This Old-School Horror Sci-Fi Series With Idris Elba Is a Must-Watch for Vampire Fans 28 Years Later

The vampire show is an excellent TV subgenre, for both horror and fantasy fans alike. Series like Midnight Mass have explored the monstrosity of vampirism, particularly when corrupted for human gain, whereas shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries have offered more of a sympathetic view of vampires who are being hunted by prejudiced humans. Vampire shows typically fall under the fantasy genre, even if they cross into other genres as well, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer did with the teen drama and What We Do in the Shadows did with the sitcom.

Channel 4's Ultraviolet carved out a very specific niche for itself within the vampire show subgenre in 1998, and there is still no other vampire show quite like it. The six-episode miniseries explores the concept in a unique way, moving out of fantasy and instead acting more as a crime-solving science fiction series about those working in law enforcement. The show gives a thought-provoking and deep exploration of themes related to vampirism, and it is unlike anything else that has covered the subject. Thankfully, you can binge it for free on Pluto.

What Is the Vampire Miniseries 'Ultraviolet' About?

Ultraviolet follows Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport), a by-the-book Detective Sergeant. Michael's best friend and partner at work, Jack (True Blood's Stephen Moyer), is getting married to a woman named Kirsty (Colette Brown) whom Michael secretly has feelings for, but his main priority is being a good Best Man to Jack. The night before Jack's wedding, an informant named Pollard (Ronnie Letham) is desperate to get in contact with Jack. Michael doesn't take Pollard seriously, but soon after expressing his concerns about a mysterious group of people, Pollard is shot and killed. Jack goes missing the next day before the ceremony, and Michael quickly realizes that there's a dangerous conspiracy at play.

As it turns out, Jack has gotten involved with a group of vampires who are working to come together to ensure their survival and seemingly eventually take over the world. They don't kill people or even call themselves vampires, and are more intentional and strategic than vampires tend to be in other media. While in hiding, Jack meets with Michael in secret and tells him that he has become a vampire now as well, and he tries to get Michael to follow suit. All the while, a secret government organization called Section 5 has been brought in to investigate Jack's disappearance. Backed by both the Vatican and the British government, Section 5's entire purpose is to find and kill all vampires, no matter whether they have actually harmed anyone.

The organization is made up of Gulf War veteran Vaughan Rice (Idris Elba), priest Pearse J. Harman (Philip Quast), and doctor and scientist Angie Marsh (Susannah Harker). Each of them has their own reasons for targeting vampires, and they soon recruit Michael to join their unit after he refuses Jack's offer and takes a stand against vampires. Throughout the series, the Section 5 team takes on various cases where it's suspected that vampirism has played a role in the crime, and Michael has to figure out how to fit his life around this new and demanding job. Michael goes very quickly from not knowing about the existence of vampires at all, to then dedicating his life to getting rid of them.

'Ultraviolet' Is Unique and Grounded in Its Exploration of Vampires

A central question at the heart of every vampire show is just how human vampires exactly are, and whether any sort of existing humanity can overpower their existence as monsters. Ultraviolet has a compelling new spin on this, because vampires aren't targeted for killing people, or strictly for committing crimes. Instead, Section 5 is inherently against the existence of vampires on principle, and this group believes that every vampire should be killed, without exception. This puts Michael in a fascinating and difficult position, because even as he has reason to believe that he's doing the right thing, he is often met with moments of doubt. Throughout the show, the occasional vampire points out to him that they are just trying to live, and Section 5's main goal is regularly questioned and debated.

For a vampire show, Ultraviolet is also incredibly grounded, and it is framed more as a gritty sci-fi police drama that sees the Section 5 team working to solve cases and figure out just how much these crimes are influenced by vampirism. They investigate a car accident, an odd pregnancy, and a disturbing murder of a priest, among other cases, anytime there seems to be a supernatural element at play. All the while, as Michael adjusts to this new job, he is forced to confront the possibility that Section 5's inherent motivation and reason for existing might not be without its flaws. Vampirism is used in Ultraviolet to explore themes of good and evil, prejudice, and the cost of working a job like this, and the series ultimately treats vampires the way that other science fiction shows tend to treat zombies.

In a lot of ways, Ultraviolet functions like a police drama, but the added element of vampirism heightens Michael's central moral dilemma. Viewers are taken on the same journey as Michael, in that sometimes they are given reason to believe that the curse of vampirism is inherently something that destroys a person's mind and leaves no choice but to kill them. Other times, though, viewers are made to empathize with the vampires, and to wonder if Section 5 is just a ruthless organization that is killing the innocent.

Ultraviolet doesn't make the answer easy on the viewers. Each of the characters stands out as well, especially Idris Elba's Vaughan Rice, who acts as a mentor while bringing Michael into the fold. Even as Michael has his occasional doubts, Vaughan is resolute in his belief that all vampires need to be killed. The different viewpoints on and experience with vampires really balance out the Section 5 team well, and this is what makes Ultraviolet such an unforgettable and impactful vampire series.

Ultraviolet is available to stream on Pluto TV.