Plot
A woman walking alone to town under the hot California sun is suddenly attacked by a shadowy figure and dragged into the brush.
Nearly two decades after the events of Dracula , finds Mina Van Helsing (née Murray, formerly Harker) and Dr. Abraham Van Helsing married and living in the California Central Valley with their two sons, Max and Rudy. The young teens have grown up hearing stories of the dark things which haunt the night, and that they have had to move to ever-more-isolated locations in order to find peace from these terrible creatures. Abraham approaches his oldest son, Max, about Max's readiness to begin taking part in his father's fight against the darkness, and is tasked with watching his disturbed mother to keep her safe. Max is warned that Mina's mind is connected to the vampiric creatures (a reference to her being Dracula's thrall in the novel) and her behavior and mind will become more erratic if such creatures are near.
The family's peace is disrupted with the arrival of surveyors for the Pacific Railroad plotting a new route which would pass close by their isolated home. An accident leads Eddie and Elsie, the brother/sister surveying team, to their front door seeking medical attention. Dr. Van Helsing saves Eddie's life, earning Elsie's gratitude.
Mina's behavior becomes increasingly scattered and strange, but also more assured, as she converses with herself at night, withdraws from and resents the husband she was previously so "grateful" to for saving her and holding her vampiric influence at bay for so long, and describes Dracula in somewhat sensual terms to her children. Max has dreams about a shadowy figure, and Rudy is frightened that the vampires are already in the house, because he can hear scratching and muttering at night from the floors.
Mina begins to physically fade, which Abraham attributes to the vampires' influence taking over at last, and he tries many remedies, from blood transfusions and tinctures, in order to help her regain her strength.
While their father is out and their mother sleeping, Max and Rudy play football, until Rudy ducks through the window into their father's private study. Filled with strange occult objects and remnants from their past in London and Amsterdam before they fled to California, the boys find a hidden, locked door in the study. Opening it reveals stairs to a secret underground room, with a woman, the same from the beginning scene, chained in the darkness and begging for help. Before the boys can act, their father returns and stabs the woman through the heart.
Laying the woman's body out, Abraham explains to his sons that she had been attacked by a vampire and it was necessary for him to capture and hold her there to see if she was turning. Abraham hands Max a stake and mallet, and instructs him in staking her through the heart, which Max does. Abraham then turns to the young Rudy and tells him to help cut the woman's head off. Rudy protests vehemently, and Max is struck when he attempts to step in and redirect their father. Abraham admonishes his sons to put their faith in him.
Max discusses with Elsie his suspicions that his father might not be saving his mother, but actually making and keeping her sick. Before she dies, Mina asks her husband if he remembers the time "he" came to her bedroom and Van Helsing had "rescued" her. Abraham says yes, and Mina glares and wonders if he had actually saved her or simply trapped her himself and kept her there for all these years. Max contemplates running away and seems to be wondering if his father has truly been killing demons or if Abraham is simply murdering people, but he does not want to leave Rudy alone with their father. Max's nightmares about a shadowy vampiric figure continue.
Arthur Holmwood hears of Mina's death and Van Helsing's presence in the valley and comes for a visit. Arthur is deeply disturbed by his memories of the events from Dracula and cannot sleep, decades later. He is plagued with doubts. Specifically, he doubts his young self's judgement in trusting Abraham so completely when the older man and authority figure told them all that Arthur's wife, Lucy Westenra, had become a demon and needed to be killed. Arthur questions the many dubious medical procedures Abraham required them to perform on Lucy before her death and begs Abraham to assure him he is not a murderer for following Abraham's direction to stake and decapitate his new bride. Abraham is furious. He reiterates that Lucy had become a demon and their actions were justified as he throws Arthur from his house.
Max asks about visitor and some details about vampire bodies which Abraham has convenient, but unconvincing, answers for and shows Max a thick notebook containing photos of every vampire he has ever killed. Abraham tells Max he believes the family needs more secure protection and that they must set up a perimeter to isolate themselves, starting with the encroaching railroad team. Max tells his father he will not help and intends to leave. Van Helsing attacks and incapacitates his older son, before dragging young Rudy to the railroad camp to cleanse it.
The two brothers turn on their father, saying he must be killed to save others, which causes Abraham to gloat that they are just like him. Elsie is horrified by their actions and flees.
The two brothers empty their house and prepare to leave for places unknown, while the audience listens to a monologue by Abraham about how his own father was indifferent to his existence, so if he is hard on his sons and has high expectations, it is because he loves them. The movie ends as the boys ride away on horses heavy with all of their belongings as the voice of their father assures them that their faith in him is warranted.
