Ethan Hawke: scary movies “so close to comedies”
The cast of scary movie “The Black Phone” – including the film’s bad guy, Ethan Hawke – talk about their love for horror movies. (17 June)
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Dracula is an iconic dude in the monster hall of fame but if we’re being honest, he’s getting a little long in the tooth. (Don’t bite the messenger.)
Fortunately, a wave of new-school horror movies in recent years have been taking the vampire subgenre in different directions, from inclusive movies building out new mythologies full of bloodsuckers to tense thrillers with vamps on planes and submarines.
The latest of these is the Netflix action comedy “Day Shift” (premiering Friday), starring Jamie Foxx as a guy named Bud who hunts vampires in Southern California under the guise of a seemingly ordinary pool cleaning business.
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He does what he can to make ends meet and care for his daughter, but the situation gets dicey when Bud kills the wrong fanged lady and is targeted for death by a group of vamps looking to take over the San Fernando Valley.
“Day Shift” adds some fresh bits to the vampire legend with a villainous hierarchy and freaky fight skills. Here are nine other recent films you can stream right now that switch things up with this toothy crowd. (And no, we’re not including the superhero film “Morbius” because that just sucks.)
‘Bit’ (2019)
In the horror comedy, a transgender teen girl (Nicole Maines) moves from Oregon to Los Angeles and starts running with an empowered coven of queer vampires who live it up at night, fend off hunters and punish assorted fiends (plus vowing never to turn men).
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Tubi
‘Black as Night’ (2021)
Produced by horror guru Jason Blum, the chiller digs into the darker aspects of Black American history with the tale of a New Orleans teen (Asjha Cooper) who spends her summer hunting the vamps creating an army out of the disenfranchised.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
‘Blood Red Sky’ (2021)
A mom (Peri Baumeister) is traveling on a transatlantic overnight flight to America to meet doctors about her rare blood disease, a group of terrorists hijack the plane, and she goes full-on monster vamp to protect her son.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Blood Vessel’ (2020)
Not just an awesome title but a cool premise: In the 1945-set thriller, survivors from a destroyed hospital ship ditch their lifeboat when they discover an abandoned Nazi minesweeper. One guess as to what they find aboard, but mayhem obviously ensues.
Where to watch: Shudder, Tubi, Vudu
‘Jakob’s Wife’ (2021)
Fan-favorite scream queen Barbara Crampton rules the relationship drama with absurdist bite as the disenchanted spouse of a small-town minister who has a run-in with a vampire and embraces a new sense of power and ownership after being turned.
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‘Night Teeth’ (2021)
LA is ground zero for a secret war between rival vampire tribes and human protectors in this stylish thriller. And thrown in the middle is a chauffeur (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) tasked with driving two deadly women (Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry) around for the night.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Vampires vs. the Bronx’ (2020)
In the vein of “Lost Boys” and “Monster Squad,” the New York-set tale revolves around three young friends out to save the local bodega – as well as the Bronx – from ruthless gentrifying vamps (or “suckheads,” as the kids call them).
Where to watch: Netflix
‘A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night’ (2014)
Director Ana Lily Amirpour’s instant classic brings together noir style and #MeToo themes, with Sheila Vand as a music-loving, skateboarding vamp who metes out justice on men who prey on women in her Iranian town.
‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (2014)
Before you dip into the popular FX TV spinoff, check out the original mockumentary about a bunch of vampire buds (including Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi) living together and dealing with daily issues like roommate tiffs and nightclub-hopping.
Where to watch: On demand (Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon)
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