Stories about everyone’s favorite undead bloodsucker have proved to be as eternal as Dracula himself. Whether it’s the gothic aesthetic, the creep factor, or the dark romance of it all, there’s no denying that audiences keep flocking to theaters and their screens when a new movie or show about the undead drops. Some are direct adaptations of Bram Stoker’s novel while other films are only inspired by Dracula. A handful of these movies rise above the ranks of their bloodless colleagues to shine as the best Dracula movies ever made. Here they are, ranked from the good to the absolute best.
10. Hotel Transylvania (2012)
The novel that started it all is a creepy, dense literary work, but that doesn’t mean its adaptations have to be. Hotel Transylvania is a goofy cartoon that kids and adults will both appreciate. It proved popular enough to spawn multiple sequels as well as spin-offs, and Dracula’s dancing became something of a meme. Here Dracula is voiced by Adam Sandler, which should give newcomers a good idea of what to expect. Well cast and well performed, the focus here is on fun over fear, and Hotel Transylvania nails it.
9. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Many of the best Dracula movies were produced decades ago. Despite the years, these films show no signs of losing their luster or popularity. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is one such example. Like Hotel Transylvania, this movie takes a lighthearted approach to the subject matter. Capitalizing on the popularity of Universal Monster characters like Frankenstein and Dracula at the time, Abbott and Costello might be in black and white, but it’s far from lifeless.
8. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
From an entire generation of horror fans, Hammer Horror will always conjure images of Christopher Lee skulking about the screen with plastic fangs and crushed velvet. Lee’s voice and mannerisms were iconic before he ever joined Star Wars. There’s a reason he’s cemented as the perfect Dracula for many viewers. Dracula: Prince of Darkness was neither the first nor last Dracula movie to star Lee, but it’s one of the most fun.
7. Count Dracula (1970)
Count Dracula is another fabulous film to see Christopher Lee step into Count Dracula’s blood-soaked shoes. Some moviegoers will be quick to decry the film for its low budget and the mediocre performances of much of its cast. These criticisms are valid, but they miss the point. Count Dracula is about one thing and one thing only: seeing Lee at work. Dreadful in all the right ways, Lee proves yet again why his name deserves to keep coming up in conversations about Dracula’s movie legacy.
6. Horror of Dracula (1958)
Though Christopher Lee has done more work for Dracula lore than basically anyone other than Bram Stoker himself, the venerated actor isn’t the star of Horror of Dracula. That honor goes to Peter Cushing, here stepping into the role of fabled vampire hunter Van Helsing. Cushing’s performance deserves all the praise it gets, but the set decoration, ambiance, and overall vibe of the movie are worth shouting out as well.
5. Dracula (1979)
Frank Langella never wanted to be Christopher Lee, and it’s evident from his performance in 1979’s Dracula. Langella strove to depict a far more grounded version of the Count. The effect is one that may throw some audiences for a loop since it displays little of the toothy menace for which the character is typically known. That deviation from the formula is exactly why Dracula deserves a watch, however. It’s easy for a character to get stale and predictable, and Langella’s depiction shakes audiences awake by offering something new.
4. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
1922’s Nosferatu is a singular piece of cinema, different than every Dracula movie since. No remake could possibly capture what it brought to the table. 1979’s remake by Werner Herzog wisely doesn’t try. Herzog was a famous filmmaker as well as a sometimes controversial one, but the quality of his eye and directorial choices in Nosferatu the Vampyre cannot be denied. Come for the blood-drinking, stay for the brilliant cinematography.
3. Dracula (1931)
Black and white films are a dealbreaker for some moviegoers, which is a shame. Many of the greatest cinematic gems were shot that way, either for aesthetics or due to the technological limits of the time. 1931’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi is shockingly good. It was this version of Dracula more than any other that cemented so much of what viewers now expect from the character and his film appearances. It’s important for its legacy alone, but Dracula also happens to just be a great movie.
2. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Why did Francis Ford Coppola, now famous for movies like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, agree to direct a vampire movie? It doesn’t matter. He did it, and the result is arguably the strangest and most beautiful Dracula movie ever made. Despite its title, Bram Stoker’s Dracula drifts further from Stoker’s novel than most adaptations. If faithlessness to the source material is the film’s greatest weakness, stunning visuals are its greatest strength. No other Dracula film looks or feels quite like Coppola’s.
1. Nosferatu (1922)
An old movie inspired by an old book about an old character, Nosferatu is ancient in its very bones. Maybe that’s why it has such a timeless quality. Max Schreck’s haunting performance as the titular vampire has never been matched in cinema. This is because it’s too weird and disturbing. Schreck’s character is not handsome or alluring: he’s horrifying. In many ways, his portrayal strikes closest to the heart of the myth that started it all. This is easily one of the best, if not the best, Dracula movies ever made.
