incredible vampire acting performances, but also groundbreaking writing and design. These stories have begun to chart new paths for the vampire genre, taking a monster well-known by many and putting vampire characters into fresh situations.

The 2020s aren't the only years full of great vampire media, making great changes to a long-beloved genre. The 2000s were full of underrated vampire classics, but the biggest changes seem to have come in more recent years. These changes are most evident in the stories being told, as most vampire media in the past have either portrayed them as static monsters or romantic leads.

10 Boys From County Hell (2020)

This Movie Turns Dracula Into A Local Legend

Set in the fictional town of Six Mile Hill, Boys from County Hell poses the intriguing idea that Bram Stoker's iconic Dracula was not an original creation, but was rather based on a local legend. This legend, detailing the terrifying Abhartach and its quest for blood, states that the only thing holding this monster back is a local cairn, or rather, a stone burial mound. When a construction company destroys this cairn, it inevitably unleashes the Abhartach.

Not only does this film take the original Dracula legend and turn it into something deeply Irish, but it does so while employing a fair bit of comedy in the process. Boys from County Hell is funny, something that few horror movies and even fewer vampire films delve into. It offers a fresh look at the vampire legend, bringing it to a new culture.

9 Renfield (2023)

Cage's Dracula Performance Is Iconic

Once again taking inspiration from Bram Stoker's original Dracula, Renfield takes the unique approach of focusing on Dracula's servant, the titular Renfield, as opposed to the vampire himself. The movie takes place in the modern day and shows Renfield's life, bringing victims to Dracula for him to eat. However, as the movie progresses, Renfield slowly becomes more self-reliant before pulling away from Dracula entirely.

Here, Dracula is portrayed as the perfect villain, played to perfection by the iconic Nicolas Cage. There is a fair bit of comedy in this film as well, and it is effective in its portrayal of Dracula and Renfield (played by Nosferatu star Nicholas Hoult) in an abusive back-and-forth relationship. This showcases a side of the characters that isn't often explored, offering more personal testimonials between the action and adventure of the film.

8 Abigail (2024)

This Horror Comedy Stars A Child Vampire

With the 2020s also being the years of the promising subgenre of vampire horror-comedy, Abigail is another noteworthy addition to the reinvigoration of vampire storytelling. This film follows a group of bounty hunters who end up kidnapping someone who they think is the daughter of a very rich man. However, they soon realize that they have been tricked, as the little girl is not a little girl at all, but rather a hungry vampire.

Abigail was originally meant to be an adaptation of the 1936 film Dracula's Daughter.

Child vampires are something that has been explored before in projects such as Let the Right One In and Interview with the Vampire. However, these depictions of physically young vampires often do so through a philosophical lens. As opposed to this, Abigail revels in the violence of the film, opting to have fun with its premise instead of waxing poetic about life and death.

7 Day Shift (2022)

Another Action-Packed Vampire Film

Featuring an all-star cast including Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and Snoop Dogg, Day Shift is an action film revolving around the act of hunting vampires. The film is about Bud Jablonski, a man who makes a living by hunting vampires by pretending to be an average pool cleaner. He does this for the relatable reasons of paying tuition for his daughter's schooling as well as taking care of his debts, something that leads him to bigger and bigger jobs.

Action is a version of vampire fiction that was popular in the past decades, but is only seeing another resurgence now, made even more interesting by the fact this film is a vampire movie taking place mostly during the day. Day Shift is filled to the brim with glorious action, and the film's creative ties to John Wick are clear to see. For anyone looking for an action-packed adventure, Day Shift is the perfect choice.

6 Dracula (2020)

Netflix's Miniseries Reimagined Bram Stoker's Dracula

Ironically considered one of the best Dracula movies of all time, Netflix's Dracula miniseries breathes new life into the legendary character. Beginning with a retelling of Bram Stoker's original story, the short three-episode series eventually progresses to the modern day, showing a new side of the character in an entirely new setting. This version of Dracula is confident, flamboyant, and revels in his powers even more than other depictions of the character.

The unashamed nature of this version of Dracula is one that adds something completely new to the character, making him a vampire unwilling to simply hide in the shadows. This is clear throughout every episode in the series, which puts the explicit focus on Dracula rather than the surrounding characters. Dracula is a fresh interpretation of the character, one that really shines a spotlight on his personal villainy.

5 Castlevania (2017-2020)

The Animated Series That Brought The Beloved Vampire Video Game To Life

Castlevania is an anime-style Netflix series made for adults depicting the fight between Dracula and iconic hero Trevor Belmont. The story begins when Dracula's wife is accused of being a witch and is burned at the stake, leading Dracula to condemn all of humanity, who he deems responsible for her death. It is up to Trevor to stop him, fighting demons and all manner of monsters alongside Dracula's son, Alucard, as well as the witch Sypha.

The fact that this series is animated adds another level of innovation to the vampire genre, arguably being one of the shows to herald the current boom in acclaimed adult animated TV. Most earlier animated vampire media is made for children, with Hotel Transylvania being one of the most notable. However, Castlevania and its subsequent series, Castlevania: Nocturne, prove that animated vampire media isn't always something that should just be made for kids.

4 What We Do In The Shadows (2019-2024)

This Parody Ushered In A New Era Of Vampire Comedy

Filmed as though it is a documentary, What We Do in the Shadows is a long-running series based on the original Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement film of the same name. It follows a group of vampires living in modern-day Long Island, showing the crazy antics they get up to in their day-to-day lives. Although it did not begin in the 2020s, What We Do in the Shadows has continued on as a staple of 2020s television.

The series is horror-comedy at its finest, taking a silly approach to depicting the world of vampires. Over the years, What We Do in the Shadows has created its own unique lore that parodies the worlds depicted in famous vampire media, including Dracula and Interview with the Vampire, among others. Now that What We Do in the Shadows has ended, it is perfect to binge-watch from beginning to end.

3 Midnight Mass (2021)

Another Netflix Miniseries Brings Horror To The Forefront

Taking place on an isolated island, Midnight Mass is a slow burn that, once it gets started, quickly devolves into gore-riddled madness. As a charismatic preacher revives faith in this small island town, things slowly begin to go wrong in what often feels like the most gruesome way possible. It is eventually revealed that this is because of the existence of vampires on the island.

One of the greatest things that Midnight Mass does is merge the d vampire premise with the concept of faith and religion. For decades, the vampire and religion have been diametrically opposed. However, Midnight Mass unites the two under one roof, breaking ground for the idea of the religious vampire. It's efforts in storytelling paid off, as Midnight Mass currently has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and won a Critics' Choice Super Award for Hamish Linklater's performance.

2 Nosferatu (2024)

This Vampire Remake Only Recently Released In Theaters

A brand-new film by horror expert Roger Eggers that was released on Christmas Day 2024, Nosferatu is a remake of the original 1922 silent film. It is another sort of adaptation of Bram Stoker's original story, but like the original, it takes its own liberties with the narrative to tell something completely new. 2024's Nosferatu does so while holding onto the horror of older vampire films, tying the genre to the gothic films of the past.

Nosferatu pays tribute to the films that came before, really diving into what might be the most horrific depiction of vampires in a long time. Without spoiling anything, it is beautiful, dark, and everything in between. It is worth seeing in theaters to immerse oneself in the scares and incredible aesthetic of the film on the big screen.

1 Interview With The Vampire (2022-)

A Vampire Adaptation Brings Subtext To The Foreground

Partially an adaptation of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles novels and partially a remake of the original Interview with the Vampire film, the Interview with the Vampire TV series follows narrator Louis de Pointe du Lac as he tells the story of how he became a vampire and what turns his life took after. Despite being primarily focused on the romance between main characters Louis and Lestat de Lioncourt, Interview with the Vampire is a show full of horrific moments. It is gothic horror and gothic romance at its finest and has a third season on its way.

One of the best things that Interview with the Vampire does for the vampire genre as a whole is it makes the queer subtext present in so many different examples of vampire media a blatant storyline. The relationship between Louis and Lestat is the focus, and nothing is left up to interpretation as it has been for many decades before. This makes Interview with the Vampire an important moment in the history of vampire horror, paving the way for the shows and films that will come after.