f you made it into this article without being invited in, congratulations, you’re probably not a vampire. (That rule only applies to doorways, though, so we can’t be completely sure.)
Lesbians and vampires go way back. Ever since Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella Carmilla was published in the 1870s, the sapphic bloodsucker has been seducing her way across page and screen, from 70s cult horror to teen streaming dramas. We’ve rounded up the best lesbian vampire films and TV shows to watch this spooky season, plus a few fangless extras for when you need more gay gothic in your life.
Jump to: Lesbian vampire films | Lesbian vampire TV shows | Honourable mentions
Lesbian vampire films
The Blood Countess (2026)
The newest entry in the lesbian vampire canon stars Isabelle Huppert as Elizabeth Báthory, the Hungarian countess of blood-bathing legend, reimagined as a vampire who wakes up in present-day Vienna. With her devoted maid Hermione (Birgit Minichmayr) in tow, she sets off on a scavenger hunt for an ancient book with the power to destroy every vampire, including her.
It’s directed by lesbian filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger, who co-wrote it with Nobel Prize-winning author Elfriede Jelinek, and it’s high-camp gothic comedy all the way. Early word is that it’s not quite as gay as the premise promises, but Huppert as a vampire countess with a pet bat is reason enough. It screened at the BFI London Film Festival this month – keep an eye out for a wider UK release.
Carmilla (2019)
Emily Harris’s moody, slow-burn take on Le Fanu’s original story. Lara (Hannah Rae) lives a sheltered life in a remote English country house under the watch of her strict governess (Jessica Raine), until a carriage accident brings a mysterious girl called Carmilla (Devrim Lingnau) to the door.
It’s a hazy, sun-dappled mix of coming-of-age drama, gothic horror and queer longing, with plenty of symbolism to unpick. If you want a classic lesbian vampire story told with a modern eye, start here.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Technically Jennifer is a demon, not a vampire, but she has to feed to stay looking that good, so we’re counting it. When small-town queen bee Jennifer (Megan Fox) is sacrificed by a desperate indie band and comes back possessed, she starts eating the boys at her high school. Her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is the only one who sees what’s happening.
Article continues below.
Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, it was badly marketed on release and has since been reclaimed as a queer cult classic. The intense, messy chemistry between Jennifer and Needy (and that kiss) is the whole point.
You may also like: Sapphic & queer Halloween parties across the UK 2026
The Hunger (1983)
Catherine Deneuve plays Miriam, an ancient vampire living in New York with her companion John (David Bowie). When John starts ageing rapidly, he turns to Sarah (Susan Sarandon), a doctor who researches ageing, and Miriam soon has her eye on Sarah as his replacement.
Tony Scott’s debut feature is all smoke, shoulder pads and billowing curtains, and the seduction scene between Deneuve and Sarandon is legendary. Style over substance? Absolutely. Do we care? Not even slightly.
Daughters of Darkness (1971)
Delphine Seyrig plays Countess Báthory (yes, her again), who checks into an out-of-season seaside hotel in Ostend with her companion Ilona and turns her attention to a pair of newlyweds. Harry Kümel’s art-house horror is elegant, eerie and seriously stylish. It had a 4K restoration in 2025, so it’s never looked better.
Vampyros Lesbos (1971)
We’re going back in time for this one. Jess Franco’s surreal, psychedelic cult film stars Soledad Miranda as Countess Nadine Carody, a vampire who lures women to her Mediterranean island to satisfy her hunger for blood. It’s more erotic fever dream than coherent plot, and the soundtrack is as hypnotic as anything on screen – it even made the top ten of the UK alternative charts when it was reissued in the 90s.
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
The Hammer Horror version of Carmilla, starring Ingrid Pitt as the seductive Mircalla Karnstein alongside Peter Cushing. It’s very much made for the male gaze of its era, but it’s the blueprint for a lot of what followed, and it’s a camp, candlelit classic if you go in knowing what you’re getting.
Bit (2019)
Laurel (Nicole Maines), a trans teenager spending the summer in LA, falls in with a gang of feminist lesbian vampires led by the magnetic Duke (Diana Hopper). Their number one rule: never turn men. It’s a fun, low-budget indie with a sharp sense of humour and a lot to say about power and belonging.
Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
A bit of a joke entry, but it can’t be overlooked. James Corden and Mathew Horne play Jimmy and Fletch, two hapless blokes whose countryside walking holiday lands them in a village cursed by an army of lesbian vampires. Let’s be honest, it was made for lads rather than for us, but it’s so ridiculous it loops back round to entertaining. Watch it with friends and a strong drink.
Lesbian vampire TV shows
Interview with the Vampire (2022-)
AMC’s lush, gothic adaptation of Anne Rice is one of the queerest shows on TV, full stop. For us, the heart of it is season 2: in 1940s Paris, Claudia (Delainey Hayles) finally finds someone of her own in Madeleine (Roxane Duran), and the two become companions in immortality. It’s tender, it’s tragic, and it will absolutely wreck you.
Season 3 (The Vampire Lestat) aired this summer and revisits Claudia’s fate, and the show has been renewed for a fourth season, Queen of the Damned. All of it is streaming on AMC+.
Carmilla (2014-2016)
Before Netflix got in on the action, there was this Canadian web series, which became a genuine sapphic phenomenon. Told through the vlogs of Laura Hollis (Elise Bauman), a first-year journalism student at Silas University, it follows her investigation into her missing roommate, and the arrival of her broody new one, Carmilla Karnstein (Natasha Negovanlis), who turns out to be a vampire.
The episodes are short, the writing is sharp and the slow burn is worth it. It ran for three seasons on YouTube, racked up over 70 million views, and got its own feature, The Carmilla Movie, in 2017.
First Kill (2022)
Netflix’s supernatural teen drama puts a fresh spin on vampires vs slayers. Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook), a teenage vampire from a powerful bloodline, needs to make her first kill and sets her sights on the new girl in town, Calliope (Imani Lewis). The twist? Calliope comes from a family of vampire hunters. Cue a forbidden romance caught between duty and desire.
It was cancelled after one season, which still stings, but those eight episodes are a fun binge. It’s based on a short story by V.E. Schwab, whose 2025 sapphic vampire novel Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is worth a read if you’re still hungry.
True Blood (2008-2014)
HBO’s sexy, messy Southern gothic brought vampires, witches and shapeshifters into our living rooms, and gave us one of TV’s best lesbian vampire pairings. After Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) is shot in season 5, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) turns her into a vampire, and maker and progeny slowly fall for each other, sharing their first kiss in the season 5 finale. Earlier, in season 4, Tara also has a relationship with Naomi. Tara and Pam’s storyline doesn’t get the space it deserves, but Pam alone is worth the watch.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
There are vampires and there are lesbians in Buffy, although they’re mostly not the same people. The season 3 episode “Doppelgangland” introduces Vamp Willow, a leather-clad alternate version of Willow who Willow herself suspects is a bit gay. That turns out to be foreshadowing: Willow meets Tara in season 4, and their relationship became one of the first long-term lesbian relationships on mainstream TV.
If you’re skipping ahead for the gay gothic, start at season 3 or 4. The episodes work as standalones, but there are plenty of longer story arcs to sink your teeth into. (Sorry, the puns are too easy.) Just be warned that season 6 hurts.
Honourable mentions
No fangs here, but these still scratch the dark, sapphic itch.
Hazbin Hotel (2024-)
A musical animated comedy set in Hell, with Lucifer’s daughter Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen) running a hotel to rehabilitate sinners, backed by her girlfriend Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz), a fallen angel. There are no vampires, but there’s a sapphic couple at the centre, asexual representation, Jeremy Jordan as Lucifer and songs that slap. Musical nerds, you know what to do. It’s on Prime Video.
Motherland: Fort Salem (2020-2022)
Witches rather than vampires, but it’s dark, it’s Halloweeny and it has a sapphic love story running all the way through. Set in an alternate America where witches serve as the backbone of the military, it follows three young recruits, Raelle, Tally and Abigail, through training at Fort Salem, with Raelle’s romance with Scylla at its heart.
The Twilight Saga (2008-2012)
Let’s state the obvious: there are no lesbian vampires in Twilight. But there is Kristen Stewart, lesbian icon, who (spoiler) becomes a vampire in the final films. If a love-triangle romance with a dash of horror is your thing, we won’t judge.
Got a favourite we’ve missed?
Hopefully a few of these will satisfy your craving for lesbians, vampires and lesbian vampires. Tell us your favourites in the comments, and if you’re after more scares, head to our guide to the best lesbian horror films and TV series.
Enjoy,
Nonchalant x
Your next read: Vampirism and the lesbian monster
Jo Carter is a versatile and curious freelance writer, covering everything from queer culture and lifestyle to pop culture and trending stories.
