Film

Vamp

Name: Vamp
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Released: 1986
Cast: Grace Jones, Chris Makepeace, Sandy Baron, Robert Rusler, Dedee Pfeiffer

Urban fantasy

A delirious 1986 comedy-horror hybrid where two fraternity pledges stumble into a vampire-infested strip club. It's campy, neon-soaked, and proudly ridiculous—equal parts gory practical effects and absurdist humour. For anyone who loves genre films that refuse to choose between scares and laughs, or who appreciate '80s excess in its purest form.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy 1980s night-crawling camp, where a gaudy neon nightlife and a few gleefully gross gags matter more than logic, and you're happy to let a scruffy comedy wander into horror.

Skip it if you want tight scares or a steady plot; this one is loose, more interested in its odd atmosphere than in building dread.

What it asks of you: Expect a brisk ninety-three minutes that shift between sleazy club farce and bloody gags, so you can relax and laugh along without needing to follow every turn closely.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Near Dark1987

Kathryn Bigelow's vampire western treats the mythology seriously while maintaining a pulpy, visceral edge. Exceptional action sequences and a genuinely unsettling family dynamic. A genuine masterpiece hiding in plain sight.

But It's considerably slower and more violent than Vamp, and the emotional weight might feel heavy if you're after pure fun.

Fright Night1985

Tom Holland discovers his neighbour is a vampire. It nails the tonal balance between genuine scares and comedy relief, with practical gore effects that still hold up. The tension builds properly before the payoff.

But It commits harder to the horror than Vamp does, so if you want to lean into chaos and camp, this plays it relatively straight.

The Lost Boys1987

Vampire teen gang in a California beach town. Gorgeous cinematography, a killer soundtrack, and genuine style. Corey Feldman and Corey Haim are fantastic, and it knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be.

But The 80s nostalgia is now period-specific rather than timeless, and some of the humour feels dated in a way that reads less intentional.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Vamp

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Liquid Sky1982

Both are genre exercises from the mid-80s that care far more about mood and visual style than narrative logic. Vamp's neon-soaked club is cousin to Liquid Sky's hallucinogenic New York; both films have infected dreams over proper plots.

Soviet sci-fi about aliens harvesting human endorphins during sex and drug use. Surreal, synth-soaked, genuinely unsettling. It looks like a fever dream and operates on pure atmosphere rather than plot. A genuine cult object.

But It's deliberately opaque, very slow, and aggressively uninterested in traditional narrative coherence. Subtitles and patience required. The first-time experience is disorienting by design.

Once Bitten1985

Lauren Hutton as a centuries-old vampire targeting a teenager to regain youth. It's lighter than Vamp but similarly shameless about mixing sex comedy with horror elements, with an earnestness that's endearing rather than ironic.

But It's a teen sex comedy first and a vampire film second, so the supernatural elements take a backseat. Some will find it too fluffy.

The Fearless Vampire Killers1967

Roman Polanski's spoof does what Vamp attempts: genuine atmosphere undercut by absurdist comedy and production design that's intentionally theatrical. It's witty without being winking, stylish without irony.

But It's deliberately artificial and slow-paced, which requires patience. The gender politics also haven't aged smoothly, and some scenes are uncomfortable.

Lifeforce1985

Space vampires invade Earth. Tobe Hooper directs with absolute commitment to its bonkers premise. It's genuinely weird, occasionally terrifying, frequently hilarious, and never apologises for any of it.

But Tone-deaf around sexuality, narratively muddled, and it can feel like it's laughing at you rather than with you. The premise is wild but execution is uneven.

Werewolves on Wheels1971

A biker gang encounters werewolves. It's weirdly earnest about its exploitation premise, grindhouse charm mixed with practical creature effects that have genuine personality. Cult classic for excellent reasons.

But Picture quality is rough, pacing drags badly in places, and the acting ranges from committed to incomprehensible.

Transylvania 6-50001985

Reporters investigating monster sightings in Eastern Europe. Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begley Jr. elevate mediocre material with genuine chemistry. It's slight and silly but genuinely warm-hearted about it.

But The plot barely exists, the horror is perfunctory, and it relies entirely on whether you find the leads' riffing funny.

Ghoulies1984

A film student inherits a house full of tiny demons. Pure creature-feature schlock with practical puppet work and an absolute refusal to take itself seriously. Wonderfully stupid in an endearing way.

But It's genuinely low-budget, the script is thin, and the pacing is slack. There's a reason it survives only as a cult curiosity.

Eating Raoul1982

Both are about genre as permission to transgress. Vamp uses horror-comedy as cover for excess and visual audacity; Eating Raoul uses satire as cover for something genuinely dark. Both win by never asking permission.

A conservative couple murders swingers for income. Black comedy with genuine edge: funny, genuinely transgressive, and perfectly pitched. It's about taste (both literal and cultural) and getting ahead in Reagan's America. Cult masterpiece.

But The humour is unblinking and cruel; if comedy about murder feels wrong, this isn't for you. It's also somewhat tasteless—not provocative enough to feel daring now, but still abrasive.

Phantom of the Paradise1974

Both films weaponise visual style and music as storytelling. Vamp's strobing neon club and Grace Jones as total aesthetic statement parallels De Palma's commitment to atmosphere over coherence. Both are about the space itself as the real protagonist.

Brian De Palma's glam-horror about a disfigured composer haunting a rock club. Pure visual excess: Seventies production design, a killer soundtrack, and a rock opera structure. It's mannered and gorgeous and completely, unapologetically itself.

But De Palma's indulgent style overpowers the plot, and the sexual politics are deeply weird even by 1974 standards. If you want story over spectacle, you'll check out early.