Blood - The Last Vampire

At just under an hour long, Blood: The Last Vampire wastes absolutely no time getting to the good stuff. Set on a U.S. military base in Japan during the final days of the Vietnam War, the story follows Saya, a mysterious sword-wielding teenager whose after-school activities happen to include hunting monstrous creatures disguised as ordinary people. She doesn't say much, doesn't smile much, and generally behaves like someone with very little patience for either small talk or demons.

What makes the film stand out is its incredible style. Released in 2000, it was one of the first anime productions to successfully blend traditional animation with digital techniques, giving it a sleek, atmospheric look that still feels impressive. The action is fast, brutal and beautifully choreographed, while the story leaves just enough unanswered questions to make Saya even more intriguing. Dark, stylish and cool in the least embarrassing sense of the word, Blood: The Last Vampire feels like a glimpse into a much larger world, leaving many viewers wishing it lasted far longer than its brief running time.