'Best vampire movie in history' added to Netflix to celebrate 40th anniversary
The flick, which boasts 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, has won fans over with its campy blend of horror and comedy, fine acting performances and 'deliciously gory' practical effects.
Written and directed by Tom Holland (no, not that one), Fright Night follows Charley Brewster (William Ragsale), who's convinced that his reclusive new neighbour is a vampire – but no one believes the horror film junkie.
But after strange events begin to occur, Charlie has no choice but to turn to the only person who could possibly help: washed-up television vampire killer Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall).
Chris Sarandon stars as the neighbour/vampire, Jerry Dandrige.
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'If you love being scared this could be the night of your life,' teases the original trailer for this 1985 film, which was popular enough to receive a 2011 remake with Colin Farrell as the charismatic vampire, David Tennant, Toni Collette and the late Anton Yelchin as Charley Brewster.
But this first version received praise upon its release, ending the year as the second-highest grossing horror film on over $24.9million (£18.45m), only behind A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge.
'Not just an eighties horror classic, but a horror masterpiece,' decreed Cinema Crazed in its review, while critic Keith Garlington added: 'I wholeheartedly believe Fright Night to be an underrated classic…It's driven by a fabulous collection of characters, an unabashedly fun story, some deliciously gory effects, and a steady seasoning of good humor.'
'For my money, Chris Sarandon makes the best vampire in movie history,' insisted Northwest Herald critic Jeffrey Westhoff at the time, while legendary film critic Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times: 'Fright Night is not a distinguished movie, but it has a lot of fun being undistinguished.'
It also holds a special place in fans' hearts, 40 years on – and it's something that Netflix subscribers in the UK can now revisit – or discover – after Fright Night was added to the streaming platform last week.
'I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it a million years ago and still love watching it every time. One of my ALL-TIME favourites,' enthused Justin K in his audience review on Rotten Tomatoes.
'Best vampire movie of all time,' insisted Alex D, while Nick O wrote: 'A high school monster kid and a local horror host team up to take on a 1000 year old bloodsucker…is there a cooler vampire flick out there?'
'Best movie ever,' shared Duh Sunnyday in a five-star review on Google. 'The makeup and effects were ahead of its [sic] time. They may look cheesy compared to today's standards but the acting, suspense, and story still hold up to the test of time. You can get lost in it. Truly a classic.' More Trending
'I can never get enough of this film,' praised Ihsan Tuncel, while David O'Brien called Fright Night 'an absolute joy from start to finish' which 'oozes atmosphere'.
'A beautiful-looking tongue in cheek 80s vampire flick with stunning special effects and a fantastic cast,' he added.
Fright Night is streaming on Netflix in the UK now.
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