The Moth Diaries charm is slight but effective. Genre fans should flock to this girl’s boarding school vampire flick like moths to a flame.

A gloomy yet safely spooky atmosphere pervades the film from director Mary Harron, with a script by Rachel Klein based on her novel. Lily Cole stars as Ernessa, a vampiric name if you ever heard one. Ernessa’s dominance over certain students forms most of the plot. The title comes from the way Ernessa can dissipate her spirit into thousands of fluttering moths. Scott Speedman and Sarah Bolger co-star.

The goth element remains subtle, often highlighted by the fact that Cole stands nearly six foot tall, leading to some fascinating compositions where she towers over the other girls. The Moth Diaries opens exclusively this weekend at the Alamo Drafthouse Mason Road Cinema.

- Michael Bergeron