With Halloween around the corner it is time to scare yourself silly, or just have a laugh

On May 26, 1897, Irish author Bram Stoker unknowingly gave birth to a whole genre of literature and art, when he published Dracula. While the nocturnal, blood-feeding monster that served as his main antagonist already existed in folklore, Stoker was the one who put it on the page and gave it many of the tropes and characteristics we know today.

Vampire fiction and literature never really left the zeitgeist and served as an inspiration for some great movies and series. With Halloween only a month away and the summer heat slowly giving its place to that sweet autumn sadness, let us take a look at some great vampire series to binge!

Interview with the Vampire

I must admit that this one was a total surprise. When AMC announced it would be adapting Anne Rice’s legendary novels, my eyes rolled so hard they went to the back of my head. “Ugh, enough with nostalgia pandering and shameless cash grabs. Create something original why don’t you?”, was what I thought. Still, for old-time’s sake I gave it a shot.

And I’m so glad I did!

The TV series is more faithful to the source material and does a great job of re-opening Rice’s thrilling world, without resorting to cheap tricks. There’s romance, horror and acting that takes this to a whole new level. The series also doesn’t shy away from exploring issues like abuse while at the same time embracing the queer element that dominates Rice’s novels. With two seasons out and a third on the way, now is the time to feel the bite!

What We Do In the Shadows

It is rare these days that I find a comedy that I like. A comedy with a supernatural element, that delivers consistently? Almost unheard of. Almost.

What We Do In The Shadows is a hilarious mockumentary about four vampires who live together on Staten Island in a mansion maintained by Guillermo. It’s funny, quirky and downright wholesome in uniquely twisted way. The show is five seasons in and still manages to somehow surprise us with its ability to squeeze jokes out of the hijinks the vampires get up to when interacting with the world or among them.

The sixth and last season premieres in October so there’s plenty of time to binge the whole series!

From

Much like Interview With The Vampire, From is another underappreciated pearl in the horror genre, not getting the love it deserves. From tells the story of a small town in the US that is held hostage by magic, as once you find your way there you can’t get out. Trapped, the residents are forced to deal with the monsters that come out at night to feed. Every night the people barricade themselves in, hoping that the monsters don’t come into their homes.

With From, the executive producers of Lost – streaming on Netflix now, if you want to revisit it – team up with Lost actor Harrold Perrineau, who stars as the sheriff of the town, desperately trying to keep his people alive.

The third season is currently streaming with the first episode receiving great reviews. From looks like a Stephen King fever dream, that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Midnight Mass

I have written about Midnight Mass many times in the past and I will keep writing about it until I convince everyone to watch it. This is a one-man crusade people, a man must have a cause.

Midnight Mass tells the story of a man who returns to the isolated island he came from, after serving prison for killing a person in a drunk-driving accident. While our hero is looking for redemption, a new priest arrives in town, bringing with him an ancient evil. It’s thrilling, it’s horrifying and it will get under your skin. This is a limited series, just one season and you can easily watch it over the weekend. Please do. Or I will write about it again!

The Strain

Another underrated gem, this one from ye old 2014. The Strain is the four-season adaptation produced by horror master Guillermo Del Torro, from a book series he also co-wrote. In it, vampires decide to unleash their fury on the world and the only things stopping them are an epidemiologist, a Ukrainian exterminator and an elderly Armenian Jew who has been hunting vampires since he came across the Ancient One at a Nazi concentration camp.