Dracula's Daughter
A melancholy Universal vampire sequel follows a tormented countess seeking psychiatric salvation while bloodless deaths revive gothic terror in London.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- eerie
- atmospheric
- classic horror night
- gothic movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise Gloria Holden's performance and the film's lush gothic atmosphere, while remaining divided over its slow pacing, dialogue, and limited suspense.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Countess Marya Zaleska, played by Gloria Holden, drives the story as a reluctant vampire seeking liberation from an evil influence.
Marya's eroticized encounters and outsider status give the vampire narrative a strongly queer-coded dimension within 1930s Hollywood censorship.
Foggy London, castles, nocturnal roads, and shadow-heavy Universal staging create the film's lush, evocative visual identity.
Marya seeks psychiatrist Jeffrey Garth's help to free herself from the mysterious evil influence governing her vampirism.
Films like Dracula's Daughter, and why
Dracula
shared gothic horror atmosphere, vampire mythology, and early sound-era studio style
The Bride of Frankenstein
shared classic universal monsters tradition, expressionistic shadows, and tragic supernatural romance
The Hunger
shared queer subtext, decadent gothic mood, and aristocratic vampire horror
The Addiction
shared psychological vampire premise, melancholy tone, and stylized nocturnal horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Lambert Hillyer
- Release Date
- 1936-05-11
- Runtime
- 71 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (232)
Cast
- Otto Kruger
- Gloria Holden
- Marguerite Churchill
- Edward Van Sloan
- Gilbert Emery
- Irving Pichel
- Halliwell Hobbes
- Billy Bevan
- Nan Grey
- Hedda Hopper
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dracula's Daughter about?
- A melancholy Universal vampire sequel follows a tormented countess seeking psychiatric salvation while bloodless deaths revive gothic terror in London.
- What is Dracula's Daughter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dracula's Daughter as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Dracula's Daughter violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dracula's Daughter as mild.
- What did critics think of Dracula's Daughter?
- Critics broadly praise Gloria Holden's performance and the film's lush gothic atmosphere, while remaining divided over its slow pacing, dialogue, and limited suspense.
- Which films are like Dracula's Daughter?
- Films with a similar feel include Dracula, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Hunger, and The Addiction.
- How long is Dracula's Daughter?
- Dracula's Daughter runs 71 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dracula's Daughter?
- In United States, Dracula's Daughter is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
