The vampire Santanico Pandemonium is portrayed as a Tragic Monster in the series, whereas in the movie she had no such redeeming traits and was an unambiguous monster.Richie Gecko is still a creepy psycho, but unlike his movie counterpart, he has the excuse that supernatural forces are actively messing with his head.Even the specific race of the Vampires is expanded, in the movie, only Santanico was snake-like, now every vampire is snake-like.Until the seventh episode, when the show's plot takes another direction.
At the same time it adds new characters and provides a backstory absent from the original film.
In the films he was a reckless psychopath whom Seth had to keep on a proverbial leash while in the series, he's still pretty unhinged, but that was mainly due to psychic manipulations from Santanico and he was described as a pretty competent thief prior to Seth's arrest. In the series, they stop to kick Richie's ass, first. Their film counterparts run out the door when the shooting happens. The two young women Richie takes hostage in the first episode.In the film, she is a middle aged and white, while in the series, she is a younger Latina woman.
The bank teller the brothers hold hostage, along with a Race Lift.Inverted by Robert Patrick in Harvey Keitel's former role.Carlos was played by Cheech Marin in the film and by the younger and better looking Wilmer Valderrama in the series.Richie Gecko was played by Quentin Tarantino in the original movie, but in the series hes played by a former male model.