AtaraxiaYes, because it’s our favorite month, Asteria Magazine is sharing three of its favorite films in a special vampire edition. Even though it’s not our usual theme, it remains a must, especially around Halloween. So buckle up and join us for a special vampire night adventure.
Top 3: Dracula Untold (2014)
Released in 2014 (yes, it’s already been 10 years…), Dracula Untold is a pure vampire masterpiece. With Luke Evans playing Vlad Tepes, we discover a new version of the Dracula myth. Directed by Gary Shore, we take a one-way trip to Transylvania, where, to save his family and kingdom, Vlad has no choice but to seek help from a strange creature. The creature grants him temporary superhuman powers for three days. If he can resist the urge to drink human blood during that time, he will return to normal. Otherwise, he will remain a vampire.
It’s not easy to resist this urge when, to save his world, he’s not just fighting a simple soldier but an entire army and a war, which leaves a lot of blood.
Dracula Untold is not just a fantastic story; it’s a magnificent action film that avoids the usual clichés, showing the sacrifices a man makes to save his family. You can find it almost anywhere, so you’ll have no trouble watching or rewatching this film, which is totally worth it.
Top 2: Van Helsing (2004)
When talking about vampires, it’s hard not to mention vampire hunters. And that’s exactly what this film shows us. We stay in Transylvania, where myths and legends collide, entering a world filled with vampires, lycans, and other fantastic creatures. We see Frankenstein, and also Mr. Hyde. But why include it in a vampire special ranking? Well, because the main character in this film is none other than Dracula (though not played by Luke Evans, of course).
Hugh Jackman portrays Van Helsing, who dedicates his life to fighting evil. Tasked by the Vatican to go to Transylvania and destroy Count Dracula’s reign, Van Helsing embarks on a perilous adventure that will challenge him at every turn.
For those who’ve never seen it—where were you in 2004 when this banger came out? For the rest, we haven’t found a platform where you can rewatch it for free, but it’s worth buying as soon as possible.
Top 1: Underworld (2003)
Well, well, well, our number one pick. Naturally, we love action, vampires, and wildly imaginative stories, so Underworld takes the top spot. This film saga kicked off in 2003 with its first installment. Six films, focusing on a war between vampires and werewolves, and yet Underworld is a must-see when it comes to vampire films. We meet the captivating Selene, fighting alongside her people against the werewolves. But when she falls in love with a human—who won’t remain human for long—Selene’s beliefs start to crumble, and the war could soon turn against her as she fights to save the one she loves, who has now become a lycan.
Underworld takes us into a deliciously fantastic world, and a little binge-watch of these films can’t hurt, especially during this spooky season.
Now that you know our secret soft spot for vampires, we’ll leave you to it as we rush to rewatch Underworld 1, especially since we’ve heard rumors about a series rebooting the saga, and we wouldn’t want to miss out or watch it without remembering all the details from the films.
