It all began in 1897 when Bram Stoker wrote a novel about a legendary monster called Dracula. The gothic horror story established the titular character, Count Dracula, as the OG vampire, and the archetype. Through the years, many have attempted to bring the Count and his tales to life on screen, but for some reason, not many have been able to do it particularly well. But there are some adaptations that portray him in unique ways. Some delve into his origin story, while others pit him against his equally legendary arch nemesis, Van Helsing. Here are the seven best of those entertaining, often campy Count Dracula movies.
7) Hotel Transylvania
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 animated movie about a hotel for monsters, run by none other than Count Dracula (Adam Sandler) himself. The film has a star-studded cast that includes Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, and even Selena Gomez. Humans are not allowed inside Transylvania because humans are evil, at least according to the monsters we meet. Count Dracula is especially wary of the species, making him very protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis. Things go haywire when a dorky-looking red-headed human named Johnny makes his way to the hotel. Suddenly, the Count must do everything in his power to stop Mavis from falling in love with him. The film takes a unique approach to Count Dracula. He is not shown as the vicious, powerful monster. Instead, he is a doting dad who will do anything to protect his daughter.
6) Dracula Untold
Featuring Luke Evans in the titular role, Dracula Untold is more of an action film than a horror one. It bombed miserably in theaters and has a 25% Rotten Tomatoes score. So why is it on this list? Because this 2014 movie, directed by Gary Shore, actually makes for a decent watch, once you forget that this is a Count Dracula film. This movie gave us Vlad, the Dracula, which is the best thing since Abraham Lincoln, the vampire hunter. Of course, it’s not historically accurate. Vlad the Impaler wasn’t a vampire, as far as we know anyway. Most people’s gripe with this film is that it messed with a historical figure and tried to turn one of the OG monsters of lore into a pitiable character. But if you’re able to suspend disbelief for 90 minutes, you may just find this movie more enjoyable than you expect.
5) Van Helsing
Directed by Stephen Sommers, Van Helsing was released in 2004 and features Hugh Jackman in the titular role. Gabriel Van Helsing, the monster hunter, is recruited to go to Transylvania to foil the plans of Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) himself. While the Count is involved in some dark research involving a werewolf and Dr. Frankenstein’s notes, Van must do everything in his power to save the last survivor of an ancient Romanian family. The CGI isn’t great, and the writing could be better, but this was never supposed to earn an Oscar nomination. In fact, it’s great at what it set out to do — deliver a campy, gothic tale full of OG monsters.
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4) Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Of course, no list about the greatest Nosferatu appearances on screen can be considered complete if it doesn’t mention Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Released way back in 1992, this is one of the classics. It’s where nearly all monster movies that followed draw inspiration from. The film had a star-studded cast, featuring the likes of Winona Ryder as Mina Harker or Elisabeta, Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker, Anthony Hopkins as Abraham Van Helsing, and Monica Bellucci as Dracula’s second bride. Everything about the film is iconic — its gothic aesthetic, incredible set design, and impeccable costumes that would win the creators an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. The plot follows Count Dracula, enraged due to the death of Elisabeta, as he swears to get his vengeance, except he quickly falls for Mina, believing her to be the reincarnation of Elisabeta.
3) Renfield
Did you know that the legendary Nicolas Cage played Count Dracula in a movie? Released in 2023, the film is directed by Chris McKay, who also directed The LEGO Batman Movie. For fans of monster movies and gore, this horror action comedy is a must-watch. It follows Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), the tortured familiar and servant of Count Dracula, as he embarks on a journey to find if there’s a life beyond his master’s shadow. Nicholas Cage plays an obsessive, funny, and narcissistic boss who drives Renfield insane with his demands. The film has just the right bit of camp, impeccable comedic timing, and lots of gore.
2) Dracula 2000
This one’s the lowest-rated film on this list. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 19%, Dracula 2000 features Gerard Butler as Count Dracula. Fittingly released in 2000, this rendition of Dracula’s narrative is campy to its core. In this film, Butler plays a seductive and mysterious Count. He is accompanied by none other than a young Jonny Lee Miller, of Elementary fame, as Simon Sheppard. Directed by Patrick Lussier, the film takes a novel approach to Dracula’s origin. He is depicted as the reincarnation of Judas, yes, THE Judas, who, driven by guilt, had taken his own life. Overall, Dracula 2000 is an enjoyable monster movie, despite it nearly winning the 2000 Stinker Award for The Remake or Sequel Nobody Was Clamoring For.
1) Blade: Trinity
So bad it’s actually pretty good, Blade: Trinity is a 2004 superhero horror film directed by David S. Goyer. The film follows the adventures of OP vigilante, Blade, who is played by none other than Wesley Snipes. We meet Blade, who has been fighting vampires for a while, when he gets framed for murder and captured by the FBI. Meanwhile, the vampires succeed in waking Dracula, aka Drake (Dominic Purcell). To defeat the powerful monster, he must join hands with Nightstalkers, a group of vampire hunters. He teams up with Ryan Reynolds as Hannibal King and Jessica Biel as Abigail Whistler, the daughter of his mentor. Even Triple H plays a supporting role in the star-studded film. While it may have flopped commercially and critically, it does serve as a satisfying conclusion to the Blade trilogy. The action scenes are pretty cool to watch, and Purcell makes for a formidable Dracula, domineering in both personality and physique.
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