The week before Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, as you’re slowly getting ready for the big day, baking theme pastries, decorating, carving pumpkins, reading gothic novels and watching all the spooky movies to create the perfect mood.

A couple of years ago I made list of movies about witches to watch for Halloween. This year let’s focus on vampires. There are many good films to watch or rewatch this week. Some of them are more creepy, others – more family-friendly, so I think you can find the perfect film of your taste.

The Twilight Series (2008-2011)

This saga is a true phenomenon in the cinematic industry and let me explain why. Everyone knows that it’s bad and cringy, however they still can’t stop rewatching it every now and then. I myself have a love-hate relationship with this story but I also enjoy watching it especially in fall. I think Twilight impresses the most with its incredibly cozy yet mysterious atmosphere of a little town surrounded by the woods and magical creatures; great soundtracks; and a new interpretation of vampires. I love how the author decided to ditch the old-style descriptions of these blood-sucking creatures and come up with her own vision of they should be.

Dark Shadows (2012)

Every movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter is already a gem for me, as I frickin love this trio and their dynamic. However, when I first watched Dark Shadows more than a decade ago, I somehow didn’t like it at all and now I can’t even remember why. I re-discovered it last year and absolutely love it as it has everything for the spooky atmosphere – mythical creatures, like vampires, witches and werewolves, the perfect gothic palace where everything takes place, lots of family secrets and to top it off – some humor.

Vampire Academy (2014)

This is one of those movies that I’m sure would have get in the list of my most favorite films, have I seen it in my teenage years. I watched it last year and still enjoyed it. As you can tell from the title, it’s about a bunch of vampires studying at a special academy which has the best mysterious vibes. There is another adaptation of this story in a form of a tv-show which tells the same story but in a slightly different way. I haven’t seen it, so can’t really say anything about it.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

This is one of those few instances when I liked the movie adaptation better than the book because it felt more tense and interesting. Can I just point out the amazing cast of this movie? There’s Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves and Anthony Hopkins. I love when a group of remarkable actors work together in one project. There are many other adaptations of the most significant vampire story that you can watch as well, including the recently released one called Dracula: A Love Tale which has become a fan-favorite already. I haven’t seen it yet but I want to catch up before Halloween.

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

There aren’t many animated films about vampires, or at least I don’t recall seeing any. That’s why I guess I can say that Hotel Transylvania is one of a kind. It tells the same story of Dracula but with a new and funny perspective, teasing the cliche stereotypes about vampires (and other creatures as well). Dracula has turned his castle into a hotel for all kinds of monsters. Everything goes well until one day a human being finds the hotel and decides to join the party. The cartoon has many sequels but I personally love only the first two parts.

Van Helsing (2004)

Another interpretation of Dracula’s story but this time from the perspective of the famous monster hunter Van Helsing. He is sent to Transylvania to fight the evil vampire. This one’s quite dark and creepy but it has some adventurous elements as well. The most prominent thing about this film is that it also gives us a reference to Frankenstein, as Dracula is trying to use the same mechanism for resurrection.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

We tend to think of vampires as evil and vicious creatures, believing that they have no feelings or morality. This movie tells otherwise, as an old vampire comes to a journalist and tells his tragic life story of how he became a vampire. I’ve seen this movie only once a few years ago and don’t remember much to tell, but I enjoyed its dark and slightly scary atmosphere.

Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)

It’s a little weird putting this “childish” movie among with the serious ones, but if I remember it right, it’s the first film about vampires that I saw and loved as a child, so I just couldn’t ignore it. This is one of Disney’s classic films and it tells the story of siblings who try to find a date for their mom. They find the perfect man, not knowing that he has one little flaw: he’s a vampire. Now the children have to stop the evil creature from turning their mom into a vampire as well. everything happens on a Halloween, so the spooky mood is guaranteed.