Vampires are some of thebest monsters in moviesand TV shows and the most popular. While they’re terrifying and bloodthirsty in most media, the past several decades have delved into the magnetic and seductive qualities of the creatures that much of the original writings about vampires are in conversation with.There are many ways to interpret the popularity of vampires in media,as they’re typically used as a metaphor for a taboo subject or hidden desires. This forbidden nature has made vampires the perfect romantic leads for many contemporary series and films.
However, the best vampire TV shows aren’t just about romance or horror. They go deeper and attempt to comment on the larger nature of the world and what it means to be human. Themost powerful vampires in movies and TVare so fearsome and iconic because the stories they inhabit are so vivid and lend themselves to imaginative world-building. Whether they’re the hero, the villain, or inhabit the murky gray area in between,vampires capture the hearts and minds of the audience and let viewers escape into the mystical world of the blood-sucking creatures.
Midnight Mass
Cast
Created and directed by Mike Flanagan, Midnight Mass follows the residents of an isolated fishing community whose lives are changed by the sudden appearance of a charismatic new priest, Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater). The residents of Crockett Island struggle to eke out a meager living, just barely surviving off the mainland, but the appearance of Hill changes everything. Attendance at the local church is at an all-time high, but cynical ex-con Riley Flynn doesn’t trust the priest, and sets out to uncover his dark secret.
Mike Flanagan, the mind behind many of the most popular horror TV shows of the past several years, is the creator ofMidnight Mass,a vampire story that’s as much about religion as it is about the supernatural.Strang occurrences begin in a small town when a priest, Father Paul (Hamish Linklater), arrives and changes the resident’s feelings toward their faith. Slowly, the mystery is unraveled, and vampires, angels, and similar otherworldly entities are revealed to be behind the unsettling events.
Midnight Massstands apart as both a compelling thriller and an expansion of how audiences grapple with the violence and legacy of vampires onscreen.
Midnight Masshas drawn comparisons toSalem’s Lot, the novel by Stephen King that has received several screen adaptations. However,Midnight Massstands apart as both a compelling thriller and an expansion of how audiences grapple with the violence and legacy of vampires onscreen.Midnight Massexplores how easy it is to mistake a vampire for an angeland that the intense desire for a miracle can sometimes push people to do things they never thought themselves capable of. The intensity and tragedy ofMidnight Massfall in line with the vampire stories of the past.
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the strain
Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Stoll), the head of Center for Disease Control Canary team, and his colleagues are tasked with investigating a viral outbreak in New York that has the characteristics of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. The Strain was created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan and stars Corey Stoll, David Bradley, and Kevin Durand.
The Straintreats vampirism more as a post-apocalyptic or contagion narrativerather than a supernatural story, but this doesn’t make the series any less interesting. Featuring contributions from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro,The Strainis a well-crafted horror story that translates the age-old fears surrounding vampires to the anxieties of the modern day. Using the vampire disease as both a supposed cure for weakness and a terrifying new ailment,The Strainweaves a complex story.
It’s clear throughout the seasons thatThe Strainenjoys paying homage to both classical vampire stories and modern science-oriented shows.Blending science with the supernatural can be a tricky balance to strike, butThe Strainmanages to make both sides of the vampire storyline believable. Additionally, vampires aren’t the only threat the heroes face, as conspiracies and corruption make it difficult to move forward in the fight against the spreading illness.
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A Discovery of Witches
Beginning in 2018, A Discovery of Witches is a Fantasy television series that ran for three seasons until 2022. The series stars Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode and revolves around a vampire and a witch that must work together to defeat all manner or magical creatures.
Vampires and witches might be sworn enemies in the universe ofA Discovery of Witches, but that doesn’t stop Matthew (Matthew Goode) and Diana (Teresa Palmer) from falling in love in the series. Deborah Harkness’sAll Soulstrilogy serves as the inspiration forA Discovery of Witches, which shows a very different side of vampires than audiences might be used to.Matthew, in particular, as the show’s main vampire, is a cool and collected individual, betraying little of the bloodlust and passion that usually defines vampires.
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However, Matthew still manages to bring out the suppressed magic and intensity within Diana, a witch who embarks on a journey to preserve both magic and the creatures of the world.The chemistry between Goode and Palmer makesA Discovery of Witchesas good an addition to the romance genreas it is to the vampire, but they’re only one piece of the narrative’s larger tapestry. With intricate lore and time-bending plot lines,A Discovery of Witchesmoves quickly and gives its vampires plenty of opportunities to show their humanity.
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Castlevania
Based on the video game franchise, Castlevania is a Netflix original animated action series that follows the never-ending battle of the monster-slaying Belmont clan as they continue to face off against the hordes of the night. When Count Dracula’s human wife is murdered, his grief leads him to doom the world to eternal darkness. To stop him, it’ll take a team of three unlikely heroes banding together: the last remaining Belmont, Trevor, a magic-wielding seeker named Sypha Belnades, and the tortured half-human, half-vampire son of the count himself, Alucard.
Castlevaniahas some of the best action sequences of any vampire TV show,animated or not, and this is part of the reason the show has such a positive legacy. Based on the video game series,Castlevaniagoes above and beyond in its storytelling and visuals, bringing new life to the familiar story of the famous vampire Dracula. In the wake of his grief, Dracula curses humanity to a terrifying existence and is, in turn, hunted by his own son.
While Dracula is an enduring part ofCastlevania, the series also expands beyond this storyline and explores different heroes and villains within its fictional world.The voice acting was consistently highlighted as a standout aspect of the show,asCastlevaniadoesn’t just rely on violence and spectacle to keep the viewer entertained. The reason the action sequences and bloody vampiric battles are so compelling is because they add emotional weight to the stakes of the fights, tying the characters' development to the fate of the universe.
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The Vampire Diaries
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
Of all the supernatural teen dramas on television,The Vampire Diarieshas the most fun with its sometimes melodramatic but always entertaining storylines. Following the love triangle between the human Elena (Nina Dobrev) and the vampire brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder),The Vampire Diariestakes many twists and turns throughout the seasons.Each installment introduces many new creatures and magicsfor the characters to battle. While the mystical elements are what draw viewers in, the interpersonal dynamics keep audiences coming back.
While movies likeTwilightmight have brought the teen vampire heartthrob to the mainstream,The Vampire Diariesperfected this archetype.
The Vampire Diariesis one of thebest romance TV shows based on books, with the love stories in the plot often taking center stage. While movies likeTwilightmight have brought the teen vampire heartthrob to the mainstream,The Vampire Diariesperfected this archetype. The series made the vampiric love interests as dangerous as they were desirable. ThoughThe Vampire Diariesreceived two spinoffs,The OriginalsandLegacies,the original show remains the best installment of the franchise.
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What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows, released in 2019, is a mockumentary series exploring the nightly lives of a group of centuries-old vampires residing in Staten Island. The comedic show delves into their interactions with each other and the modern world, providing a humorous take on the vampire genre.
Serious and dark works of horror and social commentary usually populate the vampire genre. However,the comedic mockumentary style ofWhat We Do in the Shadowsis a refreshing change of pace.The show is based on the 2014 film of the same name, and the comedy series has been hailed as a classic work of satirical television and has maintained positive critical and audience ratings through its final season. The chemistry and dynamic between the vampires who live together in the house is a large part of what has sustained the story.
What We Do in the Shadowsincorporates some horror elements within the series, but these are mostly played for laughs and to show how different vampires really are from people’s perception of them. The show’s conceit is thatvampires behave just as inanely and frustratingly as humansand aren’t the distant mythical beings that most media makes them out to be. In trying out different aspects of human life, the vampires find themselves in hilarious and unexpected situations.
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true blood
True Blood is a horror/fantasy drama series created by Alan Ball and starring Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, and Alexander Skarsgård. The series follows the life of Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress with telepathic powers that lives in a fictional town in Louisiana. In this town, a new synthetic “drug” has allowed vampires to escape their coffins and roam amongst the living.
Though the final season ofTrue Bloodwas disappointing, this doesn’t take away from how influential and important the series' legacy has been to television.True Bloodwas a paragon of subversive storytelling and wasn’t afraid to take on plot lines even more taboo than vampirism. Since it tackled frank discussions of sexual liberation, sexuality, racism, and violence, there was little thatTrue Blooddidn’t touch upon throughout its seven seasons. Set in Louisiana,True Bloodsuccessfully modernized and embodied the Southern Gothic genre.
Much ofTrue Bloodfocuses on the dichotomy between the vampires and humans, and the vampires struggle to be treated equally in society.
Much ofTrue Bloodfocuses on the dichotomy between the vampires and humans, and the vampires struggle to be treated equally in society. This draws clear comparisons to any of the social movements in the U.S. throughout history but is most frequently compared to LGBTQ+ activism.Anna Paquin’s portrayal of the protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse, is frequently highlighted as one of the best partsof the series. She serves as a compelling hero the story can always return to as it touches upon large and important topics.
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Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s novel series that began in 1976, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror fantasy series that explores the life of Louis de Pointe du Lac through an interview with a journalist. Told through flashbacks of Louis' life during the interview, the series examines Louis' relationship with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt, and a teenage girl named Claudia, whom he turns. The series is the first of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe media franchise.
Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name,the recent adaptation ofInterview with the Vampirefor television has proved more than worthy of taking on the iconic gothic tale.Following the story of Louis (Jacob Anderson), a man whose life is transformed when he’s made into a vampire by the manipulative Lestat (Sam Reid),Interview with the Vampireis told in flashback as Louis recounts his life to a journalist in the present as a cautionary tale.
Interview with the Vampireexplores the intertwined history of LGBTQ+ identities and vampirism,as the feelings of isolation and the need to suppress urges make vampire tales an easy allegory for the queer experience. However,Interview with the Vampiredoesn’t stop there, as the series also tackles Louis' experiences as a Black man throughout American history and the power dynamic between him and Lestat.Interview with the Vampirenever wastes an opportunity to go deeper in its storytelling and thematic purpose.
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Angel
A spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel is a drama series with supernatural elements that stars David Boreanaz, reprising his role as the titular vampire. An immortal cursed with his human soul returning to his body, which makes him susceptible to human emotions such as remorse. Angel lives in Los Angeles as a private detective, seeking redemption for his murderous past as a vicious warlord. Angel will face threats such as humans and demons that rival his own cruel potential as he ventures to help those in need.
When David Boreanaz leftBuffy The Vampire Slayer, it was a devastating moment for Angel, as he left behind his true love. However, the inception ofAngelas a spinoff was a stroke of genius, as the show had the opportunity to center a vampire as a protagonist and delve even further into the magic of the series.Set in Los Angeles,Angelsees the titular character and his new team of monster huntersas they attempt to rid the city of demons and the forces of darkness, taking on a more mature edge thanBuffy’s early seasons.
Angelhad its ups and downs, but season 5 of the series is considered one of the best pieces of television of the era.
Angelis aspinoff TV show darker than the originalcontent it’s based on sinceBuffygoes deep, butAngelisn’t afraid to go without silver linings.Angelhad its ups and downs, but season 5 of the series is considered one of the best pieces of television of the era. Though plenty of shows have centered a vampire as a protagonist or central character,Angel is treated as a fully-fledged character who undergoes intense development throughout the seriesand can demonstrate the many facets of vampirism in media.
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Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
Buffy The Vampire Slayerwill likely never be unseated as the best vampire TV show of all time. The supernatural teen drama series might have begun as a darker twist on the classic high school show, but it was always much deeper and richer than that. For seven seasons,Buffy The Vampire Slayerpushed the boundaries of network television and balanced its comedic tone with intense subject matterand amazing character development. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s performance as Buffy anchors the story, but each character in the show is memorable and compelling.
Every vampire show uses vampires and magic as metaphors for larger real-life issues, but few do this as well asBuffy.Throughout the narrative, Buffy grapples with her coming-of-age and desire to have a normal lifewhile bearing the burden of being the chosen one. Despite its warm and comedic moments,Buffydeals with high philosophical questions about the nature of good and evil and takes itself seriously while making every episode enjoyable. The lore and magic system thatBuffy The Vampire Slayeruses has become synonymous with the vampire canon to this day.
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