10 Best Indie Vampire Movies You've Probably Never Seen
3. Rabid (1977)
One of the earlier films of David Cronenberg's career, Rabid is not a vampire story in a conventional sense but instead blends certain vampire elements into a gory, body horror nightmare.
After being injured in a motorcycle crash, Rose (Marilyn Chambers) undergoes surgery and subsequently develops a kind of orifice under one of her armpits. It hits a new organ resembling a stinger that pierces people's skin and drains their blood, upon which Rose now depends for her survival. Those who are drained turn into monsters who subsequently terrorise the Canadian countryside, eventually reaching Montreal.
While the surface level appeal may be overly obvious, it is handled with the sophistication, shock factor and intelligence that defines Cronenberg's style of filmmaking. The film addresses hypersexuality, technology, and consumption in a rapidly modernising society. It doesn't bother with the traditional folklore or tropes of vampirism, applying it in the broadest possible sense to allow Cronenberg's imagination to run away with itself.
When released, Rabid was one of the most successful films in Canadian history. 101 films re-released Rabid in 2019 as a special edition, coinciding with a remake of the film by the Soska sisters which came out in the same year.