Summary
Typically, movies featuringvampiresportray the creature as an antagonist, whether it’s the main villain or a throwaway monster for the hero to fight. However, sporadically, vampires have been given the chance to shine as something more complex than a monster as the main protagonist.
Being the main protagonist doesn’t necessarily mean that the vampire is the hero, but it allows them to tell a story from their point of view. This has been explored in multiple film genres as well, from animated family films to dark and bloody action films, all of which explore vampirism in different ways.
Family-friendly entertainment is not what most expect from vampires, mummies, and werewolves, butHotel Transylvanianot only pulled it off but birthed a four-movie franchise. The original, created by famous animator Genndy Tartatovsky, crafted a fast-paced comedy about Dracula running a hotel sanctuary for monsters,including many famous Universal monstersand his daughter Maven.
Adam Sandler’s portrayal of Dracula is both silly and charming, appealing to fans who connect with his character as an overprotective father, especially as Maven starts to develop feelings for a human. Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez have great chemistry with Sandler’s Dracula, and the combination of witty and zany humor has undoubtedly contributed to the success of numerous sequels that honor and parody classic monster movies.
Before he was known for his dark fantasy blockbusters, Guillermo Del Toro debuted as a director withCronos. The word “vampire” is never uttered once in the film, but it is intended to be a unique take on a vampire nonetheless, with a strange scarab-like device thatgrants a humble man eternal lifeat the cost of thirsting for human blood.
Combining classical horror with then-modern pulp,Cronosfeatures all the signature elements still seen in Guillermo Del Toro’s movies today. For example, the main protagonist can be seen as the hero and the villain, showcasing the tragic nature of succumbing to vampirism.
In the late 90s and early 2000s, there was a surge in urban gothic monster movies with a saturation of blues and blacks. One of those movies wasUnderworld, which features leather-clad gun-wielding vampires going up againsta faction of werewolves known as Lycansin a secret war taking place in modern-day cities.
Although critics were not kind toUnderworld, the film became a massive hit at the box office and gained a devoted audience. Its success is attributed to its practical monster designs, intricate vampire lore, and memorable villains, particularly Bill Nighy’s Victor. Selene, portrayed by Kate Beckinsale, emerged as an iconic character as she battled both her kind and Lycans, utilizing her vampiric abilities and a range of signature weapons.
The firstUnderworldfilm serves as a solid introduction to the universe, whileUnderworld: Evolutiontakes it a step further. It features increased action, introducing new elements alongside familiar ones, and new threats that raise the stakes. Additionally, the film focuses on the development of Selene and Michael as the two leading characters, both of whom are immersed in action-packed sequences.
SinceUnderworld: Evolutionsmoothly picks up after the events of the first film, it is often regarded as a perfect companion piece. Some fans even consider it superior to the firstUnderworld,and part of that has to do with its villain, Marcus, and the dive into the mythology of the vampires and Lycans, showing a unique take that mixes sci-fi and dark fantasy.
Daybreakersis often praised for its unique twist ofshowing a post-apocalyptic worldwhere vampires have conquered Earth, but with humans being rare on Earth, they are suffering a shortage of blood. It’s ironic that even when humans become immortal beings, they still have to struggle with limited resources.
The story ofDaybreakersfollows a vampire scientist trying to solve the blood crisis but ends up joining a human resistance. Subverting expectations worked out well for the film, and it became a cult gem after flopping at the box office. Part of that is thanks to standout performances from Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, and the rest of the cast.
The Swedish horror filmLet The Right One Inhas been remade as an American film and television series, showing its impact on the vampire subgenre. It tells the story of two children, and one of them, a young girl named Eli, happens to be a vampire who slowly welcomes a boy into her life as a friend.
What makesLet The Right OneInso fascinating is the moral dilemma, where the audience wants this friendship to prevail, especially when Eli becomes protective of Oskar. However, befriending a vampire means a lot of bloodshed and that changes Oskar’s life forever, which is shown to be both good and bad, making it a more thought-provoking vampire movie than expected.
Based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name,Interview Withthe Vampirequickly became a hit because it told a different kind of vampire story. It shows a century of life lived out by Brad Pitt’s Louis de Pointe du Lac. There is no hero in the story per se, which helps show the dark and tragic immortal life of being a vampire.
Even though the main protagonist may be a better person than other vampires, he is still a flawed anti-hero.Interview With The Vampireshows that immortality is not easy, especially if the vampires don’t age, like with Claudia who was turned as a teenager. It also shows how evil one can become, such as with the famous Lestat played by Tom Cruise, showing his range as an actor.
Marvel superhero movies are common today,such as in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that wouldn’t be the case withoutBlade. It took a C-list superhero and revamped him in every way to be a stylish and modern vampire. It was also the beginning of the aforementioned urban fantasy action genre that later featured films likeUnderworld, asBladewas a huge hit that many blockbusters tried to replicate.
The titular superhero has become celebrated in many ways, thanks to Wesley Snipes not only performing the character well but also lending his own martial arts skills to fight scenes. It was dark, bloody, gory, and unlike any superhero or vampire film at the time, which led to it becoming a franchise and aided the creation of other Marvel films such asX-MenandSpider-Man.
When the Universal Monsters were attempting to create a shared cinematic universe in the same vein as Marvel, their first attempt wasDracula Untold. Rather than a villain, Luke Evans’ take on the Prince Of Darkness is a king who willingly takes on the curse of a powerful vampire to protect his people and family from invading forces.
Over the years,Dracula Untoldhas amassed a fanbase that appreciates the film for its epic action sequences that feelstraight out of aCastlevaniagameand the performance of Luke Evans as Vlad. With control over an army of bats, super strength, speed, senses, and more, it was the closest thing to a superhero Dracula fans ever got, making some wonder what the universe would have been like if it had not disappointed at the box office.
Swapping from Stephen Norrington to Gullermo Del Toro,Blade 2could have just repeated what worked prior, but instead, it has an entirely different plot. Blade has to ally with the vampires he normally hunts to fight a new strain of nocturnal monsters known as the Reapers and their leader, Jared Nomak. The return of Wesley Snipes further cemented him as the definitive version of the character.
Fans of the first film often praiseBlade 2for being on par with or sometimes superior to the first movie thanks to its bigger fight sequences that further embrace comic book-like fantasy while maintaining the bloody and gory style of the first film. Guillermo Del Toro shines once again,proving himself as a strong superhero director, hence why he would go on to directHellboy.
