- Dracula's design in this film is one of the most terrifying it's ever been. Gone is the classic, refined aristocrat popularized by Bela Lugosi—this Dracula is an ancient, monstrous creature that starts off a withered, disgusting man-thing from being half-starved, and ends as an enormous bat-creature that can tear men apart with ease and makes many similar monster designs like the Terror-dactyl and the Kidnapping Bird of Prey look tame in comparison. What's worse is that this one is implied to be every bit as intelligent as his other adaptations, and is simply not bothering to put on a mask of humanity for the doomed crew.
- Speaking of redesign, the feeding is also different than usual: it's not through a bite on the neck, he cuts the throat open and then slurps the blood, keeping in theme with the more animalistic design. Bad enough on its own, but then you consider the fact that the movie starts treating Dracula as a beast only to have him shown more and more intelligent as it goes on, even ending with him in fancy clothing and with a cane, leading you to wonder: does he have to feed like that, or does he choose to? Consider that Anna doesn't seem to have similar wounds...
- The reveal that Dracula has been strategically rationing the crew picking them off one by one until they got to London. The implication that he could have killed them all at anytime during the journey if he wanted too.
- Petrofsky's death is one of the more violent and gruesome in the film, preceded by a disturbing shot of a writhing, shriveled Dracula in the shadows (which initially gives off the feel that the creature is weak and frail right before the attack) and culminating with the unfortunate man laying helpless and aware as Dracula audibly gulps blood from his wounded neck.
- The scene with a vampire Olgaren burning in the sunlight, with a closeup of his skin bubbling like boiling water. Seeing Toby suffer the same fate later on is no picnic either, with both characters screaming in agony as they go up.
- Pretty much the entire sequence of events that lead up to Toby's death, from his relentless pursuit by the undead Olgaren to him seeing a naked, humanoid Dracula curled up in the shadows of the room just when he thought he was safe.
- Special mention to Dracula giving a mocking smile at the crew through the locked door. He's not hiding anymore.
- Even worse yet it's pretty clear that Dracula could have gotten Toby any time but instead he continues to terrify the child and prolongs his death for no other reason then that he can.
- Vampire-spawn Olgaren's attempt to pound his way through the door of the captain's quarters with his face is chilling too, and displays just how far gone into slavish obedience and/or mindless savagery the reanimated sailor has become.
- Anna revealing that despite being in a stupor when Clemens finds her, she was fully aware of everything Dracula was doing to her while trapped in that box. Special mention goes to her speech to the captain, where she describes how whenever he fed on her, the wound would get filled with dirt.
- A particularly creepy moment during the final confrontation with Dracula has him wrapping Anna up in his wings as he prepares to feed on her again, implicitly about to kill her in the same way he recently killed Wojchek. Clemens is able to rescue her, but before he does the audience is treated to glimpses of her face and hands as she pushes in vain on the membrane of Dracula's wings, not even able to properly scream inside.
- Dracula gets two lines of dialogue throughout the film, and by God does he make his point known with them.Clemens: [Struggling to breathe, Dracula's claws wrapped around his throat] I... do not... fear... you.
Dracula: [cutting a slit in Clemens neck with his claw] You. Will.
