The Lord of Darkness. The King of Vampires. Since his introduction by Bram Stoker in the 1897 novel that bore his name, Dracula has stood as one of the most consistent and famous monsters in pop culture. In his more than 100 years of existence, Dracula has appeared in various media, played by countless actors in a variety of tones. Dracula has been a monster, a lover, a comedian, and even a kung fu warrior. Almost every Dracula picture has some value, but these best Dracula movies capture the best the bloodsucker offers.
1. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Although they all credit Dracula’s creator, many of the best-known Dracula films don't adapt the novel so much as a popular stage play first written by Hamilton Deane in 1924 and revised by John L. Balderston in 1927. Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola, however, follows the novel. Not only does Coppola keep focused on Stoker’s plot and character details, but he strives to recreate the romance of the author’s overheated prose. As a result, Bram Stoker’s Dracula stands as both one of the most visually inventive entries in the celebrated director’s oeuvre, but also one of the best depictions of Dracula (Gary Oldman), Willamena Harker (Winona Ryder), and yes, even Jonathan Harker, appropriately played as a dunderhead by Keanu Reeves.
2. Dracula (1958)
As this list will make clear, Christopher Lee played the definitive on-screen Dracula. At once physically imposing and undeniably regal, Lee would play the part seven times for legendary British studio Hammer Films, usually directed by Terrance Fischer. In his first outing, called either Dracula or The Horror of Dracula, Lee and Fischer stick to the source material, as Jimmy Sangster’s script follows Doctor Van Helsing’s (Peter Cushing) investigation into the disappearance of Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen). Rather than make the movie feel redundant, the familiar plot gives Lee plenty of room to stake (pun intended) his claim, establishing himself as a different type of beast than those played by Bela Lugosi and others.
3. Dracula: Pages From a Virgin’s Diary (2002)
The best Dracula films understand the romance of the character and the allure he has with his victims despite (or because of?) the danger he poses. Experimental Canadian director Guy Maddin foregrounds that romantic aspect for his silent dance film Dracula: Pages From a Virgin’s Diary. Shot in rich black and white and consisting mostly of performance by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Pages From a Virgin’s Diary retells the story as one of a love that could never be, driven by Zhang Wei-Qiang's magnetic interpretation as Dracula himself.
4. Dracula (1931)
Of course, Bela Lugosi will always be the Dracula of the Universal Horror set. But despite his commanding work, Lugosi did not always have movies equal to his talent. Such is the case of his Dracula film, which pales in comparison to the Spanish-language Dracula, filmed and released at the same time. Carlos Villarías may not have quite the same screen presence as Lugosi as Conde Drácula, but director George Melford outdoes his rival Tod Browning in every way. Openly melodramatic and visually dynamic, the Spanish language Dracula remains the best vampire movie of 1931.
5. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Sadly, the best Lugosi Dracula movie didn’t even mention Dracula in the title. Instead, he played fourth fiddle behind comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, as well as Glenn Strange as Frankenstein’s Monster. Uncharitable billing aside, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein does Dracula right with its story, which features Dracula as the evil genius who plans to put Costello’s docile brain in the body of the mighty monster, allowing him to wreak terror unopposed. Lugosi proves himself equal to the task, playing his vampire to the hilt, even as Bud and Lou rifle through their well-oiled routines.
6. Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968)
The third of Christopher Lee’s Hammer Dracula films takes the eroticism of previous entries and supercharges it, adding a new and lascivious edge to the respected franchise. That subversive approach also drives Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, in which an accidentally resurrected Dracula matches whits with Monsignor Muller (Rupert Davies) and his beautiful young niece Maria (Veronica Carlson). Director Freddie Francis eschews all subtly in his story, letting Lee play Dracula as the manifestation of all that is tempting and evil, resulting in one of the most terrifying takes on the character.
7. Dracula (1931)
While Dracula certainly has its problems, none of them involve Lugosi, who perfectly embodies the charming and predatory Count. With his crystal clear eyes, his iconic Hungarian accent, and his menacing smile, Lugosi established a look and sound for Dracula that continues even today. When Browning shines a key light over Lugosi’s eyes, whose stare seems to bore through the camera and right into the heart of viewers, they cannot look away. Audience fall in his thrall, the thrall of the true Dracula.
8. Blacula (1972)
As its title suggests, Blacula isn’t really about the Count. Instead, it focuses on William Marshall’s towering performance as African prince Mamuwalde, who becomes the titular Blacula. However, Dracula does play an important role in the story, as he transforms Mamuwalde into Blacula after the monarch comes to Transylvania to secure help in ending the slave trade. Charles Macaulay may not give the most memorable Dracula performance on this list, but he acquits himself well when sharing a screen with Marshall. More importantly, his Dracula gives Blaxploitation cinema one of its greatest characters, a vampire with more romantic dignity than most of his counterparts.
9. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
In his third outing as Dracula, Christopher Lee did not say a single word. Instead, he simply growled and hissed at his victims, apparently because the actor hated screenwriter John Samnson’s script. Whatever the reason, the hissing and growling worked, especially in setting up the next movie, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. In Prince of Darkness, Lee becomes a beastly Dracula, a blood-sucker more interested in consuming victims than seducing them.
10. Dracula (1979)
Lugosi and Lee certainly brought a sensuality to their performances, playing up the eroticism of the character. But director John Badham threw aside all subtext for a charged version of Dracula, played with smoldering energy by Frank Langella. Again based on the Deane and Balderston play, Dracula doesn’t reinvent the well-known plot. However, it does up the sensuality, thanks to bold takes by Kate Nelligan as Lucy Seward and Jan Francis as Mina.
11. Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
Dracula does not appear in Dracula’s Daughter, as the story takes place after the vampire died in the 1931 film. However, the movie belongs on this list for the way it expands and develops the mythology, by focusing on his lingering effects. The titular daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska, played by a hypnotic Gloria Holden, hopes to free herself from vampirism after Dracula’s death. However, she discovers that the Prince of Darkness remains powerful, even after his body has been destroyed.
12. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Arguably the silliest of the Hammer Dracula films, Dracula A.D. 1972 also ranks among the most enjoyable. Once again, it involves the resurrection of Christopher Lee’s Dracula. As the title indicates, A.D. 1972 takes Dracula into the then-present, where he establishes a cult among a group of hippies, including Abraham’s descendant Jessica Van Helsing (Stephanie Beacham) and a guy calling himself Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame). Only Van Helsing’s other descendent Lawrence (Peter Cushing) can stop this new, modern threat.
13. The Dragon Lives Again (1977)
One of the more outrageous “Bruceploitation” flicks, The Dragon Lives Again stars Bruce Leung Siu-lung as Bruce Lee. Yes, the martial arts star Bruce Lee. In the afterlife, Bruce comes up against a warlord who hopes to conquer the afterlife with the help of minions drawn from 70s pop culture, including James Bond (Alexander Grand), the film heroine Emmanuelle (Jenny, Emmanuelle of N. Europe, according to the billing), and Count Dracula (Hsi Chang). The Bruce vs. Dracula fight doesn’t last long and isn’t as fun as scenes in which he teams up with Popeye the Sailor Man, but it is among the more memorable moments on this list.
14. Hotel Transylvania (2012)
In most cases, a CG animated cartoon starring Adam Sandler as Count Dracula would not make this list, let alone rank this high. But thanks to the direction of modern animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky, Hotel Transylvania outdoes most other Dracula films. Hotel Transylvania and its several sequels take place in a resort where the children of the night can get away in peace. Sadly, Drac’s peace gets shattered when his loving daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) her new boyfriend, a human called Johnny (Andy Samberg). Despite that sitcom-ready plot Tartakovsky imagines dynamic set pieces that take full advantage of Dracula’s powers, making the movie a delight for even the most hardened horror fan.
15. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
Few people can boast a late-career revival like Leslie Neilsen. After decades as a straight-laced good guy, Neilsen got a new lease on his Hollywood life when he was cast as a doctor in the classic spoof Airplane!. Mel Brooks's Dracula: Dead and Loving It doesn’t quite live up to that movie’s pedigree, nor to Brooks’s horror masterpiece Young Frankenstein. However, it does make good use of Neilsen’s straight-faced delivery, letting the actor play Dracula as a doofus who barely stumbles out of the grasp of Van Helsing (Brooks) and Jonathan Harker (Steven Weber).
16. Count Dracula (1970)
Despite putting Spanish B-movie maker Jesús Franco in the director’s chair, 1970's Count Dracula had high hopes, not only stealing Christopher Lee away from Hammer to play Dracula again but also boasting the first faithful adaptation of Stoker’s novel. With Klaus Kinski as Renfield and Herbert Lom as Van Helsing, Count Dracula seemed to have everything in place. But in his play for respectability, Franco forgot to tell an interesting story, creating an impressive but boring version of the well-worn Dracula tale.
17. The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
The newest entry on this list, The Last Voyage of the Demeter unearths new ground in the tired story. Instead of once again giving audiences Jonathan Harker in Transylvania or Van Helsing in London, The Last Voyage of the Demeter explores Dracula’s journey to England on a ship that will eventually land with a crew reduced to corpses. Director André Øvredal has a strong cast to work with, including Corey Hawkins and Liam Cunningham. But he imagines Dracula as a giant bat creature, trading the suspense factor for cheap scares.
18. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
For many viewers, the Hammer Dracula films lost their lifeblood by their fifth entry, the fourth with Lee in the title role. And while Taste the Blood of Dracula does lack the goofy spark of its successor or the eroticism of its predecessor, it still remains one of the better Dracula films ever made. When a disgraced noble revives him from the dead in 1905, Dracula sets to work, seducing local women (Linda Hayden and Isla Blair) to do his dirty work. More tawdry than scary, Taste the Blood of Dracula likely won’t convert anyone to Dracula fandom. But to those already captivated by the monster, Lee never disappoints, even in a weaker film.
19. The Monster Squad (1987)
Directed by Fred Dekker, who co-wrote the script with Shane Black, The Monster Squad updates Universal Horror for a new generation, pitting a pack of 80s kids against Frankenstein’s Monster (Tom Noonan), the Wolf Man (Jonathan Gries), and, of course, Dracula (Duncan Regehr). Although the Monster gets most of the attention, thanks to the bond he forms with some of the kids, Dracula stands apart as the chief baddie, proving that he still has the power to terrify even a group of hip kids.
20. Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1972)
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula is exactly what it sounds like, a movie about the famous outlaw (Chuck Courtney) battling Count Dracula (John Carridine). Carridine had played Dracula in a few lesser Universal flicks, including House of Dracula, and stumbles through the part here. However, the movie still manages to charm, thanks to director William Beaudine and screenwriter Carl K. Hittleman’s refusal to wink at the audience. They craft a proper Western and horror film, never once feeling ridiculous for this unusual match-up.
21. The Invitation (2022)
Although it did turn a profit in theaters, The Invitation met derision from moviegoers who mocked the film’s trailer. The trailer shows protagonist Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) answering an invitation to visit a stately mansion owned by her ancestors and eventually participate in a wedding. It also shows that she has been invited by a charming vampire, who plans to seduce her. While the trailer does show a large chunk of the plot, no one would call it a spoiler. After all, would it surprise anyone with even a passing knowledge of horror films that aristocrat Walter De Ville (Thomas Doherty) would turn out to be evil? More specifically, that he would turn out to be Dracula, lying in wait to return to power? Lack of surprises aside, The Invitation manages to tell a satisfying, if not altogether new, Dracula story.
22. Dracula’s Dog (1977)
For those desperate for a different approach to vampire stories, refer to Dracula’s Dog from 1977. As one might guess, the monster of the film is not really Dracula, but his best friend, Zolton the Hellhound. Who would come up with such an outrageous plot? None other than director Albert Band, father of B-movie masters Charles and Richard Band. Band doesn’t get the best performance from Michael Pataki as Dracula, but he does know how to make the Doberman pinscher Zoltan look terrifying in every shot.
23. Dracula Vs. Frankenstein (1971)
To be honest, Dracula Vs. Frankenstein suffers from too little, too late. Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster have been frienemies since the 1940s, so the titular battle doesn’t catch our attention like it thinks that it does. However, director Al Adamson knows how to throw together pleasing schlock, enough to make Dracula Vs. Frankenstien worth a watch. The battle pays off in a violent showdown, and Adamson provides some memorable moments along the way, including one-time Dracula Lon Chaney Jr. as grotesque assistant Groton.
24. A Taste of Blood (1967)
As much as the Hammer Dracula movies played at blood and guts, they could never outdo the Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis. With no great theater actors at the ready, Lewis had to go for shock value for A Taste of Blood. It stars Bill Rogers as businessman John Stone, who becomes a manifestation of Dracula after drinking brandy laced with cursed blood. The transformation drives John to kill off Van Helsing’s ancestors, which serves less as a plot and more as an excuse for grisly scenes of day-glow blood.
25. Dracula Untold (2014)
If anyone thinks of Dracula Untold at all, they remember it as part of Universal's abortive attempt to reboot their monsters into a Marvel-style series of movies called the Dark Universe. While not a disaster like The Mummy, which killed off the Dark Universe, Dracula Untold doesn’t entirely work as it tries to make the monster into a tragic action hero, a bit like Maximus from Gladiator. However, Dracula Untold does feature the always-watchable Luke Evans in the title role, doing his best to elevate awful material and do the blood-sucker justice.
