Dracula Review – Besson’s Romantic Reinterpretation of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Entertaining
It’s possible interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. And yet, one must admit: his richly designed romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Clever but Weary Vampire-Hunting Priest
Christoph Waltz embodies a witty yet careworn cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this role before – who ends up in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, enacted by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This is a part he seemed destined to play.
The Narrative: A Chronicle of Longing
The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in torment for hundreds of years following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his faithless sorrow after the passing of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who would be the rebirth of his lost love. As ill fortune would have it, the lucky lady is revealed as Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to negotiate his land assets and the small picture of the lovely Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels wearing flamboyant outfits with a sure hand, and he doesn’t shy away from providing humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, along with absurd moments that occur when Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which makes him compelling to the opposite sex. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
