Highlights
- Nosferatu , the first vampire movie, influenced future vampire films and characters.
- Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) is a modern adaptation with sound and color.
- What We Do in the Shadows (2014) is a comedic take on the vampire genre.
The first vampire movie, released all the way back in the early 1920s, was loosely based on Bram Stoker's Dracula, but took the eponymous vampiric Count and transformed him into the terrifying Count Orlok. Nosferatu unsettled audiences at the time, relying on images to belay terror, as movies were silent during this era. It was undoubtedly influential in other vampire movies, inspiring Barlow from Salem's Lot, and even Petyr from What We Do in the Shadows.
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A product of its time through and through, the silent movie genre can be off-putting to an audience used to sound, which has become important, especially in the horror genre. There have been more modern versions of the movie Vampire to make it more palatable, such as a version that played songs by the moody metal band Type O Negative, and even a brand-new Nosferatu made in the 70s, but now fans are being treated to a full modern remake from Robert Eggers of The VVitch and The Lighthouse fame. While patiently awaiting the 2024 release of Nosferatu, here are some other movies to slake peoples' thirst.
7 Nosferatu The Vampyre
A Homage To The Original Flick
Release Year | 1979 |
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Director | Werner Herzog |
Years after the original 1922 movie, German director Werner Herzog decided to put his own spin on the classic black and white silent movie, resulting in Nosferatu the Vampyre, complete with sound and color. It is more or less a faithful remake of the original movie, which was itself a retelling of the original novel.
There are differences, with Count Orlok referred to as Count Dracula, and full audio, a relief to those who are not used to silent movies. Fans of either the original movie or the novels it was based on, or those looking to sink their teeth into their first classic vampire movie, would be remiss to not watch Nosferatu the Vampyre.
6 What We Do In The Shadows
A Comedic Take On The Vampire Genre
Release Year | 2014 |
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Director | Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement |
Vampire movies normally delve into genres such as horror or drama, providing gritty, somber, and serious storylines for viewers to immerse themselves in. However, such plots aren't for everyone, and viewers may prefer a side of levity along with their creatures of the night.
Irreverent Vampire Comedies With Bite
Who said vampire movies need to be scary? These hilarious vampire comedies are brimming with quirky humor and choose to swap fear for good laughs.
This is exactly what What We Do in the Shadows provides, a comedy mockumentary following the nightly lives of vampire housemates "unliving" together. They find themselves embroiled in somewhat pedestrian antics, like readying themselves for a night out, with hilarious outcomes. Not to mention, the vampire Petyr is a clear parody of Count Orlok with his two pointy front teeth, bald head, and pointy ears. What's more, there is even a multi-series television show for those who can't get enough of the hilarity this movie provides.
5 Bram Stoker's Dracula
A Dark And Gothic Adaptation
Release Year | 1992 |
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Director | Francis Ford Coppola |
Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 Dracula movie may not be the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, with more than a few deviations from the source material, but none can deny that it is one of the most lauded Dracula movies of all time. With big stars such as Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, and Winona Ryder making up the main cast, Bram Stoker's Dracula was an excellent and palatable gothic tale of romance and horror.
The in-depth glimpse of Mina and Johnathan's love, the peek behind the curtain to see how Dracula became a vampire, and the allusion to reincarnated loves are all boldly new but welcome additions to the Dracula mythos. Those looking for an all-around excellent vampire movie cannot afford to miss this one.
4 Shadow Of The Vampire
A Meta-Movie About Shooting Nosferatu
Release Year | 2000 |
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Director | E. Elias Merhige |
Nosferatu 2024 won't be Willem Dafoe's first foray into the world of vampires. In the year 2000, he starred in a movie called Shadow of the Vampire, a meta-movie that tells the tale of a studio making the movie Nosferatu, with Dafoe portraying Count Orlok's actor, Max Schreck. Max only appears in full makeup and costume, and only films at night to immerse himself in the role, but strange occurrences happen when they start shooting on location, all culminating in a shocking reveal.
The plot of the movie is clever and unique, and Dafoe's performance is nothing short of excellent. It gives viewers a fantastical glimpse into movie production, all the while telling a tale of gothic terror.
3 The Lighthouse
Witness The Prior Collaboration Between Willem Dafoe And Robert Eggers
Release Year | 2019 |
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Director | Robert Eggers |
Willem Dafoe and Robert Eggers worked together before the latest iteration of Nosferatu, in the black-and-white surreal horror The Lighthouse. In this movie, two lighthouse workers are stranded on an island lighthouse and witness some truly bizarre events that throw the characters' sanity into question.
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The two leads, expertly played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, make up pretty much the whole cast, and yet still manage to carry an intriguing plot that will continue to surprise the audience. Though there are no fanged creatures to be found in this movie, it is still a great introduction to the visionary behind Nosferatu and one of the upcoming film's leading actors.
2 Salem's Lot
A Vampiric Classic Beloved By Countless Fans
Release Year | 1979 |
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Director | Tobe Hooper |
Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, Salem's Lot is a two-part television miniseries that brought the novel to life, providing ample screentime to do the story justice. It proved popular among horror fans, becoming one of the most loved vampire movies of all time. Scenes such as the awakening of Kurt Barlow, and the vampire children floating outside of windows, have cemented themselves in the minds of viewers for years, haunting their nightmares to this day.
Salem's Lot is another vampire movie that is receiving a more up-to-date adaptation, which only provides another reason for people to watch this version first and experience the vision that has terrified and thrilled millions.
1 Nosferatu
Experience The Classic
Release Year | 1922 |
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Director | F. W. Murnau |
The most obvious movie that is a must-watch before Nosferatu 2024 is the black-and-white classic dating way back to the 1920s. The original movie startled audiences back in the day and even received a ban in countries like Sweden and Germany. In more modern times, it's considered tame in terms of horror but is still a must-watch classic for fans of vampires as well as horror movie aficionados.
Inspiring countless other vampire movies and characters, Nosferatu eventually led to the creation of many modern horror films, and horror fans should watch it just to witness the first vampire movie ever made. It is available to stream for free on a variety of platforms, including YouTube, thanks to it being part of the public domain, so nobody has an excuse not to watch it.
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