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Ever since Bram Stoker dazzled readers with Dracula, our world has been obsessed with the idea of the vampire. Whether you see them as an evil destructive force or a misunderstood monster (the latter is old news at this point), there are plenty of great blood-sucker movies out there that will also scratch your action itch — especially if you’re in the mood for something really stylized and unique. To that end, we’ve put together a list of action-packed vampire movies that pack a serious punch.
From post-apocalyptic tales and neo-Westerns to superhero stories and historical adventures, these are some of the finest (or at least the most visually interesting and well-choreographed) vampire action thrillers out there. Sure, they might fall short of the very best Dracula adaptations (though the Count appears twice on this list), but you’ll be entertained by all the supernatural warfare unleashed on the screen. If you’re in the mood for some mindless vampire action, don’t let the sun go down before giving these flicks a try.
8
‘Priest’ (2011)
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi vampire movie that doubles as a soft remake of The Searchers has no business being as fun as Priest, and yet we cannot deny that this fast-paced action thriller is a delight. In this world, priests aren’t just clergymen who deliver the word of the Lord, but vampire slayers who take the fight to the demonic beasts that prowl the desert wastelands. So, when the title hero (Paul Bettany) learns that his niece has been taken by the monsters, he travels to the middle-of-nowhere to find her.
Priest is a 87-minute horror adventure that plays to director Scott Stewart‘s strengths in the supernatural action space. Plus, with a cast that also includes Maggie Q as the leading hero’s longtime ally, the Priestess, and Karl Urban as the villainous “Black Hat,” you’ll wonder why you hadn’t seen this movie sooner. Billed by Stewart as a “science fiction Western,” Priest is a great time for anyone hoping for a fast-paced genre mashup.
7
‘Vampires’ (1998)
Merging vampires with Western aesthetics seems to be the right call, and if you’ve never seen John Carpenter‘s Vampires, then perhaps this is the time. Based on the novel by John Steakley, this “hard-R” action-horror follows veteran vampire hunter Jack Crow (James Woods) after his team is wiped out by the master vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), who hopes to use an ancient Catholic relic to give him the ability to walk in the daylight. While not your typical monster flick, it’s full of that trademark John Carpenter style.
Vampires is a bit of an acquired taste and may not be everyone’s cup of bloody tea, but this Western horror flick may surprise you with Woods’ tough-as-nails performance and the interesting lore behind the blood-suckers themselves. The action scenes are pretty exciting for a low-to-medium budget movie, and Griffith—best known these days for his role as Terry Silver on Cobra Kai—is a harrowing villain worthy of the vampire brand. Vampires is an odd one, but you’ll have a hard time looking away.
6
‘Dracula Untold’ (2014)
There are many ideas about the origins of Count Dracula, but the most popular is the notion that he was once Vlad Țepeș, the warrior prince known as “Vlad the Impaler.” It’s from that viewpoint that Dracula Untold reimagines the vampiric adversary as a Romanian hero who chooses to take up the curse of the vampire to save his people from the invading Turks rather than let them suffer under their rule. Given the power of a vampire for three days, so long as he doesn’t drink human blood, he will revert to his human self. Guess which he chooses?
Despite poor critical reviews, Dracula Untold isn’t as bad as some would think. It’s an interesting explanation for why Dracula (played by Luke Evans) becomes a vampire, and paints “the Impaler” in a more heroic light than the future vampire fiend is used to (not that he’s used to any light at all). No, it’s not the best Dracula movie out there, but it’s rife with supernatural action and intense battle sequences that director Gary Shore delivers with ease.
5
‘Underworld: Evolution’ (2006)
If you want high-octane vampire action and excitement all in one place, then look no further than the sequel to the original Underworld. The dark fantasy shadow war between vampires and lycans comes to a head in Underworld: Evolution as the “Death Dealer” Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and hybrid Michael (Scott Speedman) are on the run from both factions, culminating in a climactic battle between the first of the respective otherworldly species. If Underworld reinvented the monster genre, then Evolution (another “hard R” vampire movie) lleveled up on the fast-paced nature of the action.
This hardcore supernatural action flick is considered one of the best Underworld films for its well-choreographed thrills, practical effects, and stunning choreography. It may be a bit bare on the plot by comparison to the original, but if you’re looking for something that blends monster mythology with more supernatural action than you thought possible, Underworld: Evolution is the sequel for you. While the franchise does continue from there, whether you continue the adventure is entirely up to you.
4
‘Blade II’ (2002)
Another explosive sequel to a highly-stylized vampire adventure, Blade II comes off the heels of the original 1998 film with even more bloody excitement than before. Directed by none other than Guillermo del Toro, the film follows the notorious daywalker Blade (Wesley Snipes) as he reunites with his mentor, Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and sets out to save the world from a band of mutated bloodsuckers that even the normal vampires despise. If you loved Blade, then you’ll probably also love Blade II.
As he’s said before, nobody is Blade quite like Wesley Snipes. His second round as the hybrid hero has been considered one of the most important superhero sequels ever, well-deserving of praise for its practical monsters and thrilling action sequences that put the original to shame. It’s too bad that the third film, Blade: Trinity, doesn’t quite live up — but still, more Blade is better than no Blade at all.
3
‘The Batman vs. Dracula’ (2005)
Another vampire-centric superhero movie, The Batman vs. Dracula sounds like it’s a joke, but we promise it’s anything but. A standalone tie-in to the animated The Batman series, this Gothic adventure pits the Dark Knight (Rino Romano) against none other than the mythical Count Dracula (Peter Stormare) himself. As Dracula wakes from his long sleep, he begins amassing an army of the undead to help him overtake Gotham City by storm — including a vampire Joker (Kevin Michael Richardson) that is one of the scariest takes on the criminal clown you’ll ever see.
The Batman vs. Dracula does a great job introducing the Dracula mythos into the DC Universe, taking inspiration more from different movie adaptations than the novel (including some of the things that the movies always get wrong about the Count). Although Dracula is more commonly seen in the world of Marvel Comics, his animated appearance in this DC feature is a bold reinterpretation that sticks the landing. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Batman battle the original vampire lord?
2
’30 Days of Night’ (2007)
Certainly the least “forgotten” vampire movie on this list, 30 Days of Night is a cold-hearted action horror that doubles as an Alaskan neo-Western. The vampire thriller has gained steam in recent years through streaming, and no wonder since it’s a powerful adaptation of the comic book of the same name that makes vampires scarier than they’ve ever been. When a tribe of blood-suckers comes to an unassuming (and completely isolated) Alaskan town, everything quickly goes to hell as they feed on the unassuming townsfolk.
30 Days of Night has become something of a cultural phenomenon, sparking strange (but solid) crossovers, comic book reboots, and direct-to-video sequels that all fail to recapture the nightmare that is the original comic miniseries and its film adaptation. The movie itself is a bit gruesome, but it’s a compelling feature that couples the survival thriller genre with enough vampire action that will make you see Josh Hartnett a bit differently next time he’s on the screen.
1
‘Van Helsing’ (2004)
No list of vampire action movies would be complete without Van Helsing. After updating The Mummy into an adventure blockbuster, director Stephen Sommers set his sights on the rest of the Universal Classic Monsters catalog and compiled the best together for this Hugh Jackman action-horror romp. As the title monster hunter, dubbed Gabriel Van Helsing, takes down everyone from Mr. Hyde (Robbie Coltrane) and the Wolf Man (Will Kemp) to Frankenstein’s Monster (Shuler Hensley) and Richard Roxburgh‘s brilliantly over-the-top Count Dracula, you’ll get your fair share of vampire slaying here — with more Kate Beckinsale to boot.
Van Helsing is unashamedly an adventure movie first and foremost, taking its time as the title hero ventures across 1800s Europe to Transylvania in order to kill the vampiric Count and his undead offspring. The whole thing gets a bit outlandish, but that — as with The Mummy before it — is part of the film’s charm. “Adventure lives forever,” as the poster reads, and that’s certainly true about this reinvention of the Universal Monsters franchise. It’s just a shame that the planned Transylvania spin-off series never happened…
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Michael John Petty
Almontather Rassoul
