer Beals) from a club one night. Rachel bites him on the neck, and the next day he’s convinced he’s become a vampire. However, there’s no real proof of this happening — no great transformation, no aversion to sunlight, nothing. So Peter dons fake fangs and begins stalking women like the creature of the night he thinks he is. Vampire’s Kiss is one of those “it’s so bad it’s good” movies. While it’s pretty weak in the plot department and not as funny as it could be, it still offers an outrageous performance from Cage and is unlike any other vampire movie out there.

6 From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Written by Quentin Tarantino, From Dusk Till Dawn is about criminal brothers Seth (George Clooney) and Richard (Tarantino) who are on the run after robbing a bank. The pair kidnap a family and sneak across the Mexican border in their RV. They eventually make it to a bar in the middle of the desert and decide to stop, only to find out that it’s actually the home base for a gang of viscious vampires including Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, and Danny Trejo.

From Dusk Till Dawn is an action-packed, gruesome horror and is a strange but well-crafted blend of genres and plot lines. The movie premiered in 1996 and was met with mixed reviews, but has since gone on to become a cult classic.

5 The Addiction (1995)

The Addiction is a black-and-white vampire horror about a philosophy grad student who gets bitten by a vampire and develops an addiction to human blood. With a strong cast including names like Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Edie Falco, and Annabella Sciorra, this 1996 film is not only a unique and enjoyable vampire movie, but also a great metaphorical watch.

Director Abel Ferrara has confirmed that The Addiction is meant to be an allegory about drug addiction. It portrays vampires as drug (blood) addicts, which is a trope that has never really been seen before, but The Addiction does it in a way that feels genuine, deep, and masterful. It’s a much watch for anyone who loves a movie with layers of deeper meaning, or anyone who likes vampire flicks and wants to see a very novel approach to the horror classic.

Related: Scariest Vampires in Movies, Ranked

4 Fright Night (1985)

Fright Night is a fun ’80s vampire horror about a young boy who discovers that his neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. But, of course, no one believes him. So he gets Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), who used to star in movies as a vampire hunter, to help stop this murderous new neighbor. Fright Night is a great example of an ’80s horror as it not only has ample scares, but plenty of comedy, heart, and satire as well.

Since its original premiere, Fright Night went on to become a cult classic and even a sequel in 1988 and a remake in 2011. Fright Night also touts incredible makeup work and pretty good special effects for 1985. All in all, it’s a must-watch for the Halloween season, as it’s certainly one of the best — if not the best — vampire movies to come out of the ’80s.

3 Twilight (2008-2012)

Whether you love it or hate it, it’s impossible to deny the magnitude of success had by the Twilight Saga movies. Following the story created by Stephanie Meyer in her book series of the same name, Twilight is about high school misfit Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who falls in love with the mysterious vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

Despite mixed reviews from critics when it premiered in 2008, Twilight was a massive success and was followed up by four more movies. The Twilight Saga formed a massive fandom, of both lovers of the books and new initiates. Though today much of the movie may feel a little cringe and dated, Twilight is still a favorite for a lot of people and has recently gotten its second wind as all the movies are available on Netflix.

Related: Why Legacies Should Be The Last Series in the Vampire Diaries Universe

2 The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys is another vampire movie from the ’80s about two brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) who move with their mother to a small town in California. While Sam becomes friends with the local comic book nerds, Michael falls into a bad crowd that turns out to be a gang of vampires, leading Sam and his friends to save his brother from the local vamps.

The Lost Boys is one of those vampire movies that makes vampires feel so cool and desirable. Not only is the plot of The Lost Boys entertaining, blending both comedy and suspenseful supernatural horror, but it’s also complete with a great cast, killer soundtrack, and a very ’80s style. If you’re looking for cool, ’80s nostalgia, that’s perfect all year round, watch The Lost Boys.

1 What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

This horror/comedy, mockumentary style movie is about a group of vampire housemates — Taika Waititi, Jermaine Clement, Jonathan Brugh, and Ben Fransham — who live together in Wellington, New Zealand. Hilarity ensues as the group of undead grapple with the complexities of modern living, familiars, and newly-turned vamps. What We Do in the Shadows is innovative, witty, and hilarious, and one of the most entertaining non-traditional vampire movies out there.

Following the 2014 movie’s success, an American TV series of the same name premiered in 2019, with Waititi and Clement as executive producers. The TV series is just as hilarious as the original movie and was recently renewed for a fifth and sixth season.