The history of vampires and movies goes all the way back to the beginning. Nosferatu was the first unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and since then, we’ve had iconic vampire characters across the decades. Vampire films are all over the place, you have vampire comedies, vampire dramas, vampire action films, vampire westerns, and plenty of others. We saw a huge “renaissance” in vampire films when Twilight was released, and now we’re in a golden era for the sub-sub-genre.

What does it take for a good movie vampire? Well, Edward Cullen ain’t it. It takes a particular psychological menace. They need to be suave and sexy and have that bit of emotional damage from being able to live so long. Why do you think vampires travel in packs? You’ve gotta have friends if you live for 500 years. Sometimes vampires don’t have to be suave or even evil, though. What We Do In The Shadows is the perfect example of taking the hallmarks of a good vampire and turning them upside down.

Let’s kick off the list. But first, some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions: Regine Dandridge, Severen, Jesse Hooker, Vlad, Blade, Santanico Pandemonium

5. David – The Lost Boys

The 80’s horror fan debate between The Lost Boys and Near Dark has raged on since both films came out. I lean ever so slightly towards Near Dark. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that David from The Lost Boys is one of the best vampires on screen. Overall, this film’s depiction of vampires is spot on. You have the “grunts” in David and his crew and you have Ed Herrmann’s Max, who leads them all from the shadows. It’s arguably Joel Schumacher‘s best film, but that honor could go to a couple films in his filmography.

David’s character perfectly captures the essence of a youthful vampire. I have no idea how old his character is in The Lost Boys but it doesn’t seem as if he’s a very old soul. His master, Max, on the other hand, depending on how deep you dive into The Lost Boys media is ancient. Either way, Sutherland gave one of the most iconic performances of any vampire on film here.

4. Jerry Dandridge – Fright Night

Now it’s time for the best of the “modern” vampires. Jerry Dandridge is the archetypal vampire in my mind. Chris Sarandon plays Jerry with all the vigor, suave, and underlying sadness a vampire should have. If it weren’t for the absolute classic performances ahead of him, he would be the number one. Fright Night took what vampire films were before they were laid down and improved upon them. Peter Vincent might be the film’s heart, but Jerry Dandridge is the film’s crux.

3. Nosferatu – Nosferatu

Nosferatu was made in 1922, at the height of the German Expressionist movement. The film is a cinematic masterpiece that highlights everything from direction, acting, set design, costume design, lighting, cinematography, you name it. The film couldn’t be called Dracula because of legal reasons, but it fits. The character of Nosferatu might be old hat at this point but don’t get me wrong; it’s still genuinely terrifying almost 100 years later. Imagine your worst nightmare, and I don’t mean just one where you’re falling. One where proportions are stretched and thrown off normal human levels. That’s what Nosferatu is. It’s a dream-like film that, while silent, is by no means boring. Max Schreck sets the tone for every vampiric performance for the next 100 years and onward in this film. Vampires might have moved past long fingernails and pasty white skin these days, but Nosferatu is the pioneer in the field of vampires.

2. Dracula – Hammer Films

The Hammer horror films are finally getting some of the recognition they deserve. They’re the bedrock on top of the…. bedrock of Universal Films. Okay, that’s not a great analysis, but it makes sense. Universal’s films laid the framework for what horror should be. Hammer took that formula and added color, blood, gothic architecture, and cleavage. Christopher Lee might have distanced himself from the character over the years, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t less iconic. He gave a charming and elegant performance but included all the evil and lack of remorse you’d expect from the Count. It didn’t eclipse Bela Lugosi’s immortal performance, but it comes damn close.

1. Dracula – Dracula

You had to expect this one was coming. If Nosferatu created the archetype for a vampire, Dracula gave you the perfect performance that still hasn’t been topped. Think about any other performance in a movie with a famous character like Dracula. How many times is that character done perfectly the first time around? How many times is that character changed for the times? Well, with Bela Lugosi and Dracula, he set the bar, and no one has changed anything about it since.

If you play Dracula now, you act like Lugosi did in this movie. That’s how it works. So, for any other character, the actor might change a little bit. The stereotypical Dracula is that of Lugosi’s version. The one you see on cereal boxes or in cartoons over the years? That’s Lugosi. So give the man his due, and this Halloween season, fire up Dracula. It’s a short watch, but if you haven’t watched it recently, it holds up just as well.

It’s one of the first wave of films with sound, but it plays very much like a silent film at times. In the same dream-like way that Nosferatu is frightening, Dracula takes the same notes, but adds a Hollywood sheen to them. It’ll be hard ever to top Lugosi at the top of this list.

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