Bram Stoker's immortal gothic masterpiece Dracula is one of the most adapted pieces of literature of all time. It has all the key ingredients for a perfect horror story such as a forbidden place of evil, beautiful love interests, spooky legends, and a horrifying monster waiting in the darkness to pick off the heroes one by one.
Many versions of the count have come and gone in the last century, but not all Draculas are created equal. While many will immediately think of Bella Lugosi in the 1930s adaptation, many others strike more true to the author's original vision.
Claes Bang (Dracula (2020))
BBC and Netflix's adaptation of Dracula was 100% not what most fans of the book were hoping for, taking more creative liberties than most on this list. However, there was one thing the series did do exceptionally well, and that was casting Claes Bang as the titular vampire.
Bang's appearance, performance, and portrayal of the count were almost sheer perfection. He practically already looks like a fusion of Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi, but his performance was a magic mix of seductiveness and malevolence that many vampire performers can only hope to achieve.
Max Schreck (Nosferatu (1922))
Max Schreck earns an honorary mention for his portrayal, namely because it was simply the first. Any seasoned fan of classic monster movies will know about the salty history behind Nosferatu, including the fact that it was literally the same plot as Stoker's novel, just with different names and titles.
Schreck was a pioneer for the horror genre, considered by many fans to be one of the first iconic monster actors that would inspire the likes of Boris Karloff and Doug Jones. He might not have been perfect, but he was definitely a trendsetter.
Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979))
After Schreck came Kinski, but with a more book-accurate adaptation. Though it was considered a remake of the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu The Vampyre was a contemporary attempt at a German expressionism film, but it also pulled more from the novel than its predecessor. Wildly underrated, it's one of the best horror films of the 1970s.
Trading in the English setting for a German one, the film follows the events of the novel save for one department. Kinski's Dracula, as he is addressed in the movie, is a direct homage to Count Orlock from the 1922 silent film. That being said, he is more like the count than Schreck's version, despite his looks.
Christopher Lee (The Horror Of Dracula (1958))
If there's one name that will forever be associated with Dracula, it's Christopher Lee. Lee essentially holds the record for playing the character more times than anyone in film, but it all began with Hammer's Horror of Dracula in 1958.
It leaves out a few passages from the novel here and there, but Christopher Lee's portrayal of the count is legendary—so legendary that he would do it for nearly every Dracula movie the studio would release. Elegant and evil, he set the bar for every version that followed.
Jack Palance (Dracula (1973)
Jack Palance might not be everyone's first choice for Dracula, but it's impossible to say his portrayal isn't memorable. The movie itself tries to be more accurate to the book than most, especially with its supporting cast of victims and monster slayers, but Palance is the special snowflake in the mix.
Palance's Dracula, while definitely pulling a healthy serving of inspiration from the book, is definitely the most over-the-top performance in the entire cast. This vampire might be a bit much, but it's certainly entertaining.
Bela Lugosi (Dracula (1931))
There's no getting away with a Dracula discussion without talking about the man who made the role an icon, Bela Lugosi. Inspired more by the stageplay than Stoker's original gothic novel, the Universal version was fueled by Lugosi's unforgettable performance as the count.
The role and performance were so famous and so tied to Lugosi that, as remembered by Grunge, he was buried in his famous cape. He was the version that all actors and imitators tried to replicate years later, and few deliver Stoker's gothic dialogue as perfectly as he did.
Frank Langella (Dracula (1979))
While it takes more from the book than most, the 1979 adaptation of Dracula feels more like a remake of the Universal version at times, but that might be thanks to Frank Langella's romanticized performance. It definitely feels like he learned a lot from the Lugosi version before slipping on the cape.
The movie is decently accurate, though at times it does feel like a Harlequin Romance interpretation. Even so, Langella is a solid Dracula, though it looks like he'd be more at home in a stage adaptation rather than a film.
Christopher Lee (Count Dracula (1969))
It's impossible not to have Christopher Lee appear at least twice, but the Italian adaptation of the novel was definitely one of the first to wholeheartedly attempt at a book-accurate film. While it's definitely not the best Dracula, Christopher Lee is the spitting image of Stoker's vision.
From the mustache to the fangs and cape, this is more akin to what the book describes than any other version that came before. The script might need some work, but the narrative is still there, and fans familiar with the book will be able to pick up on the more subtle bits and bobs scattered throughout.
Louis Jourdan (Count Dracula (1977)
Considered by many fans of the count to be the most accurate adaptation, the BBC TV version is definitely a contender for the title. Louis Jourdan might not be as seductive and suave as some of the others on the list, but he definitely captures the elegance and shadowy nature of the character.
At times, the movie feels more like an episode of Masterpiece Theatre than a TV film, but that's sort of what a great Dracula adaptation needs. It's not the most cinematic, but it definitely has a classic charm.
Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992))
When the title features the author's name directly tied in, it definitely needs to be as accurate as possible. Enter Francis Ford Coppola with Bram Stoker's Dracula. While it's definitely romanticized in a few places and Keanu Reeve's performance as Johnathan Harker leaves much to be desired, it takes elements from the novel many adaptations repeatedly leave out.
But, the biggest asset to the film is Gary Oldman as Dracula, and his dynamic and fluid performance is practically the book version come to life. Everything from his decrepit old vampire form to his handsome Transylvanian nobleman disguise drips with the gothic imagery that made Stoker famous.