Hammer puts the vamp in Vampire.
Hammer Films took a sharp turn into sexy territory with The Vampire Lovers, their 1970 adaptation of Carmilla, and boy, do they lean into it. This is Hammer’s trademark gothic horror served up with a more generous than usual side of cleavage and garnish of lusty vampire action. If you thought vampires were all brooding capes and hissing at crosses, well, buckle up—because Carmilla Karnstein is here to sex things up. It’s Hammer time.
Carmilla (Ingrid Pitt) is the star of the show, a seductive vampire with a habit of preying on young women, all while maintaining that “Who, me?” innocence. She’s basically the vampire equivalent of that friend who says they’re just going to stay for one drink but ends up draining the bar and wrecking the whole party. Her MO? Woo the local ladies, have a bit of a nibble, and then leave a pile of drained bodies in her wake. Subtle? Not really. Entertaining? Absolutely.
One thing The Vampire Lovers isn’t shy about is its full-throated embrace of eroticism. This is Hammer’s coming-of-age moment, where they double-down on the “sex sells” mantra of the 1970s. The film’s got all the classic gothic trappings—moody castles, fog-covered graveyards, and candelabras galore—but the real star is Carmilla’s seductive hold over her female victims. These days, of course, it’s more sensual than shocking, but for 1970, it was boundary-pushing stuff. And for Hammer fans, it marked a shift toward a more cynically provocative, adult horror tone.
Plot-wise, you know what you’re getting: Carmilla arrives, causes havoc, and then the local vampire hunters have to sort it all out. Peter Cushing is back (because of course he is) as General von Spielsdorf, one of the few who suspects Carmilla’s true nature. He doesn’t have as much to do as in some of his other Hammer roles, but when Cushing’s on screen, you know you’re in good hands. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast does their best to look horrified, while Pitt just oozes predatory charm.
As is par for the course with Hammer Horror, the film drags in places, especially when it’s not focusing on Carmilla’s seduction routine or the inevitable vampire hunting that follows. But when the film hits its stride—whether it’s Carmilla working her way through her latest victim or the final, inevitable vampire showdown—it’s a Hammer classic through and through.
If you’re a fan of Hammer’s more traditional gothic fare, The Vampire Lovers will hit all the right notes. If you’re here for the vampy, sexualised spin on horror, well, you’re in for a treat. Just don’t expect it to hold back on the naughtier side of vampire life—this is Carmilla Karnstein, after all. And she didn’t come to play nice.
