Mena Suvari Sinks Her Teeth Into This Throwback Vampire Flick | Sorry Not Sorry
Few figures in pop culture have evolved as many times, or as drastically, as the vampire. And Mena Suvari's latest film in the genre, 2026's Vampires of the Velvet Lounge, puts a whole new spin on how these creatures feed their blood lust in modern times. The actress's work on the project also inspired her to watch 1922's Nosferatu, one of the greatest vampire movies of all time.
WATCH: Mena Suvari Sinks Her Teeth Into This Throwback Vampire Flick
"I mean, I got really into watching Nosferatu - the original – and going into this silent film route," Suvari told JustWatch. She also explained that she was curious about the film since it was shot in Savannah, Georgia, where her own movie was made. "Savanah was such a character in itself and really just continuously feeling that energy."
"I don't know. I guess for me it just felt like going to the origin of it and trying to digest the energy around that entity and what it felt like," Suvari added. That instinct to go back to the beginning makes sense, especially for a genre that has changed so much. Early vampire stories never focused on the creatures' internal conflict. They were simply seen as monsters.
Over time, that idea began to change. The figure that once existed purely as an external threat started to take on more recognizable traits. As such, modern vampire stories don't just focus on bloodlust and terror. They ask bigger questions about who the vampire is in human terms, what they want from their undead lives, and how they deal with their curse.
From Monster To Romantic Lead
The road to the modern vampire, which in most cases has been positioned as a romantic lead, was a long one. Early depictions establish the baseline. In Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, the titular Count is a centuries-old nobleman who moves from Transylvania to England to feed on the living and turn them into vampires. He is eventually hunted down by Abraham Van Helsing and others.
Dracula is predatory and poses a clear threat to society. That same idea carries into Nosferatu, where Count Orlok is stripped of charm entirely. He isn't seductive or emotionally complex. He is inhuman and defined by the unease he creates. But as the genre developed, vampires started to look and behave more like the people around them.
With that came a change in how they were written. The 1997 horror series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was one of the first shows to successfully introduce a vampire with a soul. Played by David Boreanaz, Angel was constantly plagued by guilt, which made him a sympathetic character. He eventually becomes romantically involved with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar).
By the time 2009's The Vampire Diaries hit screens, the Salvatore brothers (who happen to be vampires) were written as romantic antiheroes. Based on the book series by L. J. Smith, Stefan and Damon's stories are built around their choices, with violence framed as something that can be controlled rather than indulged. And just like that, what began as a symbol of fear turned into something else entirely.
Why To Watch 'Nosferatu' (And What To Watch After)
Watching Nosferatu now feels different than it might have when it was first released, but that's part of what makes it worth checking out. The film doesn't rely on dialogue or exposition to establish its tone, and there's no attempt to explain or make Count Orlok relatable. The film's use of shadow and physicality does most of the work, giving it a visual language that continues to influence horror.
For viewers more familiar with contemporary vampire stories, that difference is basically the draw. The next step in exploring old vampire movies is Dracula (1931). The movie introduces a more charismatic version of the vampire but still maintains the monster vibe. If you want something a little softer, 1994's Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, shifts the focus inward.
The movie still treats vampires as monsters, but its story is essentially a recounting of events, which humanizes vampires Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac (Pitt). Each of these films builds on what came before, but Nosferatu remains the clearest example of where the genre began. It strips the vampire back to its most basic form and, in doing so, shows just how much has changed since.
