7 Best Vampire Movies Since 2016, Ranked
Daniel is a 27-year-old List Writer for Collider living in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. As an avid film buff, he watches and analyzes many films and TV shows, especially in the horror genre, and regularly attends movie screenings.
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Vampires are the most iconic, most legendary monsters to ever grace the silver screen, other than zombies. They're the creepiest undead nightmares that have terrified us for as long as storytelling itself and cinema have kept them immortal in the public eye for over a century, showing absolutely no signs of ever being forgotten anytime soon. Honestly, take your pick on which ones were the greatest, as this horror subgenre is full of standouts across movie history, from Universal's classic black-and-white Dracula era in the 1930s to the kick-ass rebellious '80s era with Fright Night and The Lost Boys to the 21st century's modern classics like 30 Days of Night and Let the Right One In.
In short, we need vampires in horror. They may have popped up many times throughout cinema, but yet recently we've seen a resurgence in them. The last ten years saw a noticeable surge in their popularity. Now, vampires continue to thrive in the modern horror landscape, surging in pop culture like never before. From recent box office juggernauts to noteworthy independent hits, since 2016, we've gotten great vampire films we can sink our teeth into. The following are for all you bloodsucker fans who enjoy this kind of genre.
7 'Day Shift' (2022)
Let's kick things off with a wild, hilarious roller coaster that exploded onto Netflix in 2022. Day Shift is an amusing horror comedy that combines uproarious comedy, riveting action sequences, and genuinely thrilling vampire terror into a nearly two-hour-long joyride. Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Karla Souza, and Snoop Dogg round out this thrilling cast in a story following a seemingly ordinary pool cleaner who secretly uses his mundane job as a front for hunting down Los Angeles' toughest vampires for bounty.
This mostly solid, endlessly fun vampire flick is a last of entertainment, providing over-the-top thrills and gruesome violence all with the feel of watching a cheesy popcorn flick. It doesn't take itself seriously, nor does it do anything new or revolutionary for the vampire subgenre. Not to mention, it's not entirely a perfect movie, as it feels derivative and too noisy in parts, but it's not trying to be anything new to shake the vampire formula. Day Shift is a goofy, action-packed horror comedy that doesn't require a lot of thought, and it just wants to grip you for two hours of blood-soaked fun.
6 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' (2023)
The legendary Count Dracula is perhaps the most prolific character in cinematic history. Appearing in countless film interpretations, spin-offs, TV shows, and even crossing into video games, this iconic bloodsucker is the king of vampires, and he's remained immortal in pop culture. As his endless appearances in movies continue to grow, one notable film in recent years has garnered claims that it features his scariest depiction to date, and that's the underrated 2023 horror film The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Based on a chapter from Bram Stoker's 1898 novel Dracula, it follows the crew of the doomed vessel Demeter bound for England as they're picked off one-by-one by the sinister Count who has stowed his coffins below deck.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is truly a nightmare to watch. Its suspense is palpable, the dread is immense, and its atmosphere feels perfectly similar to the book's. And the gaunt, ghoulish look the filmmakers chose for Dracula is easily one of the most horrifying depictions of the iconic vampire. He really fills this brief screen time with so much dread and breathtaking awe. The film is also supported by a surprisingly remarkable cast, including Corey Hawkins, David Dastmalchian, Aisling Franciosi, and Liam Cunningham, who all do so well when making this frightening crew seem believable, and their acting really makes us care when one of them dies. Now, it's not without faults, as some of the scares feel cheap and predictable, and the story feels a bit like it's copying from Ridley Scott's Alien. But, while not perfect, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is serviceable, entertaining, and undoubtedly scary. It's certainly worth a watch.
5 'El Conde' (2023)
Chile's darkly amusing 2023 film El Conde brings something unique and visually stunning to the vampire subgenre. Directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín, El Conde blends Gothic vampire horror with dark comedy, featuring a fascinating story that follows a 250-year-old vampire (Jaime Vadell) who is the Chilean Dictator in the 1970s. After running the country into the ground, he's forced to fake his death but grows tired of keeping on living. Things only get more complicated when his once loyal butler, now a vampire, begins taking everything from him.
El Conde has a bit of everything for everyone. It's got a gripping story that's both dramatic, eerie, and even funny at times. The performances are stellar all around, and it's anchored by a powerfully theatrical performance by actor Jaime Vadell, whose role as a fictional vampire version of real-life Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet earned him praise and solid recognition for playing an unflinching but absurd portrayal of an actual monster. The cinematography deserves a huge mention as it's visually flawless, striking, and undeniably incredible to look at. It even earned its cinematographer, Ed Lachman, an Oscar nomination. Overall, it's a definite must-watch that has certainly boosted vampires' recognition in recent years.
4 'Abigail' (2024)
Get ready for the wildest, bloodiest, most over-the-top gore-fest on this list, Abigail. This insanely fun thrill ride from 2024 was directed by now-iconic horror filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, from Scream 2022 and Ready or Not fame. Starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, and rising young star Alisha Weir in the title role, it follows five criminals who aren't familiar with each other as they get tricked into kidnapping a 12-year-old girl to ransom her to her elusive rich father. But, locked away in a secluded mansion, the criminals realize they're locked in there with no ordinary child.
In Abigail, vampire fans are delighted with the directing pair's bloody homage to the subgenre. It goes all out with the violence, action, and gore. It's exceptionally gruesome, perhaps the pair's bloodiest horror film to date, and that's why audiences loved it. Though its plot is nothing special, the actors are really what makes this so enjoyable, as the small cast instantly makes you enjoy their characters and care for some of them even though they're all criminals or monsters. They play off each other well, but it's young Alisha Weir who steals the show as the vampire Abigail, using her exceptional acting talents to transition seamlessly from a helpless little girl to a confident, ruthless bloodsucker the next. Abigail has the perfect mix of horror, comedy, and action to keep audiences coming back for more. It's easily the most exciting vampire film in recent years.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes What Is Your Biggest Horror Nightmare? Elm Street · Chucky · Scream · The Conjuring
Four horror franchises. Four completely different ways of scaring you. One waits until you fall asleep. One makes sure nobody believes you. One is already in your group of friends. And one is in the house with your family. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually watch horror, and find out which nightmare was built for you.
😴Elm Street(Freddy Krueger)
🧸Chucky(Child's Play)
📞Scream(Ghostface)
🕯️The Conjuring(The Warren Files)
01
Which horror scene makes you cover your eyes? Four classic images. One of them is worse than the others for you.
02
You are home alone and you hear a noise. First thought? Everybody has one. It arrives before you have decided anything.
03
Which horror movie rule would you break first? Everybody thinks they would survive. Almost nobody actually does.
04
Something genuinely frightening happens. What do you do? Not in a film. In your actual living room, tonight.
05
How do you actually watch a horror film? Be honest about this one. Nobody is checking.
06
Somebody offers you serious money. Which do you still refuse? The amount does not matter. There is one on this list you are not doing.
07
Which feeling stays with you a week after the film? Good horror does not stop when the credits do.
08
Something wakes you at 3am. What is the worst possibility? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides your nightmare.
The Lights Just Went Out Your Nightmare Is…
Four franchises, four completely different ways of getting underneath your skin. This is the one built out of your particular fear, why it works so well on you, and what it would leave behind.
Elm Street
Your nightmare does not wait outside the door. It waits for you to close your eyes, which you are going to have to do eventually, because nobody has ever won that particular argument.
- Freddy is horror's cruellest idea: a threat that lives in the one place you cannot guard, cannot lock, and cannot avoid forever.
- You are the one who is fine during the film and wide awake at two in the morning. Your own head is where this does its damage.
- These films understood exhaustion as a horror engine. The kids on Elm Street do not lose because they are weak. They lose because they are tired.
- You can lock every door in the house. You still have to sleep.
Chucky
Your nightmare is not really the doll. It is the face of the person you tell, and the way they decide, very kindly, that you have imagined all of it.
- Chucky works precisely because he is absurd. That is the trap: the more accurately you describe him, the less anybody is going to believe you.
- You are the one shouting at the screen because the characters are not listening. You know that feeling from real life too.
- The franchise is at its best when the adults in the room are the real obstacle, and you have met those adults.
- By the time somebody finally believes you, you will have handled most of it on your own.
Scream
Your nightmare has your number, knows your name, and has almost certainly been inside your house before. The worst part is that you already know them.
- Scream is the only one of these where the killer takes the mask off and turns out to be somebody who was at the party.
- You are the person who calls the twist out loud before it lands. You watch people the same way you watch films.
- The franchise made the rules of horror part of the plot, which means the survivors are the ones paying attention. You would be paying attention.
- Everybody is a suspect, including the person who just offered to walk you home.
The Conjuring
Your nightmare is not really about you. It is about the people asleep down the hall, and the feeling that whatever is here is not interested in leaving.
- The Conjuring films are domestic horror. The house, the family, the perfectly ordinary room that quietly stops feeling ordinary.
- Your instinct is to get everybody into one room. Your fear is protective rather than personal, which is rarer than it sounds.
- This is the one franchise where belief is the weapon. The people who come through it are the ones who are not alone and refuse to be.
- Whatever is here did not come for you. It came for the household, and you are the one standing in the hallway.
3 'Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person' (2023)
There's no better metaphor for exploring teenage angst and puberty than what happens to vampires, as their hormonal shifts and body changes seem so eerily connected. Movies like Let the Right One In or The Lost Boys proved that vampire lore and coming-of-age drama really go hand in hand. In 2023, this was once again brought to light with Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, a French dark comedy about a teenage vampire struggling to make her first kill as she finds comfort with a new friend, and maybe a potential victim, in a young man on the verge of taking his own life.
For a story that tackles some rather dark and serious themes, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is quite a remarkable, at times touching, and oddly funny dark vampire tale that handles its mature themes with a twisted sense of humor. It's quite brilliant in its writing, as director and writer Ariane Louis-Seize's story balances the tone between serious and comical, being able to tell a dramatic narrative that also pokes fun at the absurdity of being a vampire. The performances are stellar, the cinematography is noteworthy, and just overall, it's a unique new entry to the vampire subgenre that's surely on its way to becoming a cult classic.
2 'Nosferatu' (2024)
While Abigail is a ridiculously fun roller coaster for vampire fans to have a ball with, this next one, however, will have them shivering all after the end credits. Released on Christmas Day in 2024, director Robert Eggers, a rising star in the horror filmmaking world, took his crack at remaking the 1922 silent classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror for a new generation. What he achieved was nothing short of terrifyingly brilliant, as his Nosferatu is arguably a horrifying challenger to the original's legendary scares. Starring Bill Skarsgård and Lily-Rose Depp, it follows the immortal fiend Count Orlok as he ventures out of his Transylvanian castle to find his new bride in a German costal village, spreading death and disease in his wake.
This 2024 reimagining is a faithful, updated tribute to F. W. Murnau's timeless classic, as it perfectly captures the style and tone, elevating the creepy atmosphere with striking visuals and Robert Eggers' signature directing touch. It's a straight-up nightmare flick that you can't look away from. Whether it's the eerie score, the oppressive tone, or even Bill Skarsgård's transformative performance as the horrifying Count Orlok, it's undeniable that Nosferatu is a standout and one of the scariest horror films of the 2020s so far. It's unforgettable, unsettling, and instantly grips you into a terrifying experience.
1 'Sinners' (2025)
At the end of the day, nothing can top the captivating brilliance of director Ryan Coogler's magnum opus, Sinners. This instant vampire classic exploded onto the scene like a thunderous clap, becoming a critical and commercial juggernaut that helped cement 2025 as the new golden year for the horror genre. Starring Michael B. Jordan in a commanding Oscar-winning performance, Jack O'Connell, Miles Canton, and Hailee Steinfeld, it follows two twin criminal brothers in the Mississippi Delta as they open up a new juke joint for their community, only for their opening night to be crashed by a charismatic vampire and his slow-growing undead army.
Sinners is a modern masterclass in terror and spectacle. It has everything for almost anyone — horror, comedy, drama, and music. The music, in particular, has made it so rewatchable and enduring, as it's moving and so fascinating. It also boosted vampires' popularity, once again putting them in the spotlight as menacing and captivating horror antagonists. Truly, with its several major Oscar wins, enormous box office haul, and instant horror status, Sinners takes the number one spot as the best vampire film released since 2016.
Sinners
8 10
- Release Date
- April 18, 2025
- Runtime
- 138 minutes
- Director
- Ryan Coogler
- Writers
- Ryan Coogler
-
Smoke / Stack
-
Mary
- Producers
- Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Ryan Coogler
- Main Genre
- Horror
- Executive Producer(s)
- Ludwig Göransson, Will Greenfield, Andrew Lary, Anthony Tittanegro, Pete Chiappetta, Rebecca Cho
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