10 Action Vampires Movies To Watch Before Morbius

Despite its many delays, Morbius has fans excited to see how Sony and Marvel deliver on another one of Marvel’s darkest heroes. Morbius seems to be harking back to a time when vampires were action-packed spectacles, especially in the early to mid-2000s, including Marvel’s very own Blade.

As a result, now is the perfect time to reflect back on the plethora of vampiric action films of the past. Whether it’s humans versus vampires or vampires fighting other vampires, these action-filled vampire films all bring something different to the table much like Morbius seems to be doing.

Daybreakers (2009) – Stream On AMC+

In a clever twist on vampire stories, Daybreakers shows what could happen if vampires took over the world entirely. The result is a worldwide shortage of blood that makes them desperate, showing that human problems carry over to vampirism but in a new form.

The action is not as heavy in Daybreakers but when it starts going, it’s both familiar and fresh. It has the vampires turning into fiery ash straight out of Blade movies, but done in a more grounded action style. Combined with some social commentary, Daybreakers makes for one of the more underrated vampire films.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) – Stream On Amazon Prime

It’s obvious from the title alone that this movie is not trying to elevate the vampire subgenre to new heights. Instead, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a flashy action-packed period piece that plays on real-world events with a supernatural twist to make things slightly more interesting.

Much like the graphic novel that it is based on, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter embraces its ridiculous plot. However, the dedicated cast and stylistic action that Timur Bekmambetov is known for leads to a dark and gritty film that utilizes its concept in just the right way to keep it from being just as silly as its title may suggest.

Underworld (2003) – Stream On AMC+

Capitalizing on the trend of monochromatic supernatural thrillers at the time, Underworld was one of the more successful films. Vampires battling werewolf-like creatures known as Lycans in a modern age was the right concept that turned Underworld into an urban goth cult classic.

From Bill Nighy’s performance as the evil Victor to Kate Beckinsale owning the screen in one of her best movies as Selene, throw in some unique lore and history about the two monstrous factions, and it’s 2000s action-horror at its finest.

Underworld: Evolution (2006) – Available To Rent On Amazon

Like any good sequel should, Underworld: Awakening took what was loved about the first film and dialed it up to the maximum. With the same director, cast, and crew back for this sequel, it could have easily been a rehash but instead, Len Wiseman expanded the lore even more.

Kate Beckinsale is even better as Selene here, but the inclusion of Marcus made for a villain that was arguably superior to Victor. The action is bigger and the plot, though a bit convoluted, brings the Underworld series to new heights that the series never quite reached again.

Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans (2009) – Available To Rent On Amazon

Though following sequels would end up disappointing and turn into what are basically live-action video games, the prequel helped tie things as a solid trilogy for the Underworld franchise. How did the neverending war between the vampires and the Lycans start? This movie gives fans the answer.

It does suffer from the usual prequel-itis symptom of being predictable since the audience already knows how certain events are going to play out. However, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy’s performances as Lucien and Victor carry the film, along with some of the most epic battles of the series.

Blood Red Sky (2021) – Stream On Netflix

This international film takes a concept seen countless times: a threat happens on a plane and a single hero saves the day. The twist here is that the hero happens to be a bloodthirsty vampire who uses her thirst to kill the foes. Like many airplane thrillers of the past, Blood Red Sky manages to keep the action claustrophobic which enhances the tension.

Each encounter with the terrorists usually ends in some brutal and bloody kills. At the same time, there are flashbacks to show how the woman was afflicted with her vampirism. It’s dark, bleak, and even a little depressing, but it throws a great twist into a tired format, making for some thrilling action on the plane.

Van Helsing (2004) – Stream On Starz

From Stephen Sommers, who also directed The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing was his attempt to branch out to other classic monsters. This time, he went all out with the Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster, and, of course, Dracula.

Van Helsing puts the classic monsters into a more epic dark fantasy, with the titular hero portrayed more as a professional monster hunter. It’s silly and it’s over the top, but it takes full advantage of its monsters to create a fun adventure that’s reminiscent of Castlevania games.

Dracula Untold (2014) – Stream On DIRECTV

What was originally going to be the start of Universal’s failed shared universe known as the Dark Universe, Dracula Untold tells a more action-packed but tragic origin of the monster. Sadly, Dracula Untold did not perform well and was erased from Dark Universe plans.

Since then, it has gained a cult following for the darkness and tragedy that defines the character of Dracula, while creating a supernatural war film. It’s unlike any other Dracula film, with Luke Evans shining as the anti-hero. Many have also pointed out how Dracula Untold also seemingly takes inspiration from Castlevania.

Blade (1998) – Stream On Tubi

Many forget that Blade was the movie that helped Marvel get its start on the journey to become the multi-billion dollar juggernaut that it is today. Before Spider-Man, before X-Men, Blade was the surprise hit that delivered a fast-paced gritty vampire film and revamped the dying superhero subgenre.

From the hard R-rating, which it earns through lots of blood and violence and its iconic action sequences to Wesley Snipes’ iconic portrayal of the Daywalker in one of his best movies, the movie was so beloved that even the comics changed Blade to be more like his movie counterpart.

Blade II (2002) – Stream On Tubi

Guillermo Del Toro took over for the sequel and this is a case where bigger is indeed better. Blade II further expands on the lore of vampires by showcasing different sects and how their world operates. Blade even teams up with a group of vampires to face a new vampiric threat known as the Reapers.

Wesley Snipes continued to excel as Marvel’s dark hero, while Del Toro delivered even more action, still retaining the visceral blood-filled vampiric content that made the first movie so famous. Blade II even features an arguably better villain in the form of Jared Nomak, through whom Luke Goss steals the show.

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