Six Definitive Films: The ultimate beginner’s guide to lesbian vampires
The horror genre has always been so unique because of its endless potential. With infinitely many offshoots and subgenres, great filmmakers can create astonishingly innovative projects while working within the frameworks of the genre. On this occasion, we have chosen to focus on one of the most exciting subgenres of erotic horror cinema – lesbian vampire movies.
Originating from mythological sources about vampires, which always had sexual connotations, the lesbian vampire movies of the 20th century beautifully subverted society’s heteronormative structures. While the depictions of female vampires in the Victorian era were misogynistic attacks against female agency, these films re-conceptualised the political ontology of lesbian vampires.
In a heteronormative society with strict moral codes, being a lesbian vampire is a two-pronged attack against oppressive social values. There are many popular examples of this trope within film and television, but we have highlighted the important cinematic works that have influenced the development of the subgenre.
Check out the full list below.
Six definitive lesbian vampire films:
Dracula’s Daughter (Lambert Hillyer, 1936)
One of the first films to tackle the subject of lesbianism, Dracula’s Daughter focuses on the eponymous character’s offspring, who has the same condition as her father. To free herself from his patriarchal control, she decides to destroy his body.
The censor boards noticed the lesbian subtext of the film, but it still managed to slip past them and create film history. Although it was a first for cinema, the presentation of homosexuality within the film resulted from various prejudices and negative biases.
Blood and Roses (Roger Vadim, 1960)
A bonafide erotic horror cult classic, Blood and Roses improved on the groundwork laid by previous additions to the subgenre. An adaptation of the seminal novella Camilla, the film re-contextualised the story within 20th century Italy.
It tells the story of a young woman distressed by her friend’s engagement with her cousin. After venturing into the tomb of her vampire ancestor, she becomes possessed by an uncontrollable desire for blood and sex.
Vampyros Lesbos (Jesús Franco, 1971)
While many films treat the lesbian vampire trope in a tangential manner, Vampyros Lesbos is much more focused, as the title suggests. A solid exploitation flick by Jesús Franco, it revolves around an American woman who has strange, erotic dreams.
She sees visions of a seductive vampire feasting on her blood in her dreams, but she discards them as bizarre fantasies. That is until she travels to an island for work, where she faces the woman who haunts her dreams.
Daughters of Darkness (Harry Kümel, 1971)
Cited by some as the first horror film produced in Belgium, Harry Kümel’s 1971 work is remarkable for several reasons. Loosely based on the extensive mythology about the alleged serial murders committed by Elizabeth Bathory, Daughters of Darkness is a wild ride.
It follows a newlywed couple who arrive at a grand hotel where they meet a mysterious countess. However, the hotel owner complicates things by insisting that he had seen the woman 40 years ago in the very same establishment.
The Blood Spattered Bride (Vicente Aranda, 1972)
A Spanish cult classic by Vicente Aranda, The Blood Spattered Bride, is a proper lesbian vampire film because of its progressive views. An attack against fascist politics and the patriarchy, this 1972 cult classic is remembered for all the right reasons.
While some entries in the genre exploited the trope for its shock value, The Blood Spattered Bride pushes forward subversive ideas about gender and sexuality. It is an allegorical masterpiece about a newly married woman who embarks on a violent spree.
The Hunger (Tony Scott, 1983)
Starring the likes of David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve, The Hunger is probably among the most popular lesbian vampire films ever. Susan Sarandon stars as a researcher on human ageing who enters into a love triangle with a vampire couple (Bowie and Deneuve).
Although it’s not a strictly lesbian vampire flick, the film is notable because its conceptualisation of sexuality is refreshingly fluid. While talking about the film, Bowie commented: “the first twenty minutes rattle along like hell – it really is a great opening”.
