Much of what we consider to be seminal vampire lore is surprisingly recent, with concepts like having the creatures burst into flame when confronted with the sun only showing up a little over a century ago. And yet, the general idea of undead monsters that sustain themselves with human blood has been around since our kind first began to share stories around a campfire.
That’s why there have been so many variations of the classic vampire myth over the years, with monstrous bloodsuckers taking on the role of everything from star-crossed lovers to metaphors for addiction.
In honor of Rebel Wolves’ horror-RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker putting players in the shoes of a Carpathian warrior hellbent on using his newfound vampiric powers to overthrow an undead tyrant, I’ve compiled a list recommending five vampire movies to get you in the mood for the game, now available on Steam, Xbox Series and PlayStation 5.
As usual, this list is purely based on personal opinion, but don’t forget to comment below with your own vampiric favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling one. While I won’t be including any of them on the list because I’m already covering the series with weekly retrospectives, I’d also like to give a shout-out to Full Moon’s incredibly underrated Subspecies films.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
5. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
It may seem strange to start out a list meant to get you in the mood for a game about a heroic vampire with an adaptation of the definitive evil vampire story, but Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic feature isn’t quite as faithful to Stoker’s original novel as the film’s title might lead you to believe.
In fact, while the award-winning film is remembered for its Gothic romance elements as Gary Oldman gave us one of the all-time sexiest portrayals of Dracula in any media, the source material depicted the character more as a traditionally demonic figure with little-to-no redeeming elements. That’s why the 1992 film makes it onto the list, as I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dawnwalker borrow from the movie’s iconic takes on doomed romance and tragic heroism.
4. Dracula Untold (2014)
I avoided Gary Shore’s action-packed Dracula origin story for years after it first came out, believing that the PG-13 thriller was an insult to Bram Stoker’s character and that it didn’t deserve my attention. That was until I encountered a comment here on Bloody Disgusting a little while ago where a fellow fan recommended it as one of the last big-budget action-horror romps of its kind.
And you know what? That horror fan was correct! Dracula Untold may not be an unfairly maligned masterpiece, but it’s still way more entertaining than it has any right to be, with the flick harkening back to that era of mid-2000s excess where classic monsters could also be action stars. Not only that, but Luke Evans kicks all kinds of ass as a more heroic, and, by extension, more historically accurate take on Vlad the Impaler.
3. Stake Land (2010)
Jim Mickle’s first couple of films are some of my all-time favorite scary movies, but while I’ve already written about the lo-fi infection horror of Mulberry Street, it’s the post-apocalyptic vampire story Stake Land that earns a spot on this list.
Starring Nick Damici, who also co-wrote the script, as a vampire-slaying badass who’s forced to take a young boy under his wing, the movie feels a lot bigger in scope than its modest production would initially suggest. There’s also plenty of graphic vampire deaths here, which is why I think it’s a great match for The Blood of Dawnwalker.
2. Priest (2011)
The retro-futuristic thriller Priest may not be a particularly faithful adaptation of its source material, but it’s still one hell of a thrilling vampire story that mixes stylish fight scenes with a unique Neo-Western aesthetic.
Of course, Paul Bettany as our surprisingly badass lead and Karl Urban as the over-the-top villain do a lot of the heavy lifting here, alongside some genuinely impressive practical effects. That being said, the real reason Priest makes it onto the list is that watching it might make you feel like this kind of exaggerated vampiric action could make for one hell of a cool videogame.
1. Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles may not have been the first pieces of media to tell vampire stories from the perspective of the Nosferatu themselves, but her sensual stories of tragic figures struggling with the eternal ennui of immortality certainly popularized the idea of a heroic vampire.
That’s why it would make a lot of sense to revisit Neil Jordan’s award-winning adaptation of the author’s seminal Interview with the Vampire ahead of The Blood of Dawnwalker. After all, while Brad Pitt’s Louis may be more of a lover than a fighter, he certainly knows a thing or two about slowly losing your humanity despite having the best intentions.
Sink your fangs into The Blood of Dawnwalker now.
