Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gothic
- tragic
- campy
- cult movie night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a fast-moving but uneven blaxploitation vampire picture whose concept, performances, music, and occasional chills outmatched its formulaic writing and amateurish execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Prince Mamuwalde becomes Blacula and awakens in a modern Black Los Angeles neighborhood, reframing Dracula-derived conventions through blaxploitation cinema.
Blacula pursues Tina because she resembles his long-dead wife, connecting vampiric violence to grief and reincarnation.
Mamuwalde is transformed after seeking Dracula's support for ending the slave trade, making triangular-trade history part of the character's origin.
An eighteenth-century African statesman and Dracula-inspired vampire mythology are transported from Dracula's Castle into 1970s Los Angeles.
Films like Blacula, and why
Scream Blacula Scream
shared blaxploitation horror, vampire mythology, racial identity, and 1970s genre energy
Blackenstein
shared blaxploitation cinema, supernatural horror, Black cultural context, and camp-inflected genre style
Dracula
shared classic vampire horror, gothic romance, tragic undead protagonist, and atmospheric supernatural menace
Ganja & Hess
shared Black horror tradition, supernatural persecution, and exploitation-era genre filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- William Crain
- Release Date
- 1972-08-25
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (184)
Cast
- William Marshall
- Vonetta McGee
- Denise Nicholas
- Thalmus Rasulala
- Gordon Pinsent
- Charles Macaulay
- Ji-Tu Cumbuka
- Elisha Cook Jr.
- Emily Yancy
- Ketty Lester
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, AMC+ Amazon Channel, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- 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 Blacula about?
- An African prince transformed into a vampire awakens in 1970s Los Angeles, where tragic love and a pathologist’s investigation collide with a trail of blood.
- What is Blacula like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blacula as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Blacula violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Blacula as moderate.
- What did critics think of Blacula?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a fast-moving but uneven blaxploitation vampire picture whose concept, performances, music, and occasional chills outmatched its formulaic writing and amateurish execution.
- Which films are like Blacula?
- Films with a similar feel include Scream Blacula Scream, Blackenstein, Dracula, and Ganja & Hess.
- How long is Blacula?
- Blacula runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blacula?
- In United States, Blacula streams on Amazon Prime Video, AMC+ Amazon Channel, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
